How much does an obituary cost?

Why newspapers charge for obituaries

Many people are surprised to learn that obituaries in most newspapers are not free. Years ago, reporters wrote many obituaries as news stories. Today, most papers treat a family written obituary as a paid notice, placed through the same team that handles advertising.

Some papers still write news obituaries for well known local people, and those are free. Some also offer a short free death notice with just the name, age, date of death and funeral home. But a full obituary with a life story, family names and a photo is usually paid.

How newspapers set the price

Each paper sets its own rates, and they are not all built the same way. The most common methods are:

• By the line, where each printed line of text has a set price.
• By the column inch, where you pay for the space the notice takes up.
• By the word, which is more common at smaller papers.
• A flat rate for a notice up to a certain length, with extra charges beyond that.

On top of the text, there are often extra charges for a photo, a religious or military emblem, a border, or a guest book on the paper’s website. Some papers include an online listing in the print price, while others charge for it separately.

Because of this, the same obituary can cost very different amounts at two papers. A short notice in a small town weekly may be modest. A long notice with a photo in a large city daily can cost several hundred dollars or more.

What changes the total

• Length. This is the biggest factor. Every extra line or inch adds cost.
• Photos. One photo often adds a fee, and a second photo adds more.
• Number of days. Running the notice more than once costs more each time.
• The day of the week. Some papers charge more for weekend editions.
• The size of the paper. Large metro papers usually charge more than small local ones.
• Number of papers. Each paper charges on its own.

Before you submit, ask the paper for a price quote based on your text. Many online forms show a running total as you type, which makes it easier to adjust.

Ways to keep the cost down

You do not have to choose between a meaningful obituary and a reasonable bill. A few simple choices can help:

• Print a shorter version in the paper, and post the full life story online.
• Add a line to the print notice pointing readers to the full obituary on the funeral home’s website.
• Use one photo instead of two.
• Run the notice once, rather than on several days.
• Choose the one or two papers that matter most, instead of many.
• Trim long lists of relatives by naming the closest and summing up the rest.

Our guide on what to include in an obituary can help you decide which details matter most when space is tight.

Obituaries and the funeral home bill

Many funeral homes post an obituary on their own website as part of their services, often with an online guest book where people can leave condolences. Ask whether this is included in the package you choose.

If the funeral home places a newspaper notice for you, the newspaper charge is usually passed on to you as a cash advance item. Under the FTC Funeral Rule, the funeral home must tell you in writing if it adds a service fee to cash advance items or receives a refund or discount on them. It is fair to ask what the paper charges and what, if anything, the funeral home adds.

For a wider look at costs, see our guide on how much a funeral costs.

Free and low cost places to post

A newspaper is only one place to share the news. Many families now post a full obituary in several free or low cost places:

• The funeral home’s website, which is often included.
• Social media pages, where friends can share the post.
• Online memorial websites, some of which offer free basic pages.
• Church, club, school or workplace newsletters.
• A free short death notice, if the local paper offers one.

These options can reach more people than print alone, especially relatives who live far away.

Even so, people who knew the person years ago may never see a post shared in one place. Some people use an obituary monitoring service, which checks funeral home websites, newspapers and memorial sites and sends an email when a matching notice appears. It is one way for news to reach friends the family could not contact directly.