Columbarium Niche: Sizes, Costs and Which Urn Fits

If you are reading this, you may be deciding where someone's ashes will rest, and a niche in a columbarium is one of the choices a cemetery or crematorium may offer. This guide explains what a columbarium is, how big niches are, what they cost in the United Kingdom and the United States, and how to tell whether an urn will fit. Every figure comes from the cemetery, council or public body that published it, with a link beside it. Each source was read on October 6, 2026.

The guide gives real published examples. It is not a survey of every cemetery, and it does not give an average price, because none of the bodies we read publishes one.

Key facts

• In the United States, the National Cemetery Administration's design page for veterans cemeteries, published under Veterans Cemetery Grants, describes a columbarium as "an above-grade structure designed for the interment of cremated remains in a niche 10 ½" x 15" x 20" deep, measured at the face". The page names the depth and does not say which of the other two figures is the height (NCA, Veterans Cemetery Grants, page updated November 18, 2020).
• In the United States, burial benefits in a VA national cemetery are provided "at no cost to the family", and cremated remains are "buried or inurned in national cemeteries in the same manner and with the same honors as casketed remains" (NCA, Burial and Memorial Benefits, updated February 20, 2026).
• In England, Croydon Council says each of its niche cells "can accommodate 2 sets of remains, with a maximum casket size of 10 inch high by 14 inch wide by 17 inch deep (25cm high by 36cm wide by 42cm deep)" (Croydon Council, read October 6, 2026).
• In England, Chelmsford City Council lists a columbarium niche for 25 years, including the first interment, at £644 for residents and £1,288 for non-residents in its 2025-26 fees, valid until November 1, 2026 (Chelmsford City Council, page updated September 22, 2026).
• In the United States, the city of Apple Valley, Minnesota lists a single columbarium niche at $1,980.00 to $2,405.00 for residents and $3,960.00 to $4,810.00 for non-residents, depending on the level (Lebanon Cemetery General Price List, effective January 1, 2026).
• In England, the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames says a container placed in its granite columbarium units "must be no more than 7" by 7" in size" (Richmond Council, page updated April 29, 2026).
• In 2025, the US cremation rate was 62.8% and the Canadian rate reached 77.4%. These are the association's own figures, which it says it compiles from death and cremation data collected from state and provincial agencies (Cremation Association of North America, 2026 Annual Statistics Report summary, read October 6, 2026).

What is a columbarium?

A columbarium is a wall, building or free-standing unit made to hold cremated ashes above ground. In the United States, the National Cemetery Administration (NCA), on its design page for veterans cemeteries, defines it as "an above-grade structure designed for the interment of cremated remains in a niche" (NCA, Veterans Cemetery Grants, page updated November 18, 2020). The London Borough of Richmond upon Thames describes its own units as "a type of grave within a free-standing memorial unit above ground" (Richmond Council, page updated April 29, 2026).

Columbaria are found in cemeteries, in the grounds of crematoria and in some churches. They can be outdoors, like the one in Chelmsford, England, which "stands outside in the Garden of Remembrance" (Chelmsford City Council, page updated May 26, 2026), or inside a building.

Placing an urn in a niche is sometimes called inurnment. The NCA uses the word this way when it says cremated remains are "buried or inurned" in national cemeteries (NCA, updated February 20, 2026).

What is a columbarium niche?

A columbarium niche is one compartment in the columbarium. The urn, or a casket of ashes, goes inside, and the front is closed with a cover or plaque that carries the name. At Chelmsford the plaques are black granite with gold engraved lettering (Chelmsford City Council, page updated May 26, 2026). In the United States, the NCA's design page for veterans cemeteries says "Niche covers are supplied by the National Cemetery Administration, Memorial Programs Service (MPS)" (NCA, Veterans Cemetery Grants, page updated November 18, 2020).

Many niches are made for more than one person. The published examples we read differ widely:

• Two. Croydon's niche cells "can accommodate 2 sets of remains" (Croydon Council, read October 6, 2026). In San Marcos, Texas, "Each niche holds up to 2 cremains" (City of San Marcos, read October 6, 2026). The NCA's design page for veterans cemeteries says the function of a columbarium is the interment of "the cremated remains of a veteran and a dependent" (NCA, Veterans Cemetery Grants, page updated November 18, 2020).
• Four. A Chelmsford niche "can hold four sets of cremated remains, depending on the size of the urns or caskets" (Chelmsford City Council, page updated May 26, 2026).
• Five. The family columbarium at Gornal Wood in Dudley is "a dignified resting place for up to five sets of cremated remains" (Dudley Council, read October 6, 2026).

