How much does a direct cremation cost?
Direct cremation is the simplest way to say goodbye.
Median $1,770 across 13 real prices
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Free, plain-English guides to what a US funeral really costs, each one built on real prices, not guesswork.
How much does a cremation with a service cost?
A cremation with a service gives you the goodbye of a funeral without a burial.
Median $5,535 across 11 real prices
How much does a traditional burial funeral cost?
A traditional burial is the funeral most people picture: a viewing, a service, a casket and burial in a cemetery.
Median $7,250 across 10 real prices
What is the funeral home basic services fee, and how much is it?
The basic services fee is the single charge every funeral home adds to every case, no matter how simple the arrangements.
Median $2,298 across 8 real prices
How much does a casket cost?
The casket is often the largest single line on a funeral bill, and it is also where funeral homes make some of their biggest markup.
Median $1,495 across 9 real prices
How much does a burial vault cost?
A burial vault, sometimes called a grave liner, is the outer container that holds the casket underground.
Median $1,695 across 9 real prices
How much does a cemetery plot cost?
The cemetery plot is the grave itself, and it is bought from the cemetery rather than the funeral home.
Median $2,122 across 6 real prices
How much does a headstone cost?
A headstone, or grave marker, is the memorial that marks the resting place.
Median $2,922 across 10 real prices
How much does embalming cost, and is it required?
Embalming is the process of preserving the body, and it is one of the most misunderstood costs on a funeral bill.
Median $845 across 5 real prices
How much is the crematory fee?
The crematory fee is the crematory's own charge for the cremation itself, and it is usually passed through by the funeral home as a separate line.
Median $438 across 6 real prices
How much does a graveside service cost?
A graveside service is held at the grave itself, out at the cemetery, rather than in the funeral home's chapel.
Median $2,400 across 3 real prices
Funeral upsells you can decline under the Funeral Rule
Funeral upsells are the optional extras a funeral home offers on top of its required basic services fee, and under the FTC Funeral Rule you can decline nearly all of them and pay only for what you actually want.
Median $2,298 across 8 real prices
Cremation vs burial: the real cost difference
Cremation vs burial cost comes down to how many separate charges stack up: direct cremation is typically the lowest-cost option because it skips the casket, the cemetery plot and the vault that a traditional burial requires.
Median $1,770 across 13 real prices
The Funeral Rule: your right to an itemized price list
The Funeral Rule is a Federal Trade Commission regulation that gives you the right to an itemized General Price List, phone price quotes, and the freedom to buy only the goods and services you choose instead of a preset package.
Median $2,298 across 8 real prices
Real funeral bills: what families across the US actually paid
Real funeral bills submitted by families across the US show a wide spread for what looks like the identical service, because the same words on a price list can mean very different things at different providers.
Median $7,250 across 10 real prices
Cheapest direct cremation by US state
Direct cremation cost by state varies mainly because of three things: how many providers compete for business locally, the general cost of living, and how each state regulates funeral homes and crematories.
Median $1,770 across 13 real prices
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