Free tool · Green & Alternative Options

Green Funeral Calculator

Compare the cost of conventional burial, flame cremation, green burial and aquamation side by side. Burial and cremation are pre-filled with the NFDA's 2023 national medians ($8,300 for burial with a viewing, $6,280 for cremation with a viewing). No reliable national price exists for green burial or aquamation, so you enter your own quotes.

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Figures checked Sep 30, 2026

Compare your options

Enter the quotes you have for each option. Leave an option blank if you aren't considering it.

Conventional burial

A manufactured casket, usually an outer burial container the cemetery requires, and embalming if there is a viewing. The grave occupies a cemetery plot permanently.

Funeral home and casket

Pre-filled with the NFDA 2023 median for a funeral with viewing and burial in a metal casket, without a vault.

Plot, opening and closing, marker

Not included in the NFDA figure. Enter the cemetery's quote.

Flame cremation

Uses fuel for the cremation itself. No law requires a casket (an alternative container is enough), and no grave is needed, though ashes may still be buried or placed in a niche.

Funeral home, cremation and urn

Pre-filled with the NFDA 2023 median for a funeral with viewing and cremation. Direct cremation with no viewing or service usually costs less, so replace it with your quote.

Niche, urn burial or scattering fees

Enter 0 if you will keep or scatter the ashes at no charge.

Green (natural) burial

No embalming, a biodegradable casket or shroud, and no burial vault, in a burial ground that allows it.

Funeral home or provider, container or shroud

No reliable national median exists. Enter the total from your quote, including any funeral home fees.

Plot and burial fees

Green burial grounds set their own plot and opening fees. Conservation grounds use burial fees to fund land protection.

Aquamation (alkaline hydrolysis)

Water, alkaline chemicals and heat instead of flame. Uses significantly less fuel than flame cremation, but is legal in only some states.

Provider, container and urn

No reliable national median exists. Enter the total from your quote.

Niche, urn burial or scattering fees

Enter 0 if you will keep or scatter the ashes at no charge.

Estimated total

Not yet

Enter a quote for each cost line, or 0 if it doesn't apply, to complete an option. Pre-filled amounts are national medians and your area may differ.

Estimated total by option
Conventional burialNeeds: Plot, opening and closing, marker	Incomplete
Flame cremationNeeds: Niche, urn burial or scattering fees	Incomplete
Green (natural) burialNeeds both cost lines	Incomplete
Aquamation (alkaline hydrolysis)Needs both cost lines	Incomplete

Medians come from the NFDA 2023 General Price List Study. They exclude cemetery charges, cash-advance items such as death certificates and flowers, and taxes. NFDA publishes no national median for green burial or aquamation, so those start blank.

This tool compares cost only. It doesn't score carbon, because we couldn't verify a single per-funeral figure from an official source. See the comparison below.

How the four options compare for the environment

A green funeral is one with less environmental impact. The Green Burial Council describes green burial as a way of caring for the dead with minimal environmental impact that conserves natural resources, reduces carbon emissions and protects or restores habitat. The table sums up what each option involves. It doesn't give carbon numbers, because published estimates depend on the equipment and assumptions used and we couldn't verify a single figure from an official source.

Option	What it involves	Good to know
Conventional burial	Casket, embalming if there is a viewing, usually an outer burial container, and a permanent cemetery plot.	No state law requires an outer burial container. Cemeteries often require one to stop the grave collapsing.
Flame cremation	Fuel to cremate. Uses little cemetery land.	No law requires a casket. An alternative container of unfinished wood, pressed wood, fiberboard or cardboard is enough.
Green burial	No embalming, a biodegradable casket or shroud, and no burial vault.	You need a cemetery that allows it. The Green Burial Council recognizes hybrid, natural and conservation burial grounds.
Aquamation	Water, alkaline chemicals and heat, leaving bone fragments and a neutral liquid.	The Cremation Association of North America says it uses significantly less fuel and has a lower carbon footprint than both cremation and burial. It is legal in 26 states as of March 2026.

