How much does a funeral cost?

Why funeral costs vary so much

There is no single price for a funeral. The total depends on what the family chooses, where they live and which funeral home they use. Two services that look alike from the outside can cost very different amounts.

A traditional funeral with a viewing, a casket and a burial commonly runs into the thousands of dollars once the cemetery costs are added. A simple cremation with no ceremony costs far less. Most families end up somewhere in between.

The best way to understand the cost is to break it into parts. Once you can see each piece, it is much easier to decide what matters to your family and what you can leave out.

Your rights: the itemized price list

A federal rule from the Federal Trade Commission, known as the Funeral Rule, protects families when they buy funeral goods and services. It applies to every funeral home in the United States.

• When you ask about arrangements in person, the funeral home must give you a written General Price List to keep.
• If you call, they must tell you their prices over the phone.
• You can choose only the items you want. You do not have to buy a package.
• You can buy a casket or urn somewhere else, and the funeral home cannot charge you a fee for using it.
• Embalming is not required by law in most situations, and the funeral home must say so on the price list.
• Before you pay, you should get a written statement listing everything you selected and its price.

Knowing these rights makes the conversation calmer. You can ask for the list, take it home and read it without pressure.

The main parts of the bill

Most funeral bills are built from the same set of items. The names can differ a little from one funeral home to the next, but the price list will show something like this.

• Basic services fee. This covers the funeral home’s staff, planning, permits and overhead. It is the one charge families usually cannot decline.
• Transfer of the body. Bringing the person from the place of death to the funeral home.
• Embalming and other preparation. Often needed only if there will be a public viewing with an open casket.
• Use of facilities and staff. Separate charges for a viewing, a funeral ceremony or a graveside service.
• Casket or urn. Often the largest single item, with a very wide range of styles and prices.
• Hearse and other vehicles. For taking the casket to the service and the cemetery.
• Printed items. Memorial cards, guest books and programs.

If a package is offered, compare it with the itemized prices. Sometimes a package is good value, and sometimes it includes things you do not need.

Cemetery, crematory and other costs

Many costs are not paid to the funeral home at all, or are paid through it on your behalf. These are easy to forget when you first look at a quote.

For a burial, the cemetery usually charges for the plot, for opening and closing the grave and for a headstone or marker. Many cemeteries also require an outer burial container, sometimes called a vault or grave liner. These charges can add a large amount to the total.

The funeral home may also pay some items for you and add them to the bill. These are often called cash advance items. They can include certified copies of the death certificate, newspaper death notices, flowers, clergy honorariums and musicians. Ask whether the funeral home adds a fee on top of these, and ask for a list in writing.

What drives the total up or down

A few choices make most of the difference. Understanding them helps you set a budget before you sit down with a funeral director.

• Burial or cremation. Burial adds cemetery costs, a casket and usually a vault.
• Viewing or no viewing. A public viewing often means embalming, preparation and more time in the funeral home’s facilities.
• The casket or urn you choose. Prices range from very simple to very costly.
• Where you live. Prices differ between cities, suburbs and rural areas.
• The funeral home itself. Two homes in the same town can charge quite different amounts for the same service.

Direct cremation, where the cremation takes place soon after death with no viewing or ceremony beforehand, is usually the lowest-cost option. Direct burial, without embalming or a viewing, is often the lowest-cost burial. A family can still hold a memorial gathering later, at home or in a place of worship, which costs little or nothing. Our guide on burial or cremation compares the two in more detail.

Ways to keep costs manageable

Planning a funeral in a hurry, while grieving, is when families most often spend more than they meant to. A few simple steps help.

• Call or visit two or three funeral homes and ask for their price lists.
• Decide on a rough budget before the meeting, and bring a calm friend or relative with you.
• Ask which items are required and which are optional.
• Consider a simple service at the funeral home and a larger gathering elsewhere.
• Check whether the person had prepaid funeral plans, burial insurance or a cemetery plot already.

For more on comparing providers, read how to choose a funeral home.

Help with paying

Families pay for funerals in many ways. Some use savings or a life insurance policy. Some people set up a prepaid plan with a funeral home years in advance. Ask the funeral home whether it will accept an insurance assignment, which lets the policy pay them directly.

Veterans may be eligible for burial in a national cemetery and for a headstone or marker at no cost, along with other benefits. Social Security may pay a small one-time death payment to a surviving spouse or child who qualifies. Some states and counties also offer help for families with very limited means.

It is fine to ask the funeral director what help is available. They answer these questions every day.