What makes up the cost of a funeral?
The NFDA builds its national figure from the median price of each item in a typical funeral with viewing and burial. Here is the full list from its 2023 General Price List Study.
| Item | Median |
|---|---|
| Funeral home basic services fee | $2,495 |
| Transfer of the body to the funeral home | $395 |
| Embalming | $845 |
| Other preparation of the body | $295 |
| Staff and facilities for a viewing | $475 |
| Staff and facilities for a funeral ceremony | $550 |
| Hearse | $375 |
| Service car or van | $175 |
| Printed memorial package | $195 |
| Metal casket | $2,500 |
| Funeral total | $8,300 |
| Burial vault | $1,695 |
| Total with a vault | $9,995 |
A vault is the outer box the casket goes into in the grave. Ask the cemetery whether it needs one before you count it in.
What is the average cost of a funeral?
When people ask about the average cost of a funeral, the best known national figure is this NFDA median. A median is the middle price: half of funeral homes in the survey charged more and half charged less. It is a fair guide because a few very high prices cannot pull it up.
| Type of funeral | 2021 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|
| Viewing and burial | $7,848 | $8,300 |
| Viewing and burial, with a vault | $9,420 | $9,995 |
| Viewing and cremation | $5,810 | $6,280 |
Funeral costs rose more slowly than prices in general. The NFDA notes burial costs went up 5.8% over those two years, while overall inflation was 13.6%.
What costs are not in the median?
These are the items families most often add on top of the funeral home bill:
- A cemetery plot, and the fee to open and close the grave
- A headstone or grave marker
- Flowers and an obituary in the newspaper
- Copies of the death certificate
- A meal or reception after the service
- Travel for family members
Cemetery prices vary widely, so ask the cemetery directly. Funeral homes sometimes pay for items like flowers on your behalf and bill you later. These are called cash advance items.
How can I lower the cost of a funeral?
The FTC Funeral Rule (opens in a new tab) gives you real tools here:
- Ask for the General Price List. Every funeral home must give you an itemized list.
- Call around. Funeral homes must give prices by phone, and you do not have to give your name.
- Buy only what you want. You do not have to accept a package.
- Buy the casket elsewhere. The funeral home cannot refuse it or charge a fee to use it.
- Skip embalming if there is no public viewing. No state law requires routine embalming.
You can also choose a simpler kind of service. The FTC (opens in a new tab) notes that direct burial and direct cremation usually cost less than a traditional full service funeral. Our cremation cost guide shows what a cremation with a service includes.
How do families pay for a funeral?
Families pay for funerals in a few ways: savings, the estate, help from relatives, or life insurance. A few other sources can help:
- Some veterans' families can get a burial allowance and a plot allowance from the VA. Rules and amounts are on the VA burial allowance page (opens in a new tab).
- A prepaid funeral plan, bought directly from a funeral home.
- A small life insurance policy made for this, called final expense or burial insurance.
If you are thinking about a prepaid plan, the FTC (opens in a new tab) suggests asking what happens if the funeral home goes out of business, if you move, or if you change your mind.
A burial insurance policy pays cash to the person you name, so it goes with you if you move and your family can use it at any funeral home. Read how final expense insurance works, or see your options with our short quiz.