What Does a Funeral Cost?

Funeral homes, cemeteries and other service providers expect to receive payment in full at the time of the funeral. With the cost of a typical funeral exceeding $8,000, it can be a hardship if you have not planned ahead for this expenditure. There are several ways to pre-fund your funeral costs and spare loved ones the financial burden.

Before you consider pre-funding, you must first do some pre-planning. At a minimum, you need a basic funeral plan to determine how much your funeral is expected to cost.

Funeral Directors can help you prepare a funeral plan or you can use our free funeral planning tool to quickly and conveniently do it yourself. Refer to Planning a Funeral in Advance for more information.

Average Funeral Costs

According to the 2005 price survey by the National Funeral Directors Association, the average cost of an adult funeral is $6,580.00. This is based on the most commonly selected items for a traditional funeral including a casket and vault. However, it does not include cemetery costs. A grave space, a grave marker, and opening/closing the grave can easily cost another $1,500 to $2,500. Therefore, a typical traditional funeral is likely to cost over $8,000.

Depending upon the quality of the casket, burial vault and other merchandise selected, a traditional funeral can cost less than $5,000 or exceed $10,000.  If no services to commemorate the deceased are desired, a direct burial or direct cremation can be arranged for under $1,000.

A funeral doesn't have to be expensive to be meaningful.  Careful planning takes into consideration the costs vs. the benefits of the various options for funeral services and merchandise.  Allocate more of your funeral dollars to those items that have the most meaning to you.  A casket of the highest quality may be of utmost importance.  Or you may choose to go with a rental casket to free more dollars for a mausoleum crypt or an extended visitation period.

Planning in advance is the key because it allows you the time to carefully consider your options and to quot;shop" and compare prices.  By planning ahead and pre-funding your funeral, you can lock in today's prices with a price guaranteed funeral contract.

See related topics:

Advantages of Paying for Your Funeral in Advance
Pre-need Funeral and Burial Contracts
Funeral Trusts
Funeral Insurance
Prepaying Funeral Providers