How big is a columbarium niche?

There is no standard size. Each cemetery builds or buys its own units, and the usable space can be smaller than the opening. These are the measurements four public bodies publish. Metric figures marked "about" are our conversions from the inches the source gives.

• United States, veterans cemeteries (NCA design components, Veterans Cemetery Grants). A niche "10 ½" x 15" x 20" deep, measured at the face", which is about 26.7 x 38.1 x 50.8 cm (NCA, Veterans Cemetery Grants, page updated November 18, 2020). The page names the 20 inches as the depth. It does not say which of 10 ½ and 15 inches is the height and which is the width. This is a design description, not a measurement of any one cemetery, so the cemetery itself is the place to confirm the size and which way up the niche is.
• United States, San Marcos, Texas. "The opening is 10.75'' width, 12" height, 11.75" depth, the inside wall 7" width", about 27.3 cm wide, 30.5 cm high and 29.8 cm deep, narrowing to about 17.8 cm at the back. The city says "The niche dimensions are in the shape of a trapezoid" and that for urns other than bronze ones "you will need to verify the fit" (City of San Marcos, read October 6, 2026).
• England, Croydon. A maximum casket size of "10 inch high by 14 inch wide by 17 inch deep (25cm high by 36cm wide by 42cm deep)" (Croydon Council, read October 6, 2026).
• England, Richmond upon Thames. The container "can be made of metal, wood or cardboard, but must be no more than 7" by 7" in size", about 17.8 cm each way (Richmond Council, page updated April 29, 2026).

The spread matters. An urn 30 cm (about 12 in) tall is taller than Croydon's 25 cm maximum casket height. Against the NCA figures it would stand upright only if the 15 inch side of the niche is the vertical one, and the NCA page does not say that it is. This is why the niche measurements come first and the urn second.

What does a columbarium niche cost?

Prices are set by each cemetery or council. The examples below are published price lists, quoted exactly. They are examples, not averages.

United Kingdom: council examples

In the council examples we read, a niche is leased for a fixed number of years rather than bought outright.

• Chelmsford, Essex. "Columbarium Niche for 25 years (inclusive of first interment)": £644 for residents and £1,288 for non-residents. A second, third or fourth interment is £96 for residents and £192 for non-residents, and a granite front tablet with inscription is £186. These are 2025-26 prices, "valid until 1 November 2026", and the non-resident price applies if the person "was not a Chelmsford resident at the time of death" (Chelmsford City Council, page updated September 22, 2026).
• Croydon, London. The council lists two kinds of niche. Under "Gemini Memorial Niches": "Initial 15 year lease of standard cell (2 urn capacity)" is £1,651, renewing that lease for 15 years is £1,190, and opening the niche for an interment and resealing it is £82. Under "Refurbished Columbarium Memorial Niches": "New lease, including initial plaque and inscription, for 10 years" is £2,713, "Renewal of lease for 10 years" is £1,992, and opening and resealing is £117. The page gives no date for these prices; they are as listed on October 6, 2026 (Croydon Council).
• Dudley, West Midlands. The family columbarium lease at Gornal Wood "is for a period of 10 years" and may be renewed. The council does not print the fee on the page and says it normally changes annually (Dudley Council, read October 6, 2026).

So the leases in these three council examples run for 10, 15 or 25 years, with Croydon offering both a 10 year and a 15 year lease, and the published prices run from £644 to £2,713. When a lease ends it has to be renewed, and the council's page is where the renewal terms are set out.

United States: a city cemetery example

Lebanon Cemetery is run by the city of Apple Valley, Minnesota. Its General Price List, effective January 1, 2026, gives these figures (City of Apple Valley, read October 6, 2026):

• Single niche: $1,980.00 to $2,405.00 for Apple Valley residents and $3,960.00 to $4,810.00 for non-residents. The price depends on the level, and the second level from the top is the highest priced.
• Double niche: $3,110.00 to $3,840.00 for residents and $6,220.00 to $7,680.00 for non-residents.
• Interment in a columbarium niche, which "includes plaque & one inscription": $840.00, charged in addition to the niche.
• Reopening and closing a niche with no interment: $240.00.

Other US cemeteries, including private and church-owned ones, set their own prices, and this guide does not list them. In San Marcos, Texas, for example, the city charges $300 per order for a niche inscription and publishes niche prices in a separate chart (City of San Marcos, read October 6, 2026).

