Rental Caskets: How They Work, What They Cost and Cheaper Options

A rental casket is a finished casket that a funeral home lends you for a viewing or funeral service when the person will be cremated. The body rests in a removable inner container, and only that container goes to the crematory. The Funeral Consumers Alliance says rentals can cost $800 or more, so it is worth comparing them with a plain container dressed with a cloth.

Cremation is now the most common choice in the US. The NFDA projects a 63.4% cremation rate for 2025, and many of those families still want a visitation or service with the body present. Renting is one way to get that without buying a casket that will not be kept.

What is a rental casket and how does it work?

A rental casket is a nice-looking casket the funeral home owns and reuses. You pay a fee for the service instead of buying it. Designs vary from home to home. Wikipedia's coffin article describes two common versions: a casket with a removable bed and liner that is replaced after each use, and an outer shell that looks like a traditional casket with a cardboard box that fits inside.

In practice, the steps look like this:

1. The body is placed in the inner container or removable bed.
2. The container sits in the rental shell for the viewing or service.
3. After the service, the inner container is removed from the shell.
4. The inner container goes to the crematory. The shell stays with the funeral home.

The Cremation Association of North America (CANA) lists a rental casket among the options a crematory can accept, as long as what is cremated is combustible and non-toxic. It also says metal caskets cannot be cremated, so a reusable shell is generally not what goes to the crematory. Ask the funeral home exactly which part of its rental is cremated.

How much does a rental casket cost?

There is no national price. Each funeral home sets its own, and it should be on the itemized statement you receive. The best published consumer figures are from the Funeral Consumers Alliance (FCA), a nonprofit, in brochures revised in 2020. Prices have very likely risen since, so treat these as a rough guide and check the funeral home's own price list.

A rental fee is only one line. A viewing or service also brings charges for staff and facilities, transport, and sometimes body preparation. Our guide to funeral home fees shows where those charges appear, and the General Price List guide explains what the funeral home must give you.

Do you need a casket for cremation?

No. The FTC says no state or local law requires a casket for cremation. Crematories generally require the body to be in a rigid, combustible container. The FCA notes that funeral providers that arrange direct cremations must make an inexpensive alternative container available, and you can also make or supply your own suitable one.

The FTC's rule about containers is written around direct cremation, meaning cremation without a viewing or ceremony with the body present. If you add a viewing or a funeral service, ask the funeral home what container it offers or requires for that part, what each option costs, and get the answer in writing. Our direct cremation guide explains the simplest route, and what happens during cremation covers the process.

Is embalming required if you rent a casket?

Not by law in most states. The FTC says many funeral homes have a policy of embalming when the body will be publicly viewed, but no state requires routine embalming for every death. Under the Funeral Rule, a funeral home also cannot tell you that embalming is required by law when it is not, and cannot embalm for a fee without your permission unless the law requires it.

The FCA adds that no state requires embalming when burial or cremation takes place within two days, and that refrigeration is an alternative in most states. If a viewing matters to you, these options exist:

• A private family viewing, often without embalming. See our guide to private family viewings.
• A viewing where embalming is done because the funeral home requires it. Ask for the price first. Our embalming law guide explains the rules.
• A closed-casket service. See open vs closed casket.

Can you rent a casket for a burial?

Sometimes, but it is less common, and the rule is set by the funeral home. The FCA suggests that if you choose a plain casket, you can ask whether the funeral home will rent you a fancier one for the service. Because the body is then moved to a burial casket, ask how and when that happens.

For a burial you also have cemetery requirements to check. The FCA says most cemeteries require a casket or other container for burial, except green burial sites. The FTC says no state requires an outer burial container, but many cemeteries require one. Our guide to burial vaults covers that cost.

What are cheaper alternatives to a rental casket?

• An alternative container dressed up. The FCA suggests a plain container draped with a cloth, a quilt or a flag as an inexpensive option for a service.
• A casket you buy elsewhere. The FTC says a funeral home cannot refuse a casket you bought online or from a local store, or charge you a fee to handle it, and cannot require you to be there when it is delivered. Confirm with the crematory that it is combustible. See buying a casket online and bringing your own casket.
• A cardboard or fiberboard casket. These can be plain and low cost. See our guide to cardboard caskets.
• A gathering without the body present. Many families choose direct cremation first and hold a memorial later with photos and the urn. See memorial after direct cremation.

Questions to ask the funeral home

1. What is the rental fee, and what does it include?
2. What container does the body go in, and is it an extra charge?
3. Is embalming required for a viewing here, and what does it cost? Is a private viewing without embalming possible?
4. How many rental models do you keep, and can I see them?
5. What charges are added for viewing time, staff and facility use?
6. Can I see the total on the itemized statement before I agree?

The FTC requires funeral homes to give you a General Price List, to quote prices by phone if you ask, and to give you a written statement of the goods and services you select. Use it to compare two or three funeral homes.

What to do next

1. Decide whether you want the body present at a service. If not, direct cremation plus a later memorial is usually the most affordable path.
2. Ask two or three funeral homes for their General Price List and their rental fee in writing.
3. Ask the crematory, or the funeral home's crematory partner, what container it accepts.
4. Compare the total cost of a rental with a dressed alternative container and with a private viewing.