Interest is growing. The NFDA reports that 61.4% of consumers in 2025 said they would be interested in exploring green funeral options, up from 55.7% in 2021.

What each option costs

The NFDA's 2023 General Price List Study gives national medians for conventional burial and cremation. They cover the funeral home only. Cemetery charges, cash-advance items such as death certificates and flowers, and taxes are extra.

Arrangement (NFDA 2023 median)	Funeral home total
Funeral with viewing and burial (metal casket, no vault)	$8,300
Same, with a burial vault	$9,995
Funeral with viewing and cremation	$6,280

We couldn't find a national median for green burial or aquamation, so the calculator leaves those lines blank. Prices depend on the provider, the burial ground and your state. Ask for a written quote from each, and compare them with the same scope of service, for example with or without a viewing. For a full line-by-line estimate of a conventional funeral, use the funeral cost calculator.

Questions to ask before you choose

Does the cemetery allow burial without a vault, without embalming and in a biodegradable container or shroud?
Is the burial ground certified by the Green Burial Council, and is it a hybrid, natural or conservation ground?
Is aquamation legal and offered in your state? The list of states changes, so check with a local provider.
Will a funeral home charge its basic services fee, or can the burial ground or provider handle everything?
What does the quote include and exclude: transport, permits, the container, the plot, opening and closing, and a marker?

Not sure which type of service suits your family? Try the funeral type finder, or compare the two most common choices in the cremation vs burial calculator.

Frequently asked questions

What is a green funeral?

A green funeral is one designed to have minimal environmental impact. In practice, green burial means no embalming, a biodegradable casket or shroud, and no burial vault. Aquamation is another option that uses less fuel than flame cremation.

How much does a green funeral cost?

There is no reliable national median for green burial or aquamation. The NFDA's 2023 medians cover conventional funerals only: $8,300 for burial with a viewing and $6,280 for cremation with a viewing. Get written quotes for each option, including the plot or niche.

Is embalming required by law?

No state law requires routine embalming for every death, according to the FTC. Refrigeration may be acceptable, and arrangements such as direct cremation or an immediate burial don't need it. Some situations, such as a public viewing, may lead a funeral home to recommend it.

Do I have to buy a burial vault?

No state law requires one anywhere in the US, according to the FTC. Many cemeteries require an outer burial container anyway to prevent the grave collapsing. Green burial grounds don't use vaults.

What is aquamation, and is it legal where I live?

Aquamation, also called alkaline hydrolysis, uses water, alkaline chemicals and heat to speed natural decomposition, leaving bone fragments and a neutral liquid. The Cremation Association of North America reports it is legal in 26 states as of March 2026. Check your state's current rules with a local provider.

Is cremation or burial better for the environment?

It depends, and estimates vary with the equipment and assumptions used. Conventional burial uses a casket, often a vault and cemetery land. Flame cremation uses fuel. Green burial and aquamation are designed to reduce those impacts.

Sources we checked

1.Statistics: median cost of a funeral and cremation and burial rates · National Funeral Directors Association
2.The FTC Funeral Rule · Federal Trade Commission
3.What is green burial? · Green Burial Council
4.Alkaline hydrolysis · Cremation Association of North America

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

Green optionsConservation Cemetery: How It Works, Costs and RulesWhat a conservation cemetery is, how it differs from other green burial grounds, the rules it follows, typical costs and how to arrange a burial. 4 min read BurialBurial Options Explained: Types, Costs and How to ChooseThe main burial options in the US, from in-ground and direct burial to mausoleums, green burial, home burial and burial at sea, with costs, rules and FAQs. 8 min read Green optionsGreen Burial Council: What Its Certification Means and How to Check a ProviderWhat the Green Burial Council certifies, how its hybrid, natural and conservation cemetery levels differ, and how to check whether a provider is certified. 5 min read Green optionsEco-Friendly Caskets: Materials, Costs and How to ChooseWhat counts as an eco-friendly casket, the main materials from pine to willow to mushroom, what they cost, and what cemeteries and crematories require. 6 min read

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