Free tool · Funeral Costs & Paying

Funeral Budget Builder

Build a funeral budget line by line and compare it with what your family can spend. Funeral home lines start at the NFDA's 2023 national medians, $8,300 for a funeral with viewing and burial and $6,280 for viewing and cremation. Replace each estimate with a real quote as you collect them, and the total updates.

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Figures checked Sep 30, 2026

Your funeral budget

Start from a typical arrangement, then replace estimates with the quotes you receive.

Your target budget

The most your family can comfortably spend. Leave it blank if you don't have a figure yet.

Start from which arrangement?

This sets the list of lines below. Switching keeps your custom lines and any amounts you've typed for lines that still apply.

Funeral with viewing, then burialVisitation, a funeral service and a burial. NFDA's $8,300 median arrangement.Graveside service onlyA short service at the cemetery, without a viewing.Funeral with viewing, then cremationVisitation and a service with the body present, then cremation. NFDA's $6,280 median arrangement.Cremation, then a memorial serviceCremation first, with a service afterwards and no viewing.Direct cremationCremation soon after death, with no viewing or service through the funeral home.Direct burialBurial soon after death, without a viewing or service.

Funeral home services

Basic services feeThe funeral home's non-declinable fee for planning, permits, paperwork and overhead. Every arrangement includes it.Estimate: NFDA 2023 median
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Transfer of remains to the funeral homeCollecting the person from the place of death, usually within a set distance.Estimate: NFDA 2023 median
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EmbalmingUsually only needed for a public viewing. No state requires it in every case.Estimate: NFDA 2023 median
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Other preparation (dressing, cosmetics)Hair, dressing and cosmetic care before a viewing.Estimate: NFDA 2023 median
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Facilities and staff for a viewingUse of the funeral home for visitation or a wake.Estimate: NFDA 2023 median
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Facilities and staff for the funeral ceremonyStaff to run a service at the funeral home, a church or another venue.Estimate: NFDA 2023 median
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HearseTaking the casket to the service and the cemetery.Estimate: NFDA 2023 median
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Service car or vanUsed for paperwork runs, flowers and other errands.Estimate: NFDA 2023 median
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Printed memorial packagePrograms, a guest book and prayer or memorial cards.Estimate: NFDA 2023 median
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Casket, container or urn

Casket (metal)You can buy a casket elsewhere. Under the FTC Funeral Rule the funeral home must accept it without charging a fee.Estimate: NFDA 2023 median for a metal casket
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Burial vault or grave linerMany cemeteries require an outer container. No state law requires one.Estimate: Difference between NFDA's 2023 medians with and without a vault ($9,995 − $8,300)
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Cemetery

Cemetery plot or nichePrices vary hugely by cemetery and city. Enter the cemetery's quote.
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Opening and closing the graveThe cemetery's charge to prepare and close the grave, often higher on weekends. Enter their quote.
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Headstone or markerFlat markers cost far less than upright headstones. Veterans may qualify for a free VA headstone or marker.
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Other costs

Newspaper obituaryNewspapers usually charge by the line or word. Online-only notices are often free.
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FlowersCasket sprays and standing arrangements, if the family buys them.
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Reception or repastVenue and catering after the service.
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Certified death certificatesFees are set by each state. Most families need 5 to 10 copies.
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Officiant or celebrant honorariumA thank-you payment to clergy or a celebrant, if applicable.
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Add another line

Each funeral home line can be added once, so nothing is counted twice.

Choose a line

Your budget is saved in this browser only, so you can come back to it. It isn't sent anywhere.

Estimated total

$9,959

$0 is from quotes or payments you entered and $9,959 is still an estimate. Funeral home estimates start from NFDA 2023 General Price List Study medians, so your local prices may differ.

Enter a target budget to see how much is left.

No amount yet for: Cemetery plot or niche, Opening and closing the grave, Headstone or marker, Newspaper obituary, Flowers, Reception or repast, Certified death certificates, Officiant or celebrant honorarium. These count as $0 until you add an estimate or quote, or remove the line.

Where the money goes
Funeral home services	$5,764
Casket, container or urn	$4,195
Cemetery	$0
Other costs	$0
Total	$9,959

NFDA 2023 General Price List Study figures cover the funeral home only. Cemetery charges, cash advance items and sales tax are extra, so those lines start blank for you to fill in from real quotes.

