Solid wood caskets, made by hand in Michigan

A simple pine casket is $1,600, solid cherry is $3,500 and black walnut is $4,300. The bookcase option adds $200 to $400, depending on the wood. The shop lists prices and options for every casket. An optional linen mattress and pillow is $190, due with the remaining balance. Michigan sales tax is added.

Yes, the wood you choose, all the way through. Many caskets sold as “wood” are a thin veneer over particleboard or fiberboard. Some sold as “solid wood” are poplar or another less expensive wood, with a cherry or walnut veneer on top or simply a cherry or walnut-colored stain. Our cherry caskets are solid cherry and our walnut caskets are solid walnut, joined with pegs and glue. They contain no veneer, plywood, particleboard or plastic, and no metal unless you choose swing bar handles. We never use stain.

Yes. At least six of our caskets are in the ground. We were there for three of the burials. At one, Peter helped carry and lower the casket as a pallbearer.

Yes. Buying ahead and keeping it at home is all legal, no different than planning ahead for anything else. And when the time comes, a funeral home can’t turn away a casket you bring in, or charge you extra for it. There is a federal trade commission rule that protects your right to do this.

Yes, standard cemeteries are primarily concerned with the use of a vault or liner that the casket goes into, rather than the casket itself. Our caskets are designed to meet natural/green burial requirements. With wooden or rope handles, they contain no metal or non-biodegradable materials. Our optional swing bar handles do contain metal. Green Burial Council certification permits handles, but some natural burial cemeteries may not accept them. If you are unsure if your natural burial cemetery will accept ours, let us know and we can help clarify.

We design our caskets to be used as bookcases, but they can also serve as other pieces of furniture, like a bench or window seat. A few of our customers have their grown kids or grandkids keep it in their home as a bookcase. Others order theirs as just a casket and keep it covered in the garage or a pole barn until it’s needed. Either way, it’s built to last the wait.

No. We designed these as first-class furniture. When used as a bookcase, the shelves are faced with 1 1/4 inch solid wood to match the rest of the piece. The lid is mostly flat and fits on the back and, if you chose the cut-out handhold option, it hides them completely so it is discreet. It has good proportions and is made of high quality lumber. Unless you point it out, nobody will notice it’s a casket.

If it is being used as a bookcase, simply remove the books and any items on the shelves. The shelves lift out easily and the shelf supports pull out. The lid can then be taken off the back and placed on top, converting it back into a casket. The process is straightforward and requires no special tools.

It’s solid wood with traditional joinery, pegs and glue. We design them to account for seasonal changes in humidity and temperature. It’s built to be used for years and years as furniture, then to do its job when the time comes.

It goes with you, like any bookcase or bench. It’s furniture until it’s needed.

Our standard casket is 24 inches wide and 79½ inches long. We also build 26, 28, and 30 inches wide. If you want something shorter, such as a petite size about 10 inches shorter, just ask.

We do. All of our orders are custom. You choose the type of wood, handle style, and if you want a cross on the lid. Some people ask for custom engravings. We’ll talk it through and build it to fit. Most of what we make starts as a conversation, not a catalog order.

A simple pine casket takes about a week to build, and hardwood or fancier builds take about two weeks. Pre-need orders are handled in the order they are placed, so delivery times depend on the queue; we’ll provide an estimate when you order.

For immediate need, we keep simple caskets in inventory for next-day delivery. If there’s a little more time, we can build a custom simple pine or basswood casket and deliver it to the funeral home within a week to a week and a half.

Yes. Pickup at our shop is free, delivery within 30 miles is free, and beyond that it’s $3 per mile, up to about four hours’ drive from Jackson. We can also deliver straight to the funeral home.

You can start your order right here on the website. Choose a casket in the shop, pick your options, and place the $100 deposit online. If you’d rather talk it through, call us at (517) 618-1842 or send us a note. The $100 deposit starts your order, and the balance is due when the casket is nearly finished.