Columbarium Design Calculator
Niche count from wall dimensions and niche size.
About this calculator
This calculator sizes and prices a set of columbarium niche walls. Niche capacity per wall comes from three preset sizes — single (11x11 in with frame), companion (16x11 in), and family (16x16 in) — tiled into a usable wall area that subtracts a 6-inch header and 12 inches of vertical clearance from your entered dimensions; the width and height are each divided by the niche's framed size (rounded to six decimals to avoid floating-point noise trimming a row) and floored, then multiplied together and by your wall count for a total niche figure. Construction cost is built from three independent components: a structural shell priced per square foot of wall face ($65/sq ft outdoor, $85/sq ft indoor — the premium reflects HVAC and enclosure requirements), a facing cost applied per niche based on material (granite $350, marble $500, bronze plate $450), and a foundation/site-prep cost of $200 per linear foot of wall width.
Selling price per niche is a flat market estimate by niche type ($2,500 single up to $6,500 family) rather than a cost-plus calculation, so gross profit and profit margin reflect typical market pricing against your actual build cost, not a guaranteed markup. Because the wall-fitting math assumes a clean rectangular niche grid with no obstructions, corners, or code-driven clearances beyond the flat header/side allowances modeled here, treat the niche count as a planning estimate to refine against an actual architectural niche layout before committing to construction.
Inputs
Results
Total niches
144
Total construction cost ($)
$66,120.00
≈ 6 years of state college
How to Use This Calculator
- Enter wall width (ft), wall height (ft), and number of walls to construct.
- Select niche size (single, companion, or family) and indoor or outdoor placement.
- Choose facing material (granite, marble, or bronze).
- Review Total Niches, Niches per Wall, and construction cost estimates.
How the result changes with Wall height (ft)
| Wall height (ft) | Total niches | Total construction cost ($) |
|---|---|---|
| 3.5 | 48 | $27,060.00 |
| 5.25 | 96 | $46,590.00 |
| 11 | 240 | $105,960.00 |
| 15 | 360 | $154,200.00 |
What each input means
- Wall width (ft)
- Width of each columbarium wall in feet.
- Wall height (ft)
- Height of each columbarium wall in feet.
- Number of walls
- Total number of niche walls to construct.
- Niche size (0=single, 1=companion, 2=family)
- Single (9x9 in), companion (14x9 in), or family (14x14 in) niches.
- Location (0=outdoor, 1=indoor)
- Outdoor walls cost less; indoor requires enclosure and HVAC.
- Facing (0=granite, 1=marble, 2=bronze)
- Front facing material: granite ($350/niche), marble ($500), bronze ($450).
What each result means
- Total niches
- Total niche capacity across all walls.
- Niches per wall
- Number of niches that fit on one wall.
- Niches across
- Horizontal niche count per wall.
- Niches high
- Vertical tier count per wall.
- Total construction cost ($)
- Complete construction cost for all walls.
- Construction cost per niche ($)
- Average build cost per niche.
- Selling price per niche ($)
- Typical market selling price based on niche type.
- Total potential revenue ($)
- Revenue if all niches are sold.
- Gross profit ($)
- Revenue minus construction cost.
- Profit margin %
- Gross profit as a percentage of revenue.
How this is calculated
Worked example, using the default values
- Identify Input Parameters4 parametersWall width (ft) = 12, Wall height (ft) = 7, Number of walls = 2, Niche size (0=single, 1=companion, 2=family) = 0 = 6 input(s) provided
- Calculate Total nichesTotal niches = nichesPerWall * numberOfWalls144 = 144
- Calculate Total construction costTotal construction cost = totalStructuralCost + totalFacingCost + sitePrepTotal66120 = $66,120
- Calculate Niches per wallNiches per wall = nichesAcross * nichesHigh72 = 72
- Calculate Niches acrossNiches across = max(1, floor(usableWidthIn / ns.w))12 = 12
Engine last updated . Checked against 2 independently-derived tests — how we verify calculators. Built by Paul Gunder, a software engineer, not a licensed financial, medical, or legal professional.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does indoor placement cost more per square foot than outdoor?
The structural cost per square foot is $85 indoors versus $65 outdoors, because indoor niche walls need enclosure and HVAC (climate control) that outdoor walls don't require. This premium applies to the structural shell cost only — facing material cost and foundation/site-prep cost don't change based on indoor vs. outdoor placement.
How does the calculator turn wall dimensions into a niche count?
It subtracts a 6-inch header from your wall width and 12 inches of vertical clearance from your wall height to get usable space, then divides that usable width and height by the selected niche's framed size (e.g. 11x11 inches for a single niche, including its 2-inch frame) and rounds each down to a whole number. Multiplying niches-across by niches-high gives niches per wall, and multiplying by your wall count gives the total.
Is the selling price per niche based on what it actually costs to build?
No — selling price per niche is a flat market estimate by niche type ($2,500 single up to $6,500 family), independent of your actual construction inputs. Gross profit and profit margin compare that market price against your real build cost (which varies with facing material, indoor/outdoor placement, and wall dimensions), so margin reflects typical market pricing rather than a guaranteed cost-plus markup.
What's included in the foundation and site-prep cost?
It's calculated as $200 per linear foot of wall width, multiplied by the number of walls — so a wider wall or more walls both increase this cost proportionally to width, independent of wall height, niche size, or facing material. It's added to the structural shell and facing costs to make up the total construction cost.
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