In this guide
Based on the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) 2023 survey, a funeral with viewing and burial has a national median of roughly US$8,000, and a funeral with viewing and cremation roughly US$6,000. Cemetery plot, headstone and many outside charges are usually extra, so real totals vary a lot by state and provider.
Reviewed November 2026. Read how we write and update guides in our editorial policy.
Families usually search for this number in the first hours after a death, when they are tired and need to decide quickly. This guide gives the public benchmark, explains what a funeral bill is made of, and shows how to ask for prices so that the first number you hear is closer to the last one.
What the national numbers say
The NFDA surveys its member funeral homes and publishes median prices. A median means half of the funeral homes charge less and half charge more. In the 2023 survey, the median for a funeral with viewing and burial was roughly US$8,000, up a few percent from the 2021 survey. A funeral with viewing and cremation had a median of roughly US$6,000.
| Type of service | National median (NFDA, 2023 survey) | Usually not in that figure |
|---|---|---|
| Funeral with viewing and burial | Roughly US$8,000 | Cemetery plot and opening, headstone, flowers, obituary |
| Funeral with viewing and cremation | Roughly US$6,000 | Urn upgrades, memorial items, outside fees |
These are national medians, not prices from any specific provider. A large city on the coast and a small town in the middle of the country can be several thousand dollars apart. Consumer groups and state agencies publish their own surveys, and numbers differ by method. Use the figures as a reference point, and then ask for the General Price List of each funeral home you are considering.
Estimates are for general information only. They are not a quote or an offer. Final costs depend on the providers, the airline, the destination and the family's choices. Eternimax coordinates services through licensed funeral providers. We are not a funeral establishment, and we do not provide legal or immigration advice.
What is inside a funeral bill
Funeral homes price their services as separate lines. Knowing the lines helps you decide what you need.
- Basic services fee. Planning the arrangements, permits, coordination with the cemetery or crematory and overhead. This fee is normally not optional.
- Transfer of the body from the hospital or home to the funeral home, and later to the cemetery or airport.
- Preparation of the body. Washing, dressing, cosmetic work and, when requested or needed, embalming performed by the licensed provider. Embalming is not always necessary; ask when it applies to your situation, and whether travel or a viewing changes the answer.
- Viewing, visitation or ceremony. Use of the facility and staff, per day or per event.
- Casket or container. Prices range widely, