Find the Best Funeral Home (2024)

FAQs

What is the absolute cheapest funeral? ›

The cheapest funeral options offered by funeral providers will only include the essential elements required for a funeral to go ahead. At Simplicity, the cheapest funeral option we offer is a direct cremation, which can be arranged from just £995.

Cremation is generally cheaper than burial

Flowers, venue hire and catering for the wake, as well as paying for the burial plot itself, are extra costs. The cost of cremation is lower for a few reasons including: There's no embalming or dressing of the person who's died, and families do not view the body.

It is important to find a funeral director who belongs to one of the professional associations, such as the National Association of Funeral Directors (NAFD) or the Society of Allied and Independent Funeral Directors (SAIF), as these associations have codes of practice and complaints procedures.

Once a funeral home has picked up the body and brought it to their facility, they will then clean and dress and/or shroud the body. Afterward, the body will be placed in refrigeration to keep it cool until the day of burial, at which point the body will be transported to the burial site.

A casket often is the single most expensive item you'll buy if you plan a "traditional" full-service funeral. Caskets vary widely in style and price and are sold primarily for their visual appeal.

The average funeral costs between $7,000 and $12,000. The viewing, burial, service fees, transport, casket, embalming, and other prep are included in this price. The average cost of a funeral with cremation is $6,000 to $7,000.

There are different tiers of caskets, coffins, flowers, memorial stones, cemetery plots, and other miscellaneous services that can easily take a $7,000 funeral to $25,000 or more. You can expect the total cost of your funeral to range between $5,000 - $25,000, depending on the services your family chooses to go with.

1. Direct cremation. Direct cremation is a simple and affordable alternative to a funeral. The crematorium will collect the deceased and conduct a cremation immediately, with no service (note there are waiting periods in some states).

Who should get funeral gratuities? Funeral directors typically do not receive gratuities. However, it's customary to thank the funeral director with a thank-you note, and by leaving a positive review for the funeral home online.

Should you shop around for funeral homes? ›

Funeral Planning Tips

That is, you do not have to accept a package that may include items you do not want. Here are some tips to help you shop for funeral services: Shop around in advance. Compare prices from at least two funeral homes.

Sale of Casket: Funeral homes also sell caskets to make money. The sale of caskets happens to be one of the most profitable ventures that funeral homes engage in. Usually, they make the caskets necessary for each family. And to say the least, the coffins are priced to make a profit.

But generally, when you work with a funeral home, your loved one will be refrigerated for between eight and 24 hours before embalming. If you don't want to embalm at all, most mortuaries offer short-term refrigeration, which can allow you to delay the funeral for up to two weeks.

Some cultural beliefs suggest that going home directly after a funeral might bring bad luck or offend the spirit of the deceased. Therefore, many people choose to gather in a different location as part of their mourning traditions and post-funeral practices.

The police will arrange for the body to be moved by a funeral director acting for the coroner if the death is unexpected. If a doctor has confirmed an expected death you may call a funeral director of your own choice when you are ready to do so.

You don't necessarily need to worry about what happens to your body if you can't afford a funeral. Signing a form at the county coroner can authorize the release of your body to the state or county for burial or cremation. It may be possible to pay a fee to recover your ashes if your family would like them.

Direct cremation is your least expensive cremation option. This is when a cremation is simply carried out without a service or ceremony. It is a simple, dignified cremation of the deceased with minimal 'fuss' and at a minimal cost.

Cheap coffins

The most common types are: Cardboard coffin – Cardboard coffins are an affordable option that can be easily customised. They are becoming more and more popular. They are made from biodegradable cardboard and cremate quickly, producing lower carbon emissions.