Cemetery Costs

“Right of interment” or “interment rights.” This is the purchase of the burial space or columbarium niche. When you buy an interment right you own the right to be buried or placed in that space or to designate another person to be buried in that place.

“Endowment care” or “permanent care fund.” This is a percentage of the cost of the space you purchase, usually 10% or 15% in addition to the interment right. This money is deposited into the cemetery endowment care fund so that it can grow and the interest income can be used to offset future maintenance of the cemetery.

“Outer burial container” or “burial or urn vault.” In case of ground burial, many cemeteries require the use of an outer burial container to surround the casket or urn. This prevents the ground from sinking.

“Monument” or “headstone marker.” This is the way the space is marked and can be a wonderful way to remember the person. Monuments are typically constructed of bronze or granite or both. They can be upright or flat, depending on the section of the cemetery.

“Opening and closing.” This includes digging and filling of the grave for earth burial for burying the casket or opening the columbarium niche for placement of the urn. It may include securing necessary permits, maintaining legal files, keeping records, the use of a casket lowering device and other items or services.

Cemetery Price Breakdown

The prices for cemetery goods and services typically break down into the following components and ranges:

Plot $1,500 to $5,000

Endowment Care $150 to $500

Burial Vault or Grave Box $500 to $15,000

Opening and Closing $1,000 to $2,000

Headstone or Monument $750 to $15,000

Installation of Headstone $500 to $2,000

Total for Earth Burial $4,400 to $39,500

Oakwood Hill Funeral Chapel & Cemetery
5210 South Alder Street
Tacoma, WA 98409
253-473-2901

Our Reviews

Jacklyn R.

I thought this would be the hardest thing. Oakwood Hill made it easier than I ever thought possible.

Steve B.

Oakwood Hill is a place with caring people explaining your options and then letting you decide what is best. My family and I felt no pressure at all while we made our choices.

Janina F.

Leland is clearly cut out for this work. From the moment we met, I felt him to be a caring presence simply there to help me through the process. He is a real asset to Oakwood Hill!

Reginald V.

All my family has gone through Oakwood Hill and I wouldn’t go anywhere else. They seem to genuinely care about their customers and it shows. Thank you!

Sandra Q.

Not only did we save a ton of money by using Oakwood Hill, we felt like we gave our dad a quality send-off. He would have really enjoyed it and that makes our family feel that much better about it.

Jason F.

Last place we went for a simple cremation, it took three weeks. Oakwood Hill took only 5 days. They’ve got a customer for life from here on out, pun intended!

Yancy S.

With the pandemic, we had some concerns about coming in to their office. They said we could visit their website and take care of everything that way. Talk about convenient. Thanks Oakwood Hill!

Megan D.

Simple, easy and efficient. Am glad hospice referred us to Oakwood Hill.

Barry C.

We asked a ton of questions and got nothing but direct answers. The funeral director did not have any issue with that and he very quickly earned our trust. We hope not to, but would come here again without hesitation.

Emily P.

They just handled my father’s funeral. Even through our grief, you could feel their compassion and professionalism at every turn. Leland was our funeral director and we recommend him to anyone who wants a similar experience.

Gary T.

I may be years late in writing this, but during our time of sorrow the people at Oakwood Hill helped us crafting a ceremony we are still so proud of. They went out of their way to exceed our expectations.

Samantha B.

Very caring people at a very difficult time. Thank you, Leland Loftis, for your personal attention and care to our needs. This company is one of the best.

Natalie T.

Our son’s passing was unexpected and a real shock. We were told to call Oakwood Hill and are very thankful that we did. We could not have been more pleased.

Sally P.

Thank you so much for the great care and compassion during the funeral for my mother in law. While most of us did not want to go to the funeral, all of us afterwords thought that it was very well done and felt like Oakwood Hill did a great job.

Justin R.

My parents chose to pre-plan their cremations through Oakwood Hill and thankfully they did. After the death occurred, we called them and they began carrying out their wishes.

Shannon V.

I have attended multiple services held at Oakwood Hill and what makes them stand apart from the rest is their staff. Dedicated, compassionate, professional and willing to do whatever it takes to exceed their families needs. They are the best of the best

Jeanette B.

My husband passed away and I was in a state of total shock. Given I was new to the area, I found Oakwood Hill on Google. They were reasonable, professional and took great care of me and my husband.

Lance C.

The nurse at the nursing home told us about Oakwood Hill and their long history and experience with cremation. After we spoke on the phone and then met with the funeral director, we knew we made the right decision.

Karen Y.

Dealing with my fathers’ death was definitely not easy. The staff here at Oakwood Hill were amazing to our family in our time of need. They were always so patient with us and always answered any questions we had. I don't know what other funeral homes are like, but these guys were amazing, especially Leland who listened to my mother, sister and I when we were conflicted about flowers and was just overall wonderful to us.

Clark G.

I couldn't recommend a better funeral home in the Tacoma area. Not only were they very personable, they also didn't try to push us to buy more ‘stuff.’ They saved us a huge headache during a very emotionally difficult moment for our family. Highly recommended.