The average exterior dimensions of a standard sized casket are 84” long, 28” wide, and 23” high. On the inside they are slightly smaller, with interior dimensions of around 79” x 24” x 14”. All standard caskets are designed to accommodate the majority of people and fit inside a burial vault.
We know this because we scraped and analyzed data from the websites of the two largest traditional casket manufacturers in the USA: Batesville and Matthews Aurora, alongside newer entrants to the market including Titan Casket and Trusted Caskets.
Buying a casket can be hard, it’s not something most people do everyday, and it’s important to get it right. The last thing you want is a casket your deceased loved one won’t fit in, or a coffin that won’t fit in the burial plot you’ve spent hundreds of dollars on.
So we’ve pulled all that data together to give you the information you need about casket sizes to ensure you get one that is the right fit for you. Whether you’re considering an oversized casket on something completely different, our guide and chart have you covered:
In This Article
Casket Sizes and Dimensions Chart
See the table below for a breakdown of typical casket dimensions and specifications:
| Casket Size | Dimensions in Inches (L x W x H) | Dimensions in Centimeters |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Sized | 84” x 28” x 23” | 213 cm x 94 cm x 58 cm |
| Oversized (29”) | 84” x 29” x 24” | 213 cm x 74 cm x 61 cm |
| Oversized (33”) | 85” x 33” x 24” | 216 cm x 84 cm x 61 cm |
| Oversized (36”) | 85” x 36” x 24” | 216 cm x 91 cm x 61 cm |
| Oversized (40”) | 86” x 40” x 24” | 218 cm x 102 cm x 61 cm |
| Oversized (44”) | 86” x 44” x 24” | 218 cm x 112 cm x 61 cm |
Standard Casket Dimensions
The outside dimensions of typical metal and wood caskets are 84” long, 28” wide, and 23” high, with interior measurements of around 79” in length, 24” in width, and 14” in height.
These numbers do vary slightly between manufacturers and depending on the style and material of the casket. We found Batesville casket dimensions to be ever so slightly larger than other brands. We also found wood caskets are, on average, 0.5 inches smaller than a 20-gauge steel metal casket.
However, regardless of the very minor variances, you can be assured that anything marketed as a usual casket will be very close to these dimensions. They are industry standard, and there are two key reasons for this:
- Standard sized caskets will usually comfortably fit the remains of people who weighed under 350 pounds. In some cases they can accommodate more, although this is something you should discuss with the casket maker or your funeral director. Funeral homes only have so much space to display coffins, so ensuring there is an (almost) “one-size-fits-all” solution minimizes the stock they need to carry.
- Standard size caskets are designed to fit in standard sized burial plots and vaults, which are typically 30 inches wide.
Of course, not everyone will fit a typical casket. And over the past few decades, the demand for larger options has steadily increased. These are known as “oversized caskets”.
Dimensions of an Oversized Casket
Any casket that exceeds standard dimensions is considered an oversized casket, and multiple sizes exist.
In terms of pre-manufactured options on the market, you can find sizes ranging from 29” all the way up to 44” wide.
The exact size you need for the specific weight of your deceased loved one is something you will need to discuss with the casket maker.
Buying Tip: When shopping for an oversized casket, ensure you double check whether the advertised measurements refer to the interior or exterior of the casket. The last thing you want is to accidentally order something that is too wide to fit in a standard burial vault.
What About Height?
Notably, oversized caskets are rarely much longer or taller than a standard casket. The industry standard 84” length and 23” height largely persists across casket size.
The reason for this is that the main market for oversized caskets is those who die overweight.
There is a myth that a standard casket will only fit people under 6’10”, but this is inaccurate. If a person is too tall, it is easy for funeral directors to bend the deceased’s legs slightly to ensure they fit.
There are of course exceptions. Occasionally, someone over 7 feet tall will die and perhaps bending the legs won’t be enough. In such a case, many manufacturers are able to make a custom casket to suit that person’s specific needs. But this can be expensive, and some people choose cremation as an easier option.
As featured in our our guide to the best caskets, Titan Casket offer a variety of robust and excellent value options for bodies that are unsuitable for standard-sized caskets.
Casket Sizes FAQs
Will an Oversized Casket Fit in a Casket Vault?
Your funeral director may have mentioned that you need to purchase a casket or burial vault.
These are concrete, polymer, or metal containers into which coffins are placed. While they are not required by any law, they can be required by cemeteries to protect the casket and prevent graves from sinking as the ground around the burial site settles.
On the interior, standard casket vaults measure 86″ long x 30” wide x 24.5″ high. This means that any casket with an exterior width of less than 30” will fit in a standard sized burial vault. Larger oversized caskets that are greater than 30” wide will not fit. Oversized casket vaults are available for these instances, but they are understandably more expensive.
How Big Is a Standard Grave?
The International Cemetery, Cremation, and Funeral Association has defined the standard size of a grave as 2’6″ wide by 8′ feet long. This size encompasses the burial plot as well as the headstone.
Do Wood and Metal Caskets Have the Same Dimensions?
Metal and wood caskets typically have similar exterior dimensions, although you can expect wood caskets to be slightly smaller.
However, the fact that metal can be thinner while maintaining its structural integrity means that metal caskets typically have a slightly roomier interior. Conversely, because the panels used to construct wood coffins must be thicker, their interior is smaller.
Metal caskets are often a good option to explore in the case of slightly larger or taller bodies; the interior bedding can be adjusted to create even more space.
What If a Standard Casket is Too Big?
If a standard size casket is too big, a smaller casket or cremation can be considered as an alternative. Unfortunately, there are not many options for smaller caskets available on the market, so custom-ordering is usually required. While children’s caskets are (sadly) available, these are typically too small for even the shortest of adults.
