Start with a service type

Type of arrangement

Itemized estimate

Check what applies and adjust any amount. Defaults are national medians, not any provider's prices. Items marked Cemetery are paid to a cemetery or monument company, not the funeral home. Items marked Cash advance are third-party costs the funeral home passes along.

Estimated funeral home total

Typical range: $0 to $0

Funeral home goods and services$0

Cash advance items (at cost)$0

Cemetery and monument (separate)$0

Everything combined$0

Where the money goes

Full Report

Printable planning estimate

Free with your email: a clean printable estimate with every line item, cost-saving notes for each category, and a short list of questions worth asking any funeral home. No pressure, ever.

Ways families often save

Caskets: You may buy a casket from any retailer, including online. Federal rules require the funeral home to accept it and prohibit a handling fee for doing so. Casket price varies more than any other item.
Embalming: Embalming is not required by law in most situations, particularly for direct cremation or direct burial. Refrigeration is often available as an alternative.
Basic services fee: This fee is non-declinable, but it differs between providers. Comparing two or three General Price Lists is reasonable and completely normal.
Outer burial container: Many cemeteries require only a grave liner, which usually costs less than a burial vault. Ask what the cemetery actually requires.
Urns: Any container of suitable size can serve as an urn, and you may provide your own. Crematories return remains in a simple container at no charge.
Cash advances: Ask whether cash advance items (flowers, obituaries, clergy honoraria) are billed at cost or marked up. Either practice must be disclosed.
Cemetery costs: Cemetery and monument charges are separate from the funeral home. Ask the cemetery for its own price list before deciding.
Itemized choices: You may decline any goods or services you do not want, with limited exceptions, and you must receive an itemized statement of what you selected.

Questions to ask any funeral home

May I have a copy of your General Price List? (Every funeral establishment must provide one on request.)
What exactly is included in your basic services fee?
Is embalming required for the arrangement we are considering?
Do you charge anything if we provide our own casket or urn?
Which items on this estimate are optional, and what happens to the total if we decline them?
Are cash advance items billed at your cost, or with a markup?
What third-party fees (crematory, cemetery, permits) should we expect?
If we prepay, how is the money protected, and what are the refund and transfer terms?

Talking it through can help

A conversation with a licensed funeral director costs nothing, whether you are planning ahead or need guidance today. Every funeral home must provide its General Price List on request, so you can compare with confidence and without pressure.

Learn more