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Free tool · Funeral Costs & Paying

Funeral Cost Calculator

Estimate what a funeral will cost line by line. The funeral home lines start at the national medians from the NFDA's 2023 price survey: $8,300 for a funeral with viewing and burial, or $6,280 with cremation. Replace any line with a quote from your funeral home, and add cemetery costs to see a realistic total.

  • No sign-up
  • Private: nothing you enter leaves your device
  • Figures checked Sep 30, 2026

Your estimate

Pick the kind of arrangement, then adjust any line to match a quote you've been given.

What kind of arrangement?
Funeral home services
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Casket, container or urn
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Cemetery (enter your quotes)
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Other costs (optional)
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Estimated total

$9,959

Funeral-home lines are pre-filled with NFDA 2023 General Price List Study national medians. Prices in your area may be higher or lower.

Not yet included: Cemetery plot or niche, Opening and closing the grave, Headstone or marker. Add a quote for each to complete your total.

Breakdown
Basic services fee$2,459
Transfer of remains to the funeral home$395
Embalming$845
Other preparation (dressing, cosmetics)$295
Facilities and staff for a viewing$475
Facilities and staff for the funeral ceremony$550
Hearse$375
Service car or van$175
Printed memorial package$195
Casket (metal)$2,500
Burial vault or grave liner$1,695
Cemetery plot or nicheEnter quote
Opening and closing the graveEnter quote
Headstone or markerEnter quote
Total$9,959

Every funeral home must give you its General Price List when you ask in person, and quote prices over the phone. Compare at least two.

How this estimate works

Funeral homes price their services line by line on a General Price List. This calculator follows the same structure. It starts from the median price of each item in the National Funeral Directors Association's 2023 General Price List Study, the latest edition. You can switch any item off or type in the price you've been quoted.

The NFDA figures cover the funeral home only. They don't include cemetery charges such as the plot, opening and closing the grave, or a headstone, and they don't include “cash advance” items the funeral home pays on your behalf, like death certificates, an obituary or flowers. Those lines start blank so you can add real quotes.

Your rights under the FTC Funeral Rule

  • You can get an itemized General Price List when you ask about arrangements in person.
  • You can ask for prices over the phone, and the funeral home must answer.
  • You can choose only the goods and services you want, apart from the basic services fee.
  • You can buy a casket or urn elsewhere, and the funeral home can't charge you a fee for using it.
  • Embalming isn't required by law in most situations, and the funeral home must tell you so.

Ways to lower the total

The biggest savings usually come from the type of arrangement. Direct cremation and direct burial skip the viewing, embalming and most of the staff time. After that, the casket and the cemetery are the largest items.

  • Compare General Price Lists from at least two funeral homes. Prices for the same service can vary a lot within one city.
  • Buy the casket or urn from a third-party seller if it's cheaper.
  • Check whether a benefit applies. Veterans may get a VA burial allowance and a free headstone. See the VA burial benefits calculator.
  • Hold a memorial service yourself after a direct cremation, at home, a place of worship or a park. Our funeral cost guides cover more ways to save.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a funeral cost in the US?

The NFDA's 2023 survey put the national median at $8,300 for a funeral with viewing and burial, rising to $9,995 with a burial vault, and $6,280 for a funeral with viewing followed by cremation. Cemetery costs such as a plot and headstone are extra.

Is cremation cheaper than burial?

Usually, yes. A funeral with viewing and cremation had a median of $6,280 in 2023, against $8,300 for viewing and burial, and cremation avoids most cemetery costs. Direct cremation, with no viewing or service, is typically the least expensive option.

What does the funeral home's basic services fee cover?

It covers the funeral home's planning, paperwork, permits and overhead, and it's the one charge you can't decline. The NFDA's 2023 median was $2,459.

Do I have to buy a burial vault?

No state law requires one, but many cemeteries do, to stop the ground sinking. Ask the cemetery whether a simpler grave liner is allowed.

Can the funeral home refuse a casket I bought elsewhere?

No. Under the FTC Funeral Rule, a funeral home must accept a casket or urn you bought elsewhere and can't charge a handling fee for it.

Sources we checked

  1. 1.Statistics: median cost of a funeral · National Funeral Directors Association
  2. 2.The FTC Funeral Rule · Federal Trade Commission
  3. 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 readFaith & cultureJewish vs Christian Burial: Differences, Costs and ChoicesHow Jewish and Christian burial differ on timing, body preparation, caskets, cremation and flowers, typical US costs, and how interfaith families choose. 6 min readBy stateCalifornia Funeral Costs: Prices, Laws and Your RightsWhat funerals cost in California, what state law requires funeral homes to disclose, who controls arrangements, death certificate fees and help paying. 5 min readBy stateIllinois Funeral Costs: Real Prices, Laws and How to CompareWhat funerals cost in Illinois, with a June 2026 Champaign County price survey, plus the 24-hour cremation wait, funeral director rules and prepaid plans. 7 min read

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