DATA-BACKED GUIDE · UPDATED JULY 2026
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. It applies to every funeral home in the country and exists specifically because funeral costs are hard to compare while grieving. Knowing these rights, and using them at the first phone call, is one of the most effective ways to control what a funeral ends up costing.
The quick version
- The FTC Funeral Rule requires every funeral home to give you an itemized General Price List on request.
- Funeral homes must disclose prices over the phone if you ask, before you ever visit in person.
- You can decline any package and select individual goods and services instead.
- You are allowed to supply your own casket or burial vault, and the funeral home must accept it without a fee.
- The Rule does not require prices to be posted online, so you still need to call or visit to see them.
What people actually paid
Why the price varies so much
How much the Funeral Rule actually helps you depends on how well you use it, because the rights exist whether or not a funeral home volunteers them. Some providers hand over the General Price List and answer questions about a graveside service or cremation with service without being asked twice. Others wait to see if you know to ask, and quietly steer you toward a bundled package that includes a casket, embalming and extras you never requested. The Rule also has real limits. It covers funeral homes but not cemeteries directly, so a cemetery plot, a burial vault requirement or a headstone policy may not be itemized the same way. And because online price posting is not required, you often cannot see fixed prices until you call or visit, which is exactly why using your phone-price right early matters.
How to pay less
- Call several funeral homes and ask for their price over the phone before visiting any of them in person.
- Ask for the General Price List the moment you arrive and use it to build your own combination of goods and services.
- Say no to any package and request the itemized price for exactly what you want instead.
- Bring or order your own casket or burial vault from an outside seller, since the funeral home cannot refuse it or add a handling fee.
- Ask which specific items are legally required in your state, since very few actually are.
Common questions
What is the Funeral Rule?
It is a Federal Trade Commission regulation requiring every funeral home to disclose prices honestly and let you choose only the goods and services you want. It covers phone quotes, an itemized General Price List, and your right to decline packages.
Can a funeral home refuse to give me prices over the phone?
No. The Funeral Rule requires funeral homes to answer reasonable questions about their prices over the phone, including the cost of a basic services fee, a casket or a direct cremation. Use this before you ever visit.
Do I have to buy a full package, like a casket and burial vault together?
No. The Rule specifically protects your right to buy items individually rather than as a package. You can select a casket, decline embalming, or choose a graveside service without taking anything else you don't want.
Does the Funeral Rule cover cemeteries too?
Not directly. It applies to funeral homes, so a cemetery's charges for a cemetery plot, a burial vault requirement or grave opening may not follow the same itemized disclosure rules. Ask the cemetery separately for its price list.
Are funeral home prices posted online?
Usually not. The Funeral Rule does not require online price posting, only that prices be given on the phone or in person on request, so you still need to call or visit to see an itemized list.