A traditional funeral and burial in the United States commonly costs somewhere between $8,000 and $15,000 in total, and can go well beyond that in expensive regions or with premium choices. The total is made up of two separate bills: one from the funeral home (services, preparation, casket) and one from the cemetery (plot, opening and closing, vault, marker). Seeing each line item on its own makes it much easier to decide where to spend and where to save.
The two sides of a burial bill
Families often expect one price, but a burial usually involves at least two businesses:
- The funeral home handles transportation of the deceased, paperwork, preparation, any viewing or service, and the hearse. It also typically sells caskets.
- The cemetery sells the grave or crypt and charges for the burial itself, plus any vault, marker installation and ongoing care.
Some large memorial parks run their own funeral home on site, which can simplify planning but still produces separate line items. Browse memorial parks and municipal cemeteries to compare the cemeteries near you.
Line-by-line costs
The ranges below are approximate and meant to help you read a price list. Actual prices vary a great deal by region and provider.
Funeral home charges
| Item | Approximate range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Basic services fee | $2,000 to $3,500 | Non-declinable fee covering planning, permits, overhead |
| Transfer of remains to funeral home | $300 to $600 | More for long distances |
| Embalming | $500 to $1,000 | Not required by law in most situations; may be required for a public viewing by the funeral home's policy |
| Other preparation (dressing, cosmetology) | $200 to $400 | |
| Viewing or visitation | $400 to $1,000 | Per day or per event |
| Funeral ceremony at funeral home or church | $500 to $1,500 | Staff and facility |
| Hearse | $300 to $600 | |
| Service car or limousine | $150 to $400 | Optional |
| Casket | $1,000 to $5,000+ | Metal and hardwood models can exceed $10,000 |
Cemetery charges
| Item | Approximate range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Burial plot | $1,000 to $5,000 | Can reach $10,000 to $25,000+ in major cities |
| Opening and closing the grave | $600 to $3,000 | Higher on weekends and holidays |
| Outer burial container (vault or liner) | $700 to $3,000+ | Basic concrete liners cost less than sealed vaults |
| Headstone or marker | $500 to $5,000+ | Upright monuments cost more than flat markers |
| Marker setting or foundation fee | $150 to $800 | |
| Perpetual care | Often built into plot price | Sometimes a separate charge |
For more detail on plot pricing, see How Much Does a Cemetery Plot Cost?.
Your rights under the FTC Funeral Rule
The Federal Trade Commission's Funeral Rule gives consumers several important protections when dealing with funeral homes:
- You have the right to receive a written, itemized General Price List when you ask in person about arrangements, and to get price information by phone.
- You can choose only the goods and services you want, apart from the basic services fee, rather than being required to buy a package.
- You can buy a casket or urn elsewhere (online, from a retailer or a monument dealer), and the funeral home must accept it without charging a handling fee.
- The funeral home cannot claim that embalming or a particular casket is required by law when it is not, and must disclose in writing when embalming is not required.
- You are entitled to an itemized statement of the goods and services you selected before you pay.
The Funeral Rule applies to funeral providers. Cemeteries that do not also sell funeral services are regulated mostly under state law, so ask the cemetery for its written price list as well.
Is a burial vault required?
No federal or state law generally requires an outer burial container, but many cemeteries require one in their rules. The reason is practical: a vault or liner keeps the ground from sinking as a casket deteriorates, which makes the grounds safer and easier to mow. If a vault is required, ask whether a basic concrete grave liner satisfies the rule. It is usually far less expensive than a sealed or decorative vault.
Some cemeteries, particularly green cemeteries and natural burial grounds, do not use vaults at all.
Where families commonly save money
- Compare General Price Lists. Prices for the same service can differ by thousands of dollars between funeral homes in the same town.
- Consider a direct burial. The funeral home transports the body and handles burial shortly after death, without embalming or a viewing. A memorial service can be held separately, at a church or at home.
- Buy the casket elsewhere. Third-party caskets are often cheaper, and the funeral home must accept them.
- Choose a simpler vault or liner where the cemetery allows it.
- Schedule on a weekday. Weekend and holiday interments typically carry a surcharge.
- Check veterans benefits. Eligible veterans can be buried in a VA national cemetery at no cost for the gravesite, opening and closing, liner, headstone or marker, and perpetual care. See our veterans cemeteries directory.
- Look at a less expensive cemetery. Municipal and church cemeteries are often more affordable than private memorial parks.
Burial compared with cremation
Cremation is usually less expensive, especially direct cremation with no service. Burial costs more mainly because of the plot, the opening and closing, the vault and the casket. If cost is a deciding factor, Burial vs Cremation compares the two options side by side, including cremation with burial of the urn.
Paying for a burial
Families typically pay through some mix of savings, life insurance, a pre-need funeral contract, or a payable-on-death bank account. Social Security pays a one-time lump-sum death benefit of $255 to an eligible surviving spouse or child. Some states, counties and religious or fraternal organizations also offer assistance for families with limited means; the funeral home or county social services office can usually point you in the right direction.
Prices change and vary by region, so treat these figures as a guide and confirm every cost in writing before you sign.