Funeral Expenses: The Breakdown
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 |
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