How Much Does a Funeral Cost?
A funeral typically costs between $7,000 and $8,000.
Being buried is more expensive than being cremated because there's an extra cost for a cemetery plot and a headstone, usually around $5,000. That totals nearly $13,000 for your loved ones to pay after you're gone.
A direct cremation, costing a little more than $1,000, is the cheapest option. With a direct cremation, there are no costs for funeral home events or embalming because the deceased is brought right to the crematorium.
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What's the cost of a funeral, burial or cremation?
The cost of funeral arrangements prior to a burial averages $7,848. For a funeral and a cremation, the average cost is $6,953.
Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Funeral before burial | $7,848 |
| Funeral with cremation | $6,953 |
| Cemetery plot and headstone | $5,100 |
| Cremation only | $1,163 |
Cost of a funeral before a burial
The typical cost of a funeral prior to a burial is $7,848.
Item | Average cost |
|---|---|
| Event: Funeral services fee | $2,300 |
| Event: Facility fee for viewing | $450 |
| Event: Facility fee for funeral ceremony | $515 |
| Event: Printed materials | $183 |
| Casket | $2,500 |
| Preparation: Embalming | $775 |
| Preparation: Cosmetic services | $275 |
| Transportation: Transfer of remains | $350 |
| Transportation: Hearse | $350 |
| Transportation: Service vehicle | $150 |
| Total | $7,848 |
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Funeral services fee: $2,300
Funeral homes charge an overall service fee for a range of smaller tasks. This covers funeral planning, coordinating with the cemetery, getting the burial permit, publishing obituaries and getting copies of the death certificate.
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Facility use for viewing: $450
This facility fee covers the cost of having a viewing or visitation at the funeral home. This is a less-formal gathering where the deceased is often displayed in the casket.
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Facility use for funeral ceremony: $515
When a funeral happens at the funeral home, there is a cost for using the facilities.
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Printed materials: $183
Funeral homes can arrange and produce memorial cards, obituary pamphlets, guest books and other printed materials.
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Casket: $2,500
The average cost of a casket is $2,500. Metal caskets are cheaper than wooden caskets. The cheapest options are rental caskets and green burial caskets.
Casket typeTypical costRental casket $995 Green burial casket $1,500 Metal casket $2,500 Wood casket $3,000 -
Embalming: $775
Embalming is the process of preserving the body of the deceased before the funeral or viewing.
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Cosmetic services: $275
Preparing the body can include cosmetology, dressing, grooming and placing the deceased within the casket.
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Transfer of remains: $350
This is the cost for bringing the deceased to the funeral home prior to any funeral services.
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Hearse: $350
The hearse is used to transport the deceased to the cemetery and also to the funeral if it's held at a location other than the funeral home.
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Service vehicle: $150
A car service is often used by the immediate family to follow the hearse.
Extra funeral costs
Additional costs for flowers, casket toppers and a burial vault total $2,322, on average.
Item | Average cost |
|---|---|
| Flowers | $600 |
| Wreath | $150 |
| Vault | $1,572 |
| Total | $2,322 |
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Flowers and wreaths: $750
Costs for flowers and wreaths can vary widely based on where you live and the type of arrangements you choose.
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Burial vaults, also known as grave liners: $1,572
This is the outer container that a casket is placed in at the burial site. Made of reinforced concrete, it prevents the weight of the earth from caving in over time. Burial vaults are not required by law, but some cemeteries require them.
Cost of a funeral with cremation
The typical cost of a funeral and cremation is $6,953.
This kind of funeral still has a viewing and potentially an open-casket funeral ceremony. That means there are still costs to prepare the body of the deceased and for the funeral events.
Item | Average cost |
|---|---|
| Event: Funeral services fee | $2,300 |
| Event: Facility use for viewing | $450 |
| Event: Facility use for funeral ceremony | $515 |
| Event: Printed materials | $183 |
| Cremation casket | $1,310 |
| Urn | $295 |
| Preparation: Embalming | $775 |
| Preparation: Cosmetic services | $275 |
| Transportation: Transfer of remains | $350 |
| Transportation: Hearse | $350 |
| Transportation: Service vehicle | $150 |
| Total | $6,953 |
It's cheaper to have a cremation than a burial. Even though many of the funeral costs are the same, the urn and cremation casket cost less overall than a casket used for burial. Plus, cremation gives you the option to avoid the costs of burial plots and headstones.
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Cremation casket: $1,310
A cremation casket is made entirely of wood or other combustible material. Unlike a standard casket, a cremation casket contains no metal so that the casket turns to ash during the cremation process.
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Urn: $295
The urn is the container that holds the ashes after the deceased is cremated. There are a wide variety of urns at a range of prices.
Extra costs with a cremation
A cremation cost of about $368 is charged when the cremation is done by a company other than the funeral home.
About half of funeral homes do not have a crematory on-site. In these cases, cremation is done off-site by a separate crematorium.
Cost of a burial plot and headstone
The average cost of a headstone, cemetery plot and burial is $5,100.
Item | Average cost |
|---|---|
| Burial plot | $2,300 |
| Headstone | $2,000 |
| Internment | $800 |
| Total | $5,100 |
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Burial plot: $2,300
The cost of a single burial plot averages $2,300 nationally, but costs can vary widely. Site location affects how much you pay, and plots tend to cost more in cities or places where real estate is expensive. Public cemeteries are cheaper, averaging $1,100 for a single plot. At a private cemetery, a single plot averages $3,500.
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Headstone: $2,000
An upright headstone costs $2,000, on average. Flat headstones cost less, and you'll pay more for elaborate grave markers or memorial benches.
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Internment: $800
Cemeteries charge an interment fee for the burial process of placing the casket in the ground. This can include excavating the grave site, preparing for the burial service and ongoing care of the site.
Cost of a cremation only
A direct cremation that doesn't include a funeral costs an average of $1,163.
If you plan to have memorial services in an alternate location, you can avoid the costs of holding an event at the funeral home, as well as the costs of preparing the body for a funeral.
Item | Average cost |
|---|---|
| Transfer of remains | $350 |
| Cremation fee | $368 |
| Cremation container | $150 |
| Urn | $295 |
| Total | $1,163 |
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Transfer of remains: $350
This is the transportation cost for bringing the deceased to the funeral home or crematorium.
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Cremation fee: $368
This covers the cost of the cremation service, without any treatments such as embalming or services such as a viewing or funeral.
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Cremation container: $150
This is a basic cremation container made of cardboard or fiberboard that the deceased's body is placed in before cremation.
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Urn: $295
Ashes of the deceased are placed in an urn. There are a wide variety of urns at a range of prices.
How to pay for funeral costs
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Life insurance
The value of a life insurance policy is paid to the beneficiary shortly after the death of the policyholder. Depending on the life insurance policy, this could be a lump sum of $25,000, $100,000 or even millions. That money can be used to pay for the funeral, to settle medical bills or for anything else the beneficiary decides.
As long as the policy has an assigned beneficiary, the lump-sum payment is usually made within a few days or weeks. You can also set up a funeral assignment so the life insurance company can pay the funeral home directly, and the beneficiary will receive what's left of the death benefit after the funeral costs.
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Burial insurance
Also called funeral insurance, burial insurance is a type of life insurance that specifically covers end-of-life expenses. Policies usually have a benefit of $25,000 or less, which is smaller than a typical life insurance benefit.
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Payable on death account
This bank account lets anyone set aside funds for end-of-life services. The beneficiary can present the death certificate and get access to the money right away. The money in the account doesn't need to go through probate, where a will is verified.
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Veterans benefits
All eligible veterans can get a free burial in a national cemetery. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) also offers a burial allowance that can range from $300 to $2,000, a cemetery plot allowance of $734 to $893, and a headstone allowance of $195 to $290.
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Social Security payment of $255
A one-time payment called the lump-sum death payment is available for the surviving spouse or child of someone who has been receiving Social Security benefits. In most cases, the funeral home will help you complete the paperwork to receive this.
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Monthly Social Security benefits for the surviving family
Based on the work history of the deceased, the surviving spouse or children may be eligible for monthly survivors benefits.
Frequently asked questions
Does life insurance cover funeral costs?
Yes, life insurance policies can be used to pay for funerals and end-of-life expenses. Be sure that the policy has a living beneficiary to avoid payment delays.
How much does it cost to bury someone?
A funeral before a burial costs an average of $7,848, which includes the casket and funeral home services. Plus, the average cost of a burial plot and headstone is $5,100. That puts the total cost at $12,948.
Does Medicare cover funeral expenses?
No, Medicare and other health insurance plans do not pay funeral expenses. However, Social Security does pay out a lump-sum death payment of $255, and life insurance policies can be used to pay for funeral expenses.
Sources
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