How Much Does a Funeral Cost?
Key Takeaways
- Funeral costs can be a financial challenge for families.
- Common expenses include a basic funeral home services fee, embalming costs, facility fees, purchasing a casket or urn, and more.
- By planning ahead and communicating your wishes to loved ones, you can reduce the financial burden of funeral costs.
- Final expense life insurance provides a death benefit that makes these costs more manageable.
Funerals are a critical part of the grieving process, bringing people together to share memories and support one another. However, these observances are often expensive: As of 2023, the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) reported that the average funeral with a viewing and burial costs $8,300, while a cremation and viewing cost an average of $6,280. That’s even before you consider related spending like a burial plot, flowers, and a reception after the service.
You can ease this burden on your family by planning for the inevitable and enrolling in life or burial insurance. Let’s take a closer look at the factors that affect your total funeral cost and what you can do about them.
Understanding Funeral Expenses
If you haven’t planned a funeral before, you might be surprised how quickly the bills add up.
The tables below provide the national averages for some of the most common fees families paid in 2023. These figures come from the NFDA’s Member General Price List Study, which surveyed more than 800 funeral homes across the country:
Viewing and Burial Costs
| Fee | Description | Median Cost |
| Basic services | Standard fee charged for planning, administration, and permits. | $2,495 |
| Removal/transfer | Transportation of remains to a funeral home. | $395 |
| Embalming | Preserving remains for viewing by treating them with chemicals. | $845 |
| Other preparations for body | Additional steps to prepare remains for viewing like dressing and makeup. | $295 |
| Metal casket | Bronze, copper, and steel are common materials. | $2,500 |
| Facilities and staff for viewing | Use of a funeral home space for viewing. | $475 |
| Facilities and staff for funeral | Use of a funeral home space for service. | $550 |
| Hearse | Vehicle and driver to transport body to burial site. | $375 |
| Printing package | Programs, signs, and other materials. | $195 |
Cremation Costs (Without Viewing)
| Fee | Description | Median Cost |
| Basic services | Standard fee charged for planning, administration, and permits. | $2,495 |
| Cremation | Fee for cremation process. | $400 |
| Urn | Receptacle for ashes. | $295 |
| Removal/transfer | Transportation of remains to a funeral home. | $395 |
| Facilities and staff for funeral | Use of a funeral home space for service. | $550 |
| Printing package | Programs, signs, and other materials. | $195 |
Funeral expenses vary by location and may go up because of inflation and other economic factors. According to the NFDA survey, the overall cost of a funeral with a viewing and burial increased 5.8% from 2021 to 2023. In the same period, the median total for a funeral with a viewing and cremation went up 8.1%.
For a quick estimate of the expenses for your family, try our funeral costs calculator.
Saving on Funeral Costs
Families must make decisions that affect the funeral home invoice and related expenses. However, a 2022 survey found that most people do not check prices from more than one funeral home. Shopping around and selecting more affordable options can make a big difference.
Your answers to these questions might impact how much your family pays:
- Will the service be held in a funeral home, house of worship, or an alternative location?
- Who will lead the service as the officiant?
- Should the remains be buried in a casket or cremated, which can be the less expensive alternative?
- Should the remains be prepared for a viewing, adding costs for embalming, makeup, and clothing?
- What material and style of coffin or urn should be used?
- Will the casket be encased in a burial vault for protection?
- What kind of headstone or marker will be placed at the grave?
Expressing your preferences for a funeral and burial in a letter will make these decisions easier and potentially ease the financial burden on your family. Consider purchasing a burial plot yourself and even contacting a funeral home to discuss these topics in advance.
How Final Expense Life Insurance Can Help Your Family
Final expense insurance, also called burial insurance, can help your family manage the bills for a funeral. These policies provide affordable and flexible coverage for funeral and other end-of-life expenses.
Final expense insurance generally has lower monthly premiums than other forms of life insurance and does not require a medical exam. While the payout for this type of life insurance is not intended to replace income, it does provide funds for a beneficiary to manage immediate expenses.
In an already difficult time, dealing with funeral costs is a serious challenge for many families. By communicating your wishes and finding the right coverage, you’ll make this process much easier for your loved ones. Use our funeral costs calculator to help decide whether a final expense life insurance policy fits your needs.
Sources
5 stages of grief: Coping with the loss of a loved one. Harvard Health Publishing.
2023 NFDA General Price List Study Shows Inflation Increasing Faster than the Cost of a Funeral. National Funeral Directors Association.
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