What does a funeral home do?

The first call and transfer

A funeral home’s work usually begins with a phone call, often called the first call. It may come from a family member, a hospice nurse, a hospital or a care facility. Most funeral homes answer the phone at any hour, every day of the year.

During that call, staff gather basic details and arrange to bring the person into their care. This is known as the transfer or removal. Staff come to the home, hospital or facility with a vehicle and move the person with care and respect.

If a death happens at home and was not expected, the police or medical examiner may need to be called first. The funeral home can explain what to do. Our guide on what to do when someone dies covers those first hours in more detail.

Paperwork and permits

A death comes with a lot of paperwork, and the funeral home handles much of it. Typical tasks include:

• Collecting the personal details needed for the death certificate.
• Working with the doctor or medical examiner who certifies the cause of death.
• Filing the death certificate with the local or state vital records office.
• Getting burial, transit or cremation permits as required.
• Ordering certified copies of the death certificate for the family.

Families need certified copies to close bank accounts, claim insurance and settle the estate. Ask the funeral home how many to order. You can also learn more in our guide on how to get a copy of a death certificate.

Caring for the person who died

Funeral homes care for the body from the time of transfer until burial or cremation. This may include refrigeration, washing, dressing and cosmetic care so the family can see their loved one.

If there will be a public viewing, the funeral home may recommend embalming. Embalming is not required by law in most cases, and the funeral home must tell you so. Families can choose whether they want it.

For cremation, the funeral home arranges the cremation, either at its own crematory or with a crematory it works with. It then returns the ashes to the family in the urn or container they chose.

Planning and running the service

After the first call, most families meet with a funeral director for an arrangement conference. Here the family decides what kind of service they want, and the funeral director explains the choices and prices.

From there, the funeral home can handle almost every detail:

• Booking its own chapel, or working with a church or other venue.
• Contacting clergy or a celebrant.
• Arranging music, flowers, printed programs and memorial cards.
• Setting up visitation hours and a guest book.
• Providing a hearse and leading the procession.
• Recording or livestreaming the service, if offered.
• Arranging military honors for eligible veterans.

On the day of the service, funeral home staff guide guests, direct parking and keep things running on time, so the family can focus on saying goodbye.

Coordinating burial or cremation

For a burial, the funeral home works with the cemetery to set a time, arrange the opening and closing of the grave, and deliver any outer burial container the cemetery requires. It can also help order a headstone or marker, though families may buy these elsewhere.

For a veteran, the funeral home can often help the family apply for burial benefits, a burial flag and burial in a national cemetery.

If burial will happen in another state, the funeral home can arrange transport and work with a funeral home at the other end.

The obituary and public notices

Most funeral homes help the family share the news. Many will help write the obituary, post it on their own website with an online guest book, and submit it to local newspapers. The newspaper charge is usually added to the family’s bill.

Because of this, funeral home websites are often the first place a new obituary appears. They are one of the main places an obituary monitoring service checks each day, so people watching for a name can be emailed soon after a notice is posted.

Our guide on how to choose a funeral home explains what to compare.