​Older mausoleums were built entirely on site using very thick blocks of granite. Wall thickness was 12” in many older mausoleums. Advances in the fabrication, assembly and installation have made 12” thick walls unnecessary in many mausoleums built today. The wall thickness of a sarcophagus often measures 4” to 6” these days. Vestibule mausoleums manufactured today often have a wall thickness between 6” and 8”.

Some cemeteries will require a certain thickness for a mausoleum to be set on their grounds. Great Mausoleums will work with each client to guarantee that the mausoleum is acceptable for use at the designated cemetery. We will contact the designated cemetery and outline any specific guidelines that must be followed.

​At the time of construction it is not uncommon for each member of the family to be living. When the time comes to entomb someone in the mausoleum an inscription is added. The inscription commonly consists of the following elements: Name, Date of Birth/Date of Death, Endearment and a carving/design.

The inscription is done by removing the shutter from the inside of the mausoleum and engraving the inscription. This can be done either at the cemetery or in the manufacturing facility. The process is not complicated and we regularly complete this type of work. 

The problem with imported mausoleums is that neither the family nor the mausoleum builder is certain of exactly what they are getting until it is too late. Seldom will a mausoleum builder travel overseas to monitor the production of a mausoleum and any problems will not be detected until the building has arrived at the cemetery. With American Made mausoleums we are able to monitor the construction process and make sure that only the highest quality materials and qualified craftsmen are building the mausoleum.

High quality materials in American Made mausoleums include flawless granite and architectural quality bronze accessories. It is not uncommon for overseas manufacturers to substitute architectural quality bronze doors with stainless steel doors having a thin copper plating. This is unacceptable by the standards of Great Mausoleums and is not to be sold as a “Bronze Door”.

In order to have full confidence in the mausoleum builder and to guarantee a worthy finished product, consumers are wise to look beyond the price tag and purchase an American Made Great Mausoleum. 

​On average, we expect a production time of 4-6 months for a private mausoleum.  The time it takes to build and deliver a private mausoleum depends on three main factors.
 
Size and Complexity: Complex and larger designs will naturally take longer to complete when compared to a simple mausoleum.
 
Material Selection: Certain granite types are more readily available in the dimensions needed for mausoleum construction. Barre Grey Granite is the most consistently available granite to source in large blocks. Other granites, such as American Black, can be challenging to source in large quality pieces. Great mausoleums is most selective in the blocks used to construct.
 
Weather: Most of our mausoleums are installed in the spring, summer and fall. Prefabricated mausoleums can be installed in any season while on-site construction is to be completed in warmer weather months. Most cemeteries will only construct the foundation while the weather is warm.

As with many goods and services offered today, the option of importing a mausoleum from overseas is an option. There is a distinction between imported granite that is assembled and manufactured in the USA and mausoleums that are fully-quarried, manufactured and assembled outside of the USA. We usually refer to mausoleums that are fully-quarried, manufactured and assembled overseas as imported mausoleums. Great Mausoleums always recommends American made mausoleums.

Domestically manufactured mausoleums allow Great Mausoleums to control all aspects of production and guarantee the highest quality finished product produced with a perpetual warranty.

While an American-made mausoleum may cost more than an imported mausoleum, our experience has shown us that most families are better off over the long term in selecting a domestically manufactured mausoleum. A domestically produced mausoleum is usually better-crafted, fully-warrantied and delivered to the cemetery in a timelier manner.