Morgue Design & Facility Planning — Equipment Specifications for New Morgue Builds

New morgue construction and major morgue renovation projects require coordination between facility architects, MEP engineers, and morgue equipment suppliers long before groundbreaking. Equipment specifications for cooling systems, autopsy tables, dissection sinks, and body transport infrastructure need to be locked before mechanical rough-in. This guide covers the equipment specification process for new morgue facility builds.

Phase 1: Capacity Planning

The first design question for a new morgue is daily throughput and peak storage capacity. For hospital morgues: use 72-hour peak storage capacity as the design basis (3 days of expected mortality at peak census). For ME offices: design for your annual case volume divided by average hold time. For funeral homes: design for 5–7 days of average weekly volume. This calculation determines whether you need upright coolers, a walk-in system, or both. See: Morgue Design & Facility Planning Hub.

Phase 2: Cooling System Selection

Based on capacity planning, select your morgue cooling system type and size. Walk-in systems require floor plan footprint allocation and MEP rough-in (electrical, drain, condensate). Upright coolers require electrical rough-in only. AMC walk-in system dimensions: standard sizes from 6×8 through 14×14, all requiring 208V or 240V single-phase or three-phase electrical service. Custom dimensions quoted by request. See: Morgue Cooling Systems Hub · Walk-In Cooler Hub.

Phase 3: Dissection & Autopsy Table Layout

Autopsy rooms require 8–10 feet of clearance on all working sides of each table. USPE autopsy table footprints vary by model — confirm dimensions in your design phase before finalizing floor drain placement. Drain placement is the most common field change in autopsy room builds. See: Autopsy Tables Hub · Medical Examiner Equipment Hub.

Phase 4: Water Supply & Sink Layout

Every dissection station requires water supply and drain at table height. AMC’s Water Control Unit is the standard table-side water management system. Foot pedal sinks require floor-mounted pedal rough-in. Four-station scrub sinks require drain and supply rough-in at sink height. See: Anatomy Lab Sinks Hub.

Phase 5: Body Transport Infrastructure

New morgue builds need a defined circulation plan for body movement from receiving dock to storage to processing area to release. Confirm door clearances (minimum 36″ for cot passage, 42″ recommended), corridor widths, and elevator dimensions before finalizing transport equipment specs. AMC can provide equipment dimensions for any product in your design phase. → Submit Morgue Design Equipment RFQ.

Equipment Procurement Lead Times for New Morgue Builds

Submit RFQs at least 16 weeks before your targeted opening date. → Start With an RFQ | → AMC Lead Times