United States: VA national cemeteries

For eligible veterans, the NCA says burial and memorial benefits include "a gravesite in any VA national cemetery with available space, opening and closing of the grave, perpetual care, a government headstone, marker, or medallion, Presidential Memorial Certificates, and a burial flag all at no cost to the family". It adds that "Any item or service obtained from a funeral home or cremation office will be at the family's expense" (NCA, Burial and Memorial Benefits, updated February 20, 2026). Eligibility is decided by the VA, and its page is the place to check it.

Which urn fits a columbarium niche?

This is general information, not legal advice. The cemetery or crematorium that owns the niche decides what may go in it, and its written rules are the ones that count.

From the published rules above, these are the things a cemetery may set, and so the things to ask about before choosing an urn:

• The inside measurements in height, width and depth, and whether the space narrows toward the back, as the San Marcos niches do.
• How many urns the niche is for. If two people will share it, both urns have to fit side by side or one behind the other.
• The material. Richmond accepts a container "made of metal, wood or cardboard" (Richmond Council, page updated April 29, 2026). Other cemeteries have their own lists.
• Whether the cemetery supplies or sells its own container. Croydon lists a "Wooden gemini casket and inscription" among its fees (Croydon Council, read October 6, 2026), and Chelmsford lists an "Aluminium Urn" in its 2025-26 fees, valid until November 1, 2026 (Chelmsford City Council, page updated September 22, 2026).
• Whether the niche is indoors or outdoors, and whether the front is sealed or glazed.

Measure the urn at its widest and tallest points, including the lid and any handles or base, and compare those figures with the niche. Capacity is a separate question: an urn can fit the niche and still be too small for the ashes. Our urn size guide explains capacity, and our guide to how much cremation ashes weigh gives more background.

United States: buying the urn elsewhere

Under the federal Funeral Rule, "The funeral provider cannot refuse to handle a casket or urn you bought online, at a local casket store, or somewhere else" or charge a fee to do it (Federal Trade Commission, The FTC Funeral Rule, July 2012, read October 6, 2026). That sentence is about funeral providers. Whether a particular urn may be placed in a particular niche is still a matter for the cemetery's own rules, and states differ in how they regulate cemeteries.

Who a niche suits, and who it does not

A niche gives a family a fixed, named place to visit without a grave to maintain, and it can keep two or more people together. It suits people who want the ashes kept whole, in a cemetery or crematorium, behind a plaque.

It is not the right choice for everyone. Where the niche is leased, as in the UK council examples above, the lease ends after 10, 15 or 25 years and must be renewed for the niche to be kept. A niche also fixes the size of the urn. And it does not suit a family who would rather scatter the ashes, bury them, or keep them at home. Our guides to what to do with ashes after cremation and how cremation urns are buried cover those choices.

Two urns measured against the published niche sizes

We sell urns, not niches, so here are two examples from our adult urns for ashes, set beside the figures above. They show why the measurements matter more than the style.

The Oak Wood Effect MDF Cremation Urn for Adult Ashes is a low rectangular box, 14 cm high, 23 cm wide and 16 cm deep (5.51 x 9.06 x 6.30 in), holding 3.5 liters (about 214 cubic inches). It is MDF with an oak effect finish, not solid wood, and it opens through a base panel held by a screw. On those numbers each of its sides is shorter than every one of the three NCA figures, whichever way the niche is turned, and it is smaller in every direction than Croydon's maximum casket size. It is wider than Richmond's 7 inch limit and wider than the 7 inch inside wall at San Marcos. Its page describes it as designed for display in the home, so ask the cemetery whether the niche is indoors or sealed before choosing it.

Pictured: Oak Wood Effect MDF Cremation Urn for Adult Ashes

The Eagle Adult Cremation Urn for Ashes in Pearlescent White is a ceramic sculpture of an eagle protecting a flag, and its page lists it as fitting for burial, display or columbarium placement. It is 35 cm high, 22 cm wide and 26 cm deep (13.8 x 8.7 x 10.2 in) and holds 3.4 liters (about 207 cubic inches). At 35 cm it is taller than Croydon's 25 cm limit and taller than the 12 inch opening at San Marcos. Against the 10 ½ by 15 by 20 inch niche in the NCA's design page, the answer depends on something the page does not state: which of 10 ½ and 15 inches is the height. If the 15 inch side is vertical, the urn's 13.8 inch height is within it. If the 10 ½ inch side is vertical, the urn is too tall to stand upright. So do not assume this urn fits a niche in a veterans cemetery. Ask the cemetery for the inside height of its niches first.