How to use the budget builder

Enter the amount your family can comfortably spend. You can leave it blank and add it later.
Pick the arrangement closest to what you're considering. That sets the list of lines.
Type the price from each quote in the “Quote or amount paid” box. It replaces the estimate in the total, so you can see how much of the budget is firm and how much is still a guess.
Remove lines you don't need, and add your own for anything the list misses.

Lines with no amount count as $0 until you fill them in, and the tool lists them so you don't forget them. It saves your work in your browser only.

What the starting prices are, and what they leave out

The estimates come from the National Funeral Directors Association's 2023 General Price List Study, the latest edition. They are national medians, so a funeral home near you may charge more or less.

Arrangement	NFDA 2023 median
Viewing and burial, metal casket	$8,300
Viewing and burial, with a burial vault	$9,995
Viewing and cremation	$6,280

These totals cover the funeral home only. They leave out cemetery charges (the plot, opening and closing the grave, a headstone), cash advance items the funeral home pays for you, such as an obituary notice or flowers, and taxes. Those lines start blank in the tool because there is no reliable national figure for them. Ask the cemetery and each vendor for a price.

The vault and cremation lines are worked out from the gaps between NFDA's published totals rather than quoted directly, so treat them as rough. Direct cremation and direct burial, with no viewing, usually cost less than the totals above, so get a written quote.

Ways to keep the budget down

Ask every funeral home for its General Price List. The FTC Funeral Rule requires one, and it requires prices over the phone if you ask.
Buy only the items you want. You have the right to buy goods and services separately instead of accepting a package.
Buy a casket or urn elsewhere if it's cheaper. The funeral home can't refuse it or charge a fee for handling it.
No state law requires routine embalming, and refrigeration is an acceptable alternative in most cases.
Check for help. Veterans may qualify for burial benefits from the VA. Try the VA burial benefits calculator.
Compare burial and cremation side by side with the cremation vs burial calculator, or price one arrangement in detail with the funeral cost calculator.

Frequently asked questions

How much should I budget for a funeral?

The NFDA's 2023 survey found national medians of $8,300 for a funeral with viewing and burial, $9,995 with a burial vault, and $6,280 for viewing and cremation. Add cemetery costs, cash advance items and taxes on top, and check local quotes.

What isn't included in the funeral home's price?

The NFDA medians leave out cemetery charges such as the plot, opening and closing the grave and a headstone. They also leave out cash advance items, such as flowers or an obituary notice, and taxes. Ask for each separately.

Do I need to buy a burial vault?

No state law requires one, but many cemeteries do. Ask the cemetery what it requires before you add the cost to your budget.

Can I buy a casket or urn somewhere else?

Yes. Under the FTC Funeral Rule, a funeral provider can't refuse a casket or urn you bought elsewhere, or charge you a fee to handle it.

Is embalming required?

No state law requires routine embalming, and refrigeration is an acceptable alternative in most cases. A funeral home may still suggest it if you want a public viewing.

Is my budget saved?

Your budget is saved in this browser on this device only, so you can return to it. Nothing is sent to us. Clearing your browser data, or using another device, starts a new budget.

Sources we checked

1.Statistics: median cost of a funeral · National Funeral Directors Association
2.The FTC Funeral Rule · Federal Trade Commission
3.Shopping for Funeral Services · Federal Trade Commission

Please note: General information, not legal, financial or medical advice. Check the details with the relevant agency or a qualified professional. Rules and prices change, so confirm anything important with the organization concerned. If you spot something out of date, tell us.

Guides that go with this tool

CostsGovernment Help with Funeral Costs: What Programs Exist and How to ApplyGovernment help with funeral costs is limited: a $255 Social Security payment, VA burial benefits, disaster aid and county programs. Who qualifies. 7 min read BurialCasket Retailers Compared: Costco, Titan, Overnight Caskets and Your Funeral HomeCompare where to buy a casket, including Costco, Titan Casket, Overnight Caskets and the funeral home, with prices, delivery, return rules and your FTC rights. 7 min read CostsFuneral Home Fees Explained: What Each Charge CoversWhat funeral home and funeral director fees cover: the basic services fee, embalming, hearse, casket, cash advances, what you can decline and sample prices. 7 min read InternationalDenmark Funeral Costs: Prices, Begravelseshjælp and Burial RulesWhat a funeral costs in Denmark, how the begravelseshjælp grant of up to 13,550 kr works in 2026, church membership, the eight-day rule and ash scattering. 7 min read

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