Average weight of a metal casket

Wood

Caskets are often made of hard wood, and popular woods include mahogany, cherry, walnut, maple, oak, and pine. Each wood has a different weight, and even specific boards of wood can have a different weight depending on how much moisture is in the wood, where it comes from, how dense it is, etc. Among the popular casket woods listed above, pine is typically the lightest, at 43 pounds per cubic foot, and cherry or mahogany would be the heaviest, at 53 to 56 pounds per cubic foot.

Metal

Caskets can also be made of a wide variety of metals, from carbon steel and stainless steel to even precious metals like copper and gold. The weight of a metal casket doesn't just depend on the metal used, but also on the thickness of the metal, the production method, and other factors.

In this instance, stainless steel weighs about 494 pounds per cubic foot, while gold weighs a whopping 1,200 pounds per square foot, while 20-gauge steel is thinner (and therefore lighter) than 18- or 16-gauge steel. Most steel coffins are between 16-20-gauge steel in thickness.

Plywood or fiberboard. Plywood or fiberboard caskets are usually covered with a solid wood veneer to look like a solid wood coffin at a more affordable price. They can also be finished and painted in a large number of ways. Or they can be covered in fabrics, for a comfortable, more natural and environmentally sustainable option.

Casket Fittings and Furnishings

Of course, caskets aren't simply the wood or metal box. They have decorative and functional hardware, including clasps and hinges, rods to make it easier to lift or move the casket, casket corners, and other options that will all affect the final weight of the casket. Casket fittings are often made of brass, which is a heavy, attractive, corrosion-resistant metal, but will add to the overall weight of a casket.

Compared to the weight of the materials on the outside, the materials of the fabrics on the inside, which may be velvet, satin, crepe, or other materials, do not significantly affect the overall weight.

Casket Size

Naturally, the size of the casket will play a huge role in what it weighs.

Standard casket

Standard caskets are 24 inches wide and 79 inches long on the inside. This casket will typically fit a person up to 6.5 feet tall, although people who are 6'7” or 6'8” can often be made to fit, if the funeral director bends their knees a bit. The width of a person needs to be measured straight across at the elbows or shoulders, since they are usually the widest part of the body. Generally speaking, a standard casket will fit a person who weighs up about 350 pounds.

Oversize casket

Caskets are also available in larger sizes for people who are taller or wider. Caskets are available in widths of 27.5 and 30.5 inches. However, a standard cemetery vault or plot is only 30 inches wide, so some oversized caskets will not fit into a standard burial space. Oversized caskets can increase related burial costs, and of course affect the final weight of the casket.

Caskets are usually fitted with rods and handles to make them easy to lift, even when they are quite heavy. There are also a variety of machines designed to help lift, move, and transport heavy caskets while being quiet and discrete. In many instances, a 4-wheeled “church truck” is placed beneath the casket, and pallbearers walk alongside, in a more symbolic role than actually lifting and carrying the casket.

In short, the total weight of a casket depends on how large it is, what it's made of, and what fittings are attached to it. With all these different factors to consider, it's understandable why caskets vary so much in weight. Caskets can range from as little as 60 pounds to as much as 400 pounds or more. A typical wooden casket weighs approximately 150-200 pounds when empty.

Casket Weights

By Casket Emporium March 24,2021

Depending on the intended use of a casket and how it is handled, its weight can be a factor to consider. Having said that, there is no particular predetermined answer to “how much does a casket weigh” or “how heavy is a casket“, but normally is between 60 and 200 lb.

Factors that have an impact in the weight of a casket

There are several factors that can dictate the total weight of a casket. These include the following:

Materials

The materials used to craft a casket is among the major factors that determine its total weight. There is a wide array of materials that can be used, the most common of which are metal and wood.

Wood

Wood Caskets make use of popular hardwood such as cherry mahogany, maple, walnut, pine, and oak. Each of these materials has a different weight. Even specific types of boards can vary in weight, depending on where it is from, the amount of moisture is present in the wood, and its density, among others.

Of all the popular casket wood materials mentioned above, pine is the lightest, weighing only 43 lb. for every cubic foot. Mahogany or cherry are typically the heaviest. Each cubic foot of these woods weighs 53 – 56 lb./cubic foot.

Metal

There are many different types of metal that can be used for caskets. These include stainless steel, carbon steel, and even gold, copper, and other precious metals. A metal casket weight is determined not only by the material. The production method, thickness of the material, and other factors also come into play.

When used to make a metal casket, stainless steel contributes to the total average weight by around 494 lb. for every cubic foot. Gold is heavy, weighing at least 1,200 lb / square foot.

Most metal caskets use anywhere between 16 and 20 gauge thick steel. 20-gauge steel is lighter and thinner than 16 or 18-gauge steel.

Fiberboard or Plywood

Caskets made of fiberboard or plywood are typically covered with solid wood veneer. This is to make it look like it is made of solid wood. It is a more affordable alternative to a solid wood product. You can likewise paint and finish the casket in many different ways. You can cover it with fabric to come up with a more natural, comfortable, and environmentally-sustainable alternative.

Furnishings and Fittings

Caskets are often more than just a metal or wooden box. They are fitted with functional and decorative hardware that include hinges, clasps, and rods to make lifting or moving it easier. Corners, as well as other options to make the casket more attractive and functional also add up to the total weight.

Casket fittings are typically made of heavy brass. The metal is corrosion-resistant and attractive, but it is heavy, and thus contributes further to the weight.

While the materials at the interiors are heavy, the fabric materials inside are light, and do not have a significant impact on the overall weight. These include satin, velvet, crepe, and other light materials.

Size

Of course, the bigger the casket, the heavier it will weigh, given similar produccts of exactly the same materials and ornaments.

Standard Caskets

A standard one measures 24” (width) and 79” (length) inside. A casket of this size will fit a person standing 6’6” tall. But, it can also accommodate people who are 6’7” or 6”8 tall if their knees are bent a bit. To measure the right width, measure the person straight across at the shoulders or elbows. This is often the body part that is the widest. In general, standard caskets should comfortably weigh a person weighing around 350 lb.

Oversized Caskets

Larger-sized or oversized caskets are available for taller or wider people. You can find wider caskets with widths of 27 ½ or 30 ½”. The problem is, standard cemetery plots or vaults only measure 30” wide. A wide one may not fit in a standard-sized burial space, increasing related burial costs, not to mention the effect it will have on the overall weight.

Other Casket Fittings

Caskets are often fitted with handles and rods to make lifting easier – even when they are already quite heavy as they are. Various machines are also used to move, lift, and transport heavier caskets quietly and discreetly. Typically, a “church truck” with 4 wheels is placed under the product, as pallbearers walk along. This is more symbolic than actually carrying and lifting the casket.

Final Words about casket weight

To sum everything up, the total weight depends on various factors. These include the materials it is made of, its size, as well as the fittings it is equipped with. By knowing all the materials and accessories that comprise a single casket, you will appreciate why a single casket can weigh a lot.

Interesting.

Casket weight can vary widely – from 60 lb. to as heavy as 400 lb. or even more. When empty, a regular wooden casket can weigh around 150 to 200 lb.

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