• The Oak Wood Effect MDF Urn: 3.5 liters (about 214 cubic inches); opens through a screw-fastened base panel; described on its page as for display in the home.
• The Eagle Adult Urn in Pearlescent White: 3.4 liters (about 207 cubic inches); filled through the base, which is then sealed with adhesive; described on its page as for indoor and outdoor display, burial or columbarium placement.

Neither urn is made for a particular cemetery. Please check the measurements with the cemetery before you order.

Sources

• National Cemetery Administration, US Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Cemetery Grants, "Cemetery Components - Columbarium and In-Ground Cremain Burials", cem.va.gov, updated November 18, 2020, read October 6, 2026.
• National Cemetery Administration, US Department of Veterans Affairs, "Burial and Memorial Benefits", cem.va.gov, updated February 20, 2026, read October 6, 2026.
• Federal Trade Commission, "The FTC Funeral Rule", consumer.ftc.gov, July 2012, read October 6, 2026.
• Cremation Association of North America, "Industry Statistical Information", cremationassociation.org, figures from its 2026 Annual Statistics Report summary, read October 6, 2026.
• City of Apple Valley, Minnesota, "Lebanon Cemetery - General Price List", applevalleymn.gov, effective January 1, 2026, read October 6, 2026.
• City of San Marcos, Texas, "Columbarium", sanmarcostx.gov, read October 6, 2026.
• Chelmsford City Council, "Columbarium fees", chelmsford.gov.uk, updated September 22, 2026, read October 6, 2026.
• Chelmsford City Council, "Columbarium", chelmsford.gov.uk, updated May 26, 2026, read October 6, 2026.
• Croydon Council, "Columbarium niche memorial", croydon.gov.uk, read October 6, 2026.
• London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, "Granite columbarium units", richmond.gov.uk, updated April 29, 2026, read October 6, 2026.
• Dudley Council, "Family Columbarium Niches at Gornal Wood", dudley.gov.uk, read October 6, 2026.

Sizes and product details in this guide were checked against our product pages on October 6, 2026.

Frequently asked questions

What is a columbarium?

A columbarium is a structure with compartments, called niches, that hold urns of cremated ashes. In the United States, the National Cemetery Administration's design page for veterans cemeteries defines it as "an above-grade structure designed for the interment of cremated remains in a niche" (NCA, Veterans Cemetery Grants, page updated November 18, 2020).

What size is a columbarium niche?

It varies by cemetery. In the United States, the National Cemetery Administration's design page for veterans cemeteries describes a niche "10 ½" x 15" x 20" deep, measured at the face", without saying which of the first two figures is the height (NCA, Veterans Cemetery Grants, page updated November 18, 2020), and Croydon Council in London sets a maximum casket size of "25cm high by 36cm wide by 42cm deep" (Croydon Council, read October 6, 2026).

How much does a columbarium niche cost?

Each cemetery sets its own price. As published examples, Chelmsford City Council in England lists a niche for 25 years at £644 for residents and £1,288 for non-residents in its 2025-26 fees, valid until November 1, 2026 (Chelmsford City Council, page updated September 22, 2026), and the city of Apple Valley, Minnesota lists a single niche at $1,980.00 to $2,405.00 for residents (Lebanon Cemetery General Price List, effective January 1, 2026).

How many urns fit in one niche?

It depends on the niche and on the size of the urns. Croydon's niche cells take 2 sets of remains (Croydon Council, read October 6, 2026), a Chelmsford niche "can hold four sets of cremated remains, depending on the size of the urns or caskets" (Chelmsford City Council, page updated May 26, 2026), and Dudley's family columbarium takes up to five (Dudley Council, read October 6, 2026).

Is a columbarium niche bought or leased?

In the UK council examples in this guide it is leased: for 10 years in Dudley (Dudley Council, read October 6, 2026), 10 or 15 years in Croydon, depending on the kind of niche (Croydon Council, read October 6, 2026) and 25 years in Chelmsford (Chelmsford City Council, page updated May 26, 2026). Terms elsewhere are set by the cemetery, so ask what happens when the term ends.

Can I use my own urn in a columbarium niche?

Often yes, if it meets the cemetery's rules on size and material. The City of San Marcos, Texas says of its niches, "You can select other urn types; however, you will need to verify the fit" (City of San Marcos, read October 6, 2026), and Richmond upon Thames requires a container "no more than 7" by 7" in size" (Richmond Council, page updated April 29, 2026).