Funeral homes are not required to charge similar prices, and they don’t. Comparing providers is the most powerful single step a family can take to avoid overpaying.
The Funeral Rule is your tool. The FTC requires every funeral home to provide an itemized General Price List to anyone who asks in person, and to quote prices over the phone.
How to compare in four steps
- Collect price lists from at least three funeral homes.
- Line up the same items, basic services fee, transfer, embalming, facilities, casket.
- Compare packages and a-la-carte options, including direct cremation and direct burial.
- Separate cemetery costs, the plot, vault, and marker are billed by the cemetery.
The line items that vary most
| Basic services fee (non-declinable) | $1,500-$3,500 |
| Embalming (often optional) | $500-$1,000 |
| Casket | $1,000-$5,000+ |
| Direct cremation (all-in) | $1,000-$3,500 |
