Safe Luxury - My mother ( 60 yrs. ) wants to make her own coffin.?

My mother ( 60 yrs. ) wants to make her own coffin.?

My mom sincerely wants to build , sand , and varnish her own burial coffin . She is not i'll now infact her health is good and her mind extremely sharp. Mother would like the very best vault available - but her own hand-made coffin inside. We live in Iowa , are there laws against this ( building own coffin ) ? I'd appriciate any helpful information.

Public Comments

if thats what she wants to do then so be it, many people start to plan their own funeral long before they die, probably then they know how their send off is going to be and so they have a say in what happens to them, if i was you id support your mum in whatever she wants,
if she is capable of making it, then why not ?
Go for it. It will save the Estate thousands of $$.
its not illegal at all, i think its a great idea
why does this bother you. we all gonna die your mum has just faced the fact. many people plan their own funerals in advance to take the burden off the people they love when the time comes, theres nothing wrong with her so dont worry
That is bizarre. I suggest you call any funeral home and ask them if it's legal. They can probably tell you who to call in the gov't who can confirm all the laws about this. Does she enjoy woodworking or what?
well if she wants to build it let her, there's no harm is there really, but when she passes you decide, if its going to fall apart see if someone can make it more sturdy then do it, if its beyond help then destroy it or place it in the vault next to her at the end of the day if the bottom is going to fall out on her final journey they'll blame you for not sorting it out before hand, dont pay any attention to it at the moment just let her get on with it.
I don't see why there would be a law against it. There may be specification requirements but you could always ask city hall about that or see if they can refer you to the correct office. You can also ask a mortician, but I'd be weary of their answers, afterall, coffins are what they sell for a very high price I might add. I think your mom has a great idea, I may look into building my own coffin too. Why have my family waste good money for something I can make myself.
it would save alot of money. you could look in the phonebook and find number for congressman and ask who would know the answer. good luck
Most states she can build her own coffin, the regulations are mostly on the vault its lowered into. you dont have to buy an expensive ready made coffin, a pine box would do fine...If she has the needed skills and wants to ,you should support her,even help out make it a family project type affair. I think she has a great idea.
Well mom is very creative...There is no law saying she cant make her own...I actually know someone who did this and he was a firefighter and he used it for a coffee table til he needed it, it was really creepy going into his house but dude was prepared LOL...Well his house burned down and the coffin...ummm reduced to ashes...So if she does make one make sure she stores it in a proper, safe place...
There is no laws against it. I am wondering in what religion she is in? I think is a little weird, but at the same time it's her life and body that we are talking about. Besides I don't know if you have gone coffin shopping lately but the cost of these coffins are rediculusly expensive!, so maybe she is trying to make it easier on the family by making her own and the family not having to spend all this money.
So? I don't see any harm in it. She isn't the only person who does that. It is not that uncommon nowadays, especially if you can afford that. I doubt there's a law against building your own coffin. It'd be silly...
all coffins, casks now have to be biodegradable and not contain anything that will pollute. avoid non indigenous hardwoods or ply as these contain phenol Don't forget that the Cask will be weighty, so consider the thickness of timber. linings now have to be natural and devoid of man made materials. so cottons calico and wool for wadding
whats rong with that! let her.. it will save you the money and stress of it when she does die .. the volt is going to cost you enough.. .. maybe you could put some effert into helping her.. she will be touched. it's her life and her death let her do what she wants and needs.. she sounds like a very inderpendent person she might need to do this for herself. I am unsure of the laws in your state or country but I don't see why it would be illegal..
She should build it! What a cool project. You mention a fine vault. Is this above ground and paid for already? If not...why not just bury her in the back yard?
I don't know about the law, I don't think it is illegal, but invariably, when people do this type of thing, as well as making their own urn (or making an urn for someone) they make it the wrong size, which is obviously a problem.
Tell her to go for it. She might do such a wonderful job that people will be impressed and offer to pay her for building them one too.
save money
It's not just a coffin that she is building it is also some kind of peace that she needs to bring o her self so she can be comfortable when the time comes. Your mother is a grown woman let her do what she want's , all you have to do is suport her and love her.
maybe your mum thinks like me, why spend all that money on a coffin, when a simple wooden box will do, good luck to her,