Frequently Asked Questions — Casket FAQ's

No, wood caskets do not have a gasket. If you were to seal a wood casket, it would crack and split due to the locking mechanism when it is cranked down tight. If you are interested in a casket with a gasket, a metal casket is the only option.

Yes. You can buy from an online casket company and have it taken to the funeral home. The funeral director cannot tell you he will not accept a casket from an outside source. It is against the law. According to the Federal Trade Commission a casket can be bought from a third party company and then taken to the funeral home for your intended use. The funeral home cannot charge you more because you are buying a casket elsewhere.

The best thing to do is to talk to the funeral director about his services. By law they have to give you an itemized price list of each service and it cannot change after you buy your own casket. After you have a price list then you can mention to him that you would like to buy a casket on your own. No funeral home can charge a fee for the customer using a casket bought elsewhere through an alternate source, nor require a family member to be present at the time of delivery, nor even make a funeral service...

Some casket handles are Stationary and some are Swing.  Both do the job intended but depending on those carrying the casket as to weather they have a comfortable fit.  Stationary handles are about a inch to an inch and a quarter while the Swing handles are larger at an inch and three quarters to two inches.  So depending on hand size the grip may be better on the Swing for some pallbearers.

A Head Panel is a decorative, cloth covered board fitting on the inside of the casket under the lid.  There many patterns to choose from including patterns for each branch of the armed forces including "United States Veteran."  A Head Panel is a nice way to personalize your casket choice.