

“There’s really no good reason to spend an extra $2,000 or $3,000 on a very simple service when you can usually find that somebody in your area has a more reasonable price,” Slocum says. To help save costs on funeral arrangements, you might check out resources from websites like Funeralocity and organizations like the Funeral Consumers Alliance. A funeral home also must give a written, itemized price list to you if you visit the funeral home. Although they’re not required to do it, many funeral homes will mail a price list to you, and some post their lists online, the FTC says. “I always encourage people to do their homework and be educated.”Īccording to the Funeral Rule enforced by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), funeral homes must provide price information over the phone if you ask for it. “I do think it’s important to talk with the various providers because many times there are different things that different providers may include or not include, so the price may not necessarily reflect the value of everything you’re going to receive,” Smith says.
AVERAGE FUNERAL COST FULL
Jan Smith, vice president of funeral operations at Flanner Buchanan Funeral Centers, a funeral home with 13 locations in Indiana, says that even though many funeral homes publish their price lists online, she suggests having a funeral home “walk you through” the pricing to gain a full understanding of the costs. Therefore, he says, you might need to call several funeral homes to compare funeral costs. Ed Michael Reggie, founder and CEO of Funeralocity, a website for comparing funeral and cremation costs, notes that many of the more than 18,800 funeral homes in the U.S. Lack of price transparency complicates the situation. By comparison, we may buy several cars, cellphones and major appliances over time, giving us a better sense of what to expect in terms of prices. Josh Slocum, executive director of the nonprofit Funeral Consumers Alliance, which helps people plan affordable funerals, says it’s tough to navigate the costs connected to funerals because most of us plan just one or two funerals during our lifetimes. Navigating the Unknown Costs of a Funeral Source: National Funeral Directors Association, 2021 median costs Transporting the family and guests from the funeral home to the burial site. Transporting the remains from the funeral home to the burial site. If you have the ceremony at the funeral home, you can expect to pay this fee. Use of facilities/staff for funeral ceremony May include hairstyling, cosmetic reconstruction and dressing the deceased. Not required by law, but a funeral home may require it if you hold a viewing. If the funeral home does not own a crematory and uses a third party.Ĭovers the funeral home’s time, storage of remains and overhead expenses. Cost for a metal casket your cost will depend on the materials you choose.Ī fully combustible container, this can be a traditional casket or cardboard box, but it cannot have any metal parts.
