Funeral Expenses: The Breakdown

09.25.2019 | Category: Costs and Calculators

Average funeral costs for a typical funeral with burial or cremation in the U.S., including viewing, hearse, casket and services.

Funerals can be expensive, whether they involve burial or cremation.

According to the National Funeral Directors Association, the median cost of a funeral in 2019 with viewing, burial and a burial vault (vaults are typically required by a cemetery) was $9,135.

And that doesn’t include what you’ll pay for options like a grave marker, cemetery fees, flowers or an obituary, out-of-pocket expenses that can easily add up to thousands more dollars.

Here’s a breakdown of the funeral costs of both a viewing with burial and a viewing with cremation as provided by the National Funeral Directors Association.

Median National Cost of Adult Funeral with Viewing and Burial

Item	In 2019
Non-declinable basic services fee	$2,195
Removal/transfer of remains to funeral home	$350
Embalming	$750
Other preparation of the body	$255
Use of facilities/staff for viewing	$425
Use of facilities/staff for funeral ceremony	$500
Hearse	$340
Service car/van	$150
Basic memorial printed package	$175
Metal casket	$2,500
Subtotal	$7,640
Vault	$1,495
Total with vault	$9,135

Median National Cost of Adult Funeral Viewing and Cremation

Item	In 2019
Non-declinable basic services fee	$2,195
Removal/transfer of remains to funeral home	$350
Embalming	$750
Other preparation of the body	$255
Use of facilities/staff for viewing	$425
Use of facilities/staff for funeral ceremony	$500
Service car/van	$150
Basic memorial printed package	$175
Cremation fee (if firm uses a third-party crematory)	$350
Cremation casket	$1,200
Urn	$295
Total	$6,485