How Much Are Burial Costs?

Although death is an unavoidable fact, making funeral plans is an important step in making the process easier on yourself and your loved ones. You can safeguard people you leave behind or celebrate the life of a loved one by planning for the accompanying financial costs.

We'll go over funeral rules and pricing so you may pick what items and services you want or need. We'll also discuss various sorts of funerals that can be used to honor those who have died at a lower cost.

Laws About Funeral Expenses

Consumers are afforded various safeguards under the FTC's "Funeral Rule." The regulation grants you the authority to: 

• Pay just for the items and services you desire, require, and choose. This could be done either before or after the death of a loved one.
• Look into different funeral homes. When you visit, get their pricing information over the phone and have them provide you a written and detailed price list (General Price List or GPL). If the coffin pricing is not included in the GPL, you can request a written casket price list. The same is true with exterior burial containers. 
• For cremation, use an alternate container. You can get one from the funeral home or elsewhere. The funeral home cannot charge you a fee for handling caskets or urns purchased elsewhere, nor may they need your presence when the delivery is made. 
• Forgo embalming in direct cremations or immediate burials. Some states require embalming or refrigeration of the body if it is not burned or buried within a particular time frame. When preservation is required, you can ask the funeral home if refrigeration is available instead of embalming. 
• Receive written explanations. Any lawful cemetery or crematory mandated expenses should be documented in writing by the funeral home. 

Typical Burial Costs

Many people consider funerals to be simple ceremonies, yet many things and services are required to have the types of burials that loved ones envision. These fees add up rapidly and vary by area, which is why it's critical to plan ahead of time for a financial funeral.

According to the most recent National Funeral Directors Association data, here's how prices for an adult funeral with a viewing for a burial or cremation break down across the country.

Additional costs to consider are:

• Cemetery plots: $3,581, on average in 2021. However, prices can range from under $1,000 to far over $10,000 depending on location and site type (below ground or above ground mausoleums and crypts).
• Headstones or markers: $1,000, on average, but can cost well over $2,000 depending on the type (bevel, lawn-level, slant, upright) and material.
• Flower arrangements: Flowers are not essential, but they are a personal touch that can cost less than $100 for a single bouquet to $800 or more for a comprehensive funeral floral package.

You can avoid paying for pricey extras that funeral homes may try to offer you by understanding your rights under the FTC's Funeral Rule. For example, sealed caskets do not preserve bodies from rotting, and basic concrete grave liners are appropriate stiff exterior containers for cemeteries that require them. Be careful that funeral packages may include goods you do not require, increasing the expense.

How to Pay for Funeral Costs

Most of us would prefer not to think about our own or a loved one's death. However, planning ahead of time to cover funeral-related costs is one approach to care for people who will be financially and emotionally impacted by a death in the family. 

Life insurance is frequently used to cover funeral expenses without depleting personal savings. It provides beneficiaries with a (usually) non-taxable lump-sum payout when the person insured by the policy dies, which can be used to pay for funeral expenses. Term life insurance policies have a certain number of years before they expire, but you may be able to convert a term policy to a permanent policy, which is intended to last a lifetime. Specific final expense or burial insurance policies are typically easy to qualify for, with death benefits ranging from $25,000 to $50,000, depending on the firm.

Other options for covering funeral fees in advance or at the time of death include:

• Personal savings
• A payable on death account (a separate bank account for funeral expenses)
• Pay in full with cash, check, or credit card, or in installments if the funeral home allows.
• Borrowing money (only as a last option)
• Paying in advance with the funeral home

When prepaying directly with a funeral home, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) advises caution. The laws governing your safeguards and the use of the monies you prepay with differ by state. Check to see if you're covered if the company goes out of business, and understand the conditions under which you can get a refund or transfer the prepaid services (in case you move or die out of the area).

Less Costly Funeral Alternatives

You can save a lot of money by going with one of these simpler, less expensive funeral options.

Cremation

Burials with a viewing but no vault (outer burial container) cost a median of $7,640, as seen in the chart above. You might potentially save thousands of dollars by cremating the body instead, especially if you forego a casket.

Another alternative is direct cremation, which requires no ceremony, viewing, or visiting and hence no preparation or embalming services. The prices here are reasonable, ranging from $800 to $1,200.

Direct Burial

Bodies are buried in direct burials shortly after death, usually in a basic container and without embalming. While a coffin can still be used, a simple shroud or other natural burial alternative may suffice in home funerals (if permitted by your state) or green cemeteries. A reasonable price range is $1,000 to $1,500, plus the cost of a coffin, if one is utilized, and burial expenses.

Body Donation

Although donating your loved one's body to a medical institution is free, you may still require the services of a funeral home to transport the body and complete the death certificate. 

Home Service

You might save $925 or more by avoiding staff and facility charges and conducting the service at home, a church location, or another location instead of a funeral parlor.