How much does a funeral cost in the United States

In the United States, most funeral homes typically have an “immediate burial” or “direct burial” package without ceremony, although a small graveside service may be included.

The body is buried in a simple container shortly after death, without visualization. This costs from $ 700 to $ 2,400, not including the cemetery plot costing approximately $ 200 to $ 5,000 and internment fees ($ 350- $ 3,000 for opening and closing the grave), which raises the total cost approximately $ 1,250 to $ 10,400.

A funeral is an official ceremony that honors and remembers the deceased, and the service can be religious or secular in nature. The corpse is present for a funeral (the coffin can be open or closed), but for a monument, the body is generally not present, although an urn of cremated ashes could be on display during a memorial service.

A funeral service is typically held in a church, synagogue, chapel, funeral home, or at the grave. A memorial service can be held in any of these locations or in a family home, a park, by the seaside, or in any other significant location.

Price of a cremation

A direct cremation package consists of simple containers for the body and ashes; and no viewing, embalming or funeral service. It usually has a average cost of $ 1,000- $ 2,500 when purchased from a funeral home, funeral home, or crematorium. Cremation plus a full traditional funeral package, including embalming and visitation, can cost anywhere from $ 2,000 to $ 9,000 or more (not including grave and internment fees).

Price of a funeral service

The total costs of the funeral can refer not only to the ceremony, but also to all the products and services that can add thousands of dollars to the process of paying final respects to a loved one.

• Most churches do not charge for the funeral service of an active member of their congregation, but it may be customary to have a donation of $ 50 to $ 200 or more to the church.
• It may cost non-members one rental fee of $ 200 to $ 500 approximately depending on the number and type of facilities and the time required.
• It is also customary to pay a fee of $ 50- $ 250 or more to each member of the clergy who leads the service, the organist or other musicians, and anyone else who will be present during the ceremony (with the exception of family members or close friends).

Although funeral homes generally offer funeral “packages” with standard products and services included, federal law allows consumers to choose only the items they want. However, funeral homes may charge a basic fee to cover staff time for consultations and other expenses. Also called the minimum or professional service charge, this basic fee can range from $ 700 to $ 2,000, depending on the location and company.

Cost of a full funeral service

The total costs of a traditional full service funeral package, that is, a formal funeral, a hearse to transport the body, plus burial or cremation, has a approximate price from $ 6,000 to $ 9,000 but it can easily go up from $ 10,000 to $ 15,000 or more, depending on how much detail family members want.

Additional costs for a funeral

If the family members so wish, they can request the following funeral services:

• Wash and dress the body ($ 95- $ 400)
• Embalming ($ 200- $ 700)
• Use the funeral home and staff for a visit ($ 100- $ 1,200)
• Memorial services ($ 100- $ 1,100 or more)
• Limousines or other vehicles to transport family members ($ 125- $ 500 and more depending on size and distance)
• Escorted funeral procession ($ 450- $ 1,800)
• Luxury casket ($ 900- $ 10,000)

Cost of the tomb, crypt, etc.

In the United States a grave usually costs from $ 200 to $ 5,000 depending on the location and the cemetery; a burial vault ($ 400- $ 5,000 or more), if required by the cemetery; and if an above-ground burial is desired, a crypt in a mausoleum ($ 3,000- $ 30,000 in a community building or $ 25,000- $ 500,000 or more for a private mausoleum).

Price summary

As we have seen, calculating the price of a funeral is not an easy task since there are an immense variety of services to take into account, but based on our research we can say how much a funeral costs:

• $ 6,000 to $ 15,000 for a typical funeral and burial
• $ 11,000 to $ 35,000 for a funeral with high-end materials and services