How much does a funeral cost?
A funeral, like any other service, can have a range of prices depending on the specific choices of the family. Choices that have the most impact on price are
1. Burial vs. Cremation. Cremation will almost always be less expensive than burial, or at least can be, depending on the tastes and needs of the family. Entombment in a mausoleum crypt is usually more expensive than ground burial, but not always by a significant amount. There is also a tremendous price gradient in the caskets and vaults available.
2. Viewing or no viewing? In most cases, embalming is not required by law; however, it is required by funeral homes to hold a public viewing of the deceased. The funeral home may also require use of a casket for a viewing (irrespective of where the casket is purchased), or a cremation casket or rental shell casket for viewing followed by cremation. A casket is not required for cremation with no viewing.
It is a Federal Trade Commission regulation that all funeral-related charges be itemized, printed on a general price list and made available to the public by phone, mail or in person. This way, it is easy to comparison shop and pre-arrange your own funeral, taking advantage of competitive pricing by providers. To find out how much the funeral you want costs, you can simply contact some of your local funeral service providers.