UK Funeral Director Chains Compared: Who Owns Your Firm

Three groups run most of the big-name funeral directors in the UK: the Co-op, Dignity and Funeral Partners. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) counted 811 Co-op funeral homes in 2023, 725 Dignity branches in 2022 and 240 Funeral Partners branches. Independent family firms run many more. Since 2021, every funeral director has had to publish a standardised price list and show who owns the business, so you can compare firms properly before you book.

Branch numbers are from the CMA's 2025 review and will have changed since. Use them as a guide to scale, not as current counts.

Who are the biggest UK funeral director groups?

Dignity was delisted from the London Stock Exchange in 2023. Some other co-operative societies, such as Southern Co-op and Scotmid, run funeral businesses separately from the Co-op Group, so a "Co-op" sign doesn't always mean the same owner.

Larger groups may have wider cover, longer opening hours and their own crematoria or mortuary facilities. Independent firms are smaller and may offer more flexibility. Neither type is better by default, so judge each firm on its price list, its facilities and how it treats you.

Our guides to Co-op Funeralcare, Dignity funerals and Funeral Partners cover each group in more detail.

How do independent funeral directors compare?

There is no single official count of independents. SAIF, the Society of Allied and Independent Funeral Directors, says it has about 1,000 members across 1,865 sites. The NAFD, the National Association of Funeral Directors, says more than 3,800 UK funeral homes are members, including independents, co-operatives and major groups, and that members arrange over 470,000 funerals a year. The two memberships overlap, so don't add them together.

Independents can set their own prices and policies, but they are also subject to the same legal duties as the big groups. See independent funeral directors in the UK for more.

How do you find out who owns a funeral director?

A local name can belong to a group. The CMA's Funerals Market Investigation Order requires each funeral director to display its ultimate owner clearly in each branch and on its website. If the owner's name is not obvious, ask.

The order also makes funeral directors:

• show a Standardised Price List on their website, in a PDF, one click from the homepage, and in the branch window where practicable
• show the crematorium fees that apply locally
• publish deposit sizes, payment dates, payment options and late payment charges
• declare any material payments to hospitals, hospices, care homes and similar places that could influence who they recommend
• stop arrangements that encourage hospitals, hospices or care homes to refer families to them

That last point matters. If a hospital or care home recommends a funeral director, you don't have to use them. You are free to choose anyone.

What is the Standardised Price List?

The Standardised Price List uses a set wording and layout set by the CMA, so you can compare firms side by side. It shows the funeral director's charges for:

• an attended funeral, itemised into six parts: legal and administrative arrangements, collection, care before the funeral, a coffin, viewing, and taking the person to the crematorium or cemetery
• an unattended funeral (direct cremation or direct burial), if they offer one
• extras such as extra mileage, embalming, collecting ashes and out-of-hours services

Burial and cremation fees are shown separately, as the typical local cost. The list also tells you where the person will be kept, for example at the branch only, or at branch and non-branch premises.

The CMA's 2025 review found the average revenue per funeral for funeral directors with five or more branches was £2,788 for the year to August 2024. That excludes third-party costs such as the crematorium, doctor and celebrant, so the total bill is higher. Prices vary widely by area and provider, which is why comparing lists is worth doing.

Are funeral directors regulated?

In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, funeral directors are not licensed by law, as of the CMA's August 2025 review. The CMA's market investigation found that most people wrongly believed funeral directors were regulated by law. The Fuller Inquiry, set up after crimes by a hospital mortuary worker, noted that anyone can be a funeral director without a licence, experience or training, and the CMA's 2025 review repeats its support for independent statutory regulation.

Scotland is different. The Scottish Government's Funeral Director Code of Practice came into force on 1 March 2025. See Scottish funeral laws.

Elsewhere, joining a trade body is voluntary. The two main ones are the NAFD and SAIF. Members agree to a code of practice and offer a complaints route. NAFD says its members use its NAFD Resolve complaints scheme. Our guide NAFD and SAIF explained covers what membership means.

What should you compare between funeral directors?

Use the Standardised Price List for like-for-like prices, then ask the questions the list can't answer:

1. Where will my loved one be kept? Some branches have their own facilities. Others use a central mortuary that may be some distance away.
2. What extras might apply? For example, collection from a home or care home, out-of-hours care, viewings and a particular coffin.
3. What deposit is needed? Funeral directors must publish deposit sizes, payment dates and late payment charges.
4. Are third-party costs quoted? Ask for the crematorium or cemetery fee, celebrant and doctor's fees as a written total.
5. Do you belong to a trade body? If so, which one?
6. Who owns the business? The answer must be displayed, but you can also ask.

For more ideas, see questions to ask a funeral director and UK funeral director costs.

Do chains cost more than independents?

Not always. The CMA's 2025 review found that, for firms with five or more branches, average revenue per funeral rose less than inflation between September 2021 and August 2024. In the year to August 2024, though, revenue for firms with 10 or more branches rose faster than inflation, especially for unattended funerals. Prices depend on location, the funeral you choose and the provider.

The clearest way to find out is to compare two or three written quotes using the standardised lists. If cost is the main worry, also look at UK funeral financial help and council funerals.

What about direct cremation providers?

Direct cremation providers such as Pure Cremation and Simplicity run national services built around unattended cremation, without a funeral service or hearse as standard. They are funeral directors under the CMA's order and must publish standardised price lists too. Read our Pure Cremation review and Simplicity Cremations review.

Across funeral directors with 10 or more branches, the CMA found 87% of funerals in the year to August 2024 were attended, so about 13% were unattended. Attended funerals remain the norm, but unattended ones are becoming more common.

What if you have already picked the wrong one?

Families can change funeral director. The first firm will usually expect payment for anything it has already done, so get an itemised bill. See our guide on switching funeral directors.

What to do next

1. Shortlist two or three firms, and download or ask for each one's Standardised Price List.
2. Check who owns each firm and whether it belongs to the NAFD or SAIF.
3. Ask where your loved one will be kept and what extras could apply.
4. Get the total in writing before you sign, then keep a copy.