Free tool · Planning a Funeral
Funeral Planning Timeline
Enter the date of death and the service date to get a day-by-day plan for a funeral, from the first calls to the day itself. Tasks that count back from the service are spaced out when there's time and marked tight when there isn't. The timing is a suggestion, so move anything to fit your funeral home, venue and family.
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- Private: nothing you enter leaves your device
- Figures checked Sep 30, 2026
Your timeline
Enter the dates and the kind of service. The plan fills in below and saves on this device.
Leave blank if it isn't set yet.
Your day-by-day plan
Tick tasks off as you go. The timing is a suggestion, not a legal deadline.
Enter the date of death above and your plan will appear here.
Service-day schedule
Set the start time, then change any length. The lengths are placeholders, so ask your funeral home or venue how long each part usually takes.
| Family arrives, private time before the service | 10:30 AM to 11:00 AM |
|---|---|
| Funeral or memorial service | 11:00 AM to 11:45 AM |
| Procession to the cemetery | 11:45 AM to 12:05 PM |
| Committal at the cemetery | 12:05 PM to 12:25 PM |
| Gathering afterward | 12:25 PM to 1:55 PM |
Plan progress
0 of 22
tasks done. Enter the date of death to start.
The order and spacing of tasks are planning suggestions, not legal deadlines. Timing also depends on your state's paperwork, the venue, the cemetery or crematory, your faith tradition and who needs to travel. Your funeral director can tell you what applies where you live.
How the timeline works
Every task is timed from one of two dates. First-week tasks, such as choosing a funeral home and ordering death certificates, count forward from the date of death. Tasks about the service, such as the obituary, the program and the final confirmation calls, count back from the service date. The tool never puts a task before the death.
If the service comes sooner than the usual spacing allows, the tool moves the affected tasks to the earliest day that fits and marks them "tight." A tight plan isn't a problem on its own. It means more things happen on the same day, so ask the funeral home which ones it can take on.
The dates and task order are planning suggestions. They aren't legal deadlines, and the tool doesn't know your state's rules. Your progress is saved in this browser only, so use the print button if you want to share the plan.
What to do in the first two days
- Choose a funeral home or crematory and ask it to care for the person. Ask for its prices over the phone first.
- Tell close family, and agree who will make decisions and who will make the calls.
- Look for a will, written funeral wishes, a prepaid funeral plan, a cemetery deed and any life insurance papers.
- Meet the funeral director. Ask for the General Price List, choose only what you want and get an itemized statement in writing before you pay.
- Set the date with the venue, officiant and cemetery or crematory, and order certified death certificates. For the full list of what comes next, use the after-death checklist.
If the person served in the military, find the discharge papers early. The funeral home and the VA will both ask for them. The VA burial benefits calculator shows what may be available.
What decides how soon a funeral can be held
No single number of days is right for every family. These are the things that usually set the date:
- Paperwork. The death certificate has to be completed and filed, and a burial or cremation permit issued, before the funeral home can proceed. The funeral home handles this and knows your state's process.
- Cremation rules. Cremation needs a signed authorization from the person with legal authority. Some states may set rules such as a waiting period, so ask the crematory.
- Venue and cemetery availability. Weekends and holidays fill up and can cost more. See planning a funeral during the holidays.
- Faith and family customs. Some traditions prefer burial very soon after death, and others wait for family to gather. Your faith leader can tell you what your tradition asks for.
- Travel. Guests who are flying in need notice, and a few extra days can let more people attend. A memorial after cremation can be held weeks later.
If you don't want to hurry, ask the funeral home whether it can hold a service later and hold the person in its care in the meantime. Some families also do a small private gathering first and a larger memorial later.
What the arrangement does to the cost
The type of arrangement you choose sets both the tasks and most of the cost. These are the national median prices from the National Funeral Directors Association's 2023 survey. They cover the funeral home only, not cemetery charges, cash advance items or taxes.
| Arrangement (NFDA 2023 median) | Funeral home total |
|---|---|
| Funeral with viewing and burial, metal casket | $8,300 |
| The same, with a burial vault | $9,995 |
| Funeral with viewing and cremation | $6,280 |
Under the FTC Funeral Rule you can choose only the items you want, and the funeral home must accept a casket or urn you bought elsewhere. For a line-by-line estimate, use the funeral cost calculator.
Frequently asked questions
How long after a death is a funeral held?
What should I do first after someone dies?
Can I compare funeral homes before I decide?
Does the body have to be embalmed?
Is there a deadline to claim the VA burial allowance?
Sources we checked
- 1.The FTC Funeral Rule · Federal Trade Commission
- 2.Shopping for Funeral Services · Federal Trade Commission
- 3.Statistics: median cost of a funeral · National Funeral Directors Association
- 4.Veterans burial allowance and transportation reimbursement · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
- 5.Survivors benefits · Social Security Administration
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.
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