What are average funeral costs?

Trying to figure how much a funeral will cost can be very
difficult. Costs continue to increase for casket, vaults,
plots, embalming and services. Expect to pay for all of this
immediately after passing.

What is the cost for a funeral?
Cost will vary depending upon where you live and whether
you choose traditional burial or cremation.
 Burial with traditional funeral services – casket is
present with visitation $12,000 – $18,000
 Burial with memorial services – no casket or visitation

• $10,000 – $16,000
  Cremation with traditional funeral services – casket is
  present with visitation – $7,000 – $10,000
  Cremation with memorial services – no casket or
  visitation – $4,000 – $6,000
  Direct cremation- no services cremains can be
  scattered or returned to the family – $800 – $5,000

Average cost of a funeral

The average cost of a funeral doubles in price
approximately every 10 years today in 2021 the average
cost for traditional funeral with cemetery property is
$12,000
Funeral expenses vary a lot
Big ticket items can drive up the cost dramatically,
caskets can cost from $2,000 to $10,000. Cremation
urns can start around $150.00 for scattering urn up to
$5,000 for a family urn which can be placed in a plot or
niche above ground.
Cremation is on the rise due to the flexibility and cost
savings
The cost of burial can vary widely depending on your
choices
To control costs you can choose direct burial or cremation

Main Funeral Expenses

The casket $2,000 – $10,000 You can buy your casket
at the cemetery or Costco may save you some money.
With cremation you can buy or rent a casket for
viewing before cremation

Burial vaults $500 – $5,000 Cemeteries may have
different requirements do to moistures and decay

Ceremonies $1,000 – $5,000 Choices and the size will
determine the price. With cremation you can have a
ceremony in church or at home

Marker/Headstone $1,000 – $3,000 You can buy from
a monument dealer or the cemetery

Viewings $500 – $1,000 Save some money by having
the viewing on the same day as the funeral

Plot/Niche $1,000 – $5,000 Cost for plots are
generally less money. Niches are above ground in a
wall outside or inside a mausoleum. You can
sometimes bury a whole family in a niche

WAYS TO MANAGE FUNERAL COST

Plan in advance – Planning in advance gives you time
to decide what is most important to you and what
you can afford
Set you budget – Just like all big decisions we base
what we want on our real budget

Know what you want- before ever meet with a
funeral director have an idea of what you want. This
will eliminate emotional over spending

Shop around – Like most big decisions get 3 quotes or
3 general price lists from different cemeteries
 Do you really need the expensive items – You can
reduce your cost by 50% by eliminating the big
choices

Ask for some help – Ask someone to be with you
when you meet with a funeral director. Having
someone you trust, you will be calmer and make
better decisions

Pre arrange and prefund – Prefunding will lock in you
costs and disposition choices. It will also eliminate
emotional overspending and reduce the stress and
any financial burden to your family
Paying for a funeral

Funeral Insurance – Most funeral insurance policies
are payable at the time of death through a Whole Life
policy. Usually not payable until a Notarized copy of
the death certificate is received. Typically the policy is
payable to the funeral home you choose.

Pre need Funeral Contracts – Funeral service
providers allow you to make your funeral and
cemetery choices in advance. By doing this you are
able to lock in your rates at today cost, eliminating
future inflation cost! Most people make monthly
payments but you can also pay in full.

Funeral Trusts – A funeral trust is a savings account
designed for funeral expenses. Your survivors will
need immediate access to these funds so set it up
through your bank or financial advisor. Your survivors
will need to make final arrangements for you and the
prices will continue to inflate.

Public Assistance – There are federal and state
resources to help pay for certain funeral costs. Social
Security pays $255.00 and VA will provide some
benefits pending your length of service. Covid -19
deaths are also covered under new federal American
Rescue Plan subsidies. You will need to send them a
notarized copy of the death certificate to receive any
of these benefits.