Funeral costs arrive at the hardest possible time to comparison-shop, and the industry rarely makes prices easy to see. This planner itemizes the real lines — the funeral home’s professional services fee, transport and preparation, the casket or cremation, cemetery charges, the service itself, and the reception afterward — with typical US prices on each, so you can see where the money goes and strike what doesn’t apply.
It also carries the checklist for the week: choosing a funeral home (every home is required by federal rule to give you an itemized price list — ask two or three), checking veterans, Social Security, union, and insurance benefits before paying anything, ordering certified death certificates, placing the obituary, and shaping the service. Things that can wait — the headstone, estate paperwork, acknowledgment cards — are dated after the service so the first days stay as clear as possible.
Choose burial, cremation, or direct cremation and the plan adjusts its lines to match. A guest list tracks who has been notified and who is attending, the day-of schedule holds the run sheet for the service, and the plan can be saved, shared with family, or exported to CSV or PDF.
What you can do
- Itemized costs: funeral home services, transport, preparation, casket or urn, cemetery, service, reception
- Burial, cremation, and direct-cremation plans, each with its own line items
- The consumer-protection checklist: itemized price lists, benefits to check before paying
- What can wait, dated after the service: headstone, estate steps, acknowledgment cards
- Guest list for notifications and attendance; day-of schedule for the service
- Save, share with family, and export to CSV or PDF
Frequently asked questions
How much does a funeral usually cost?
A funeral with a viewing and burial typically runs $8,000–$10,000 in the US; cremation with a service is usually $6,000–$9,000, and direct cremation $2,000–$3,500. The planner starts from typical prices on each line so you can adjust to the quotes you actually receive — prices for identical services vary widely between funeral homes.
Do funeral homes have to tell me their prices?
Yes. The FTC Funeral Rule requires every funeral home to give you an itemized price list on request, to let you choose only the goods and services you want, and to accept a casket you bought elsewhere without a handling fee. Calling two or three homes for their lists is the single most effective way to keep costs in hand.
What help is available with funeral costs?
Veterans may be entitled to burial benefits and a plot in a national cemetery; Social Security pays a small lump-sum death benefit to an eligible spouse or child; unions, employers, and life insurance policies may also contribute. The planner’s checklist puts these before any payment, because they are easier to claim before bills are settled than after.
Can I use this to plan ahead for myself or a parent?
Yes. Set the service date further out and work at your own pace — the same itemized costs and checklist apply, and a saved plan spares your family most of these decisions later. Planning ahead also makes it practical to compare funeral homes without time pressure.
Ready to plan?
The Funeral & Memorial Cost Planner runs entirely in your browser. Free, no sign-up required to use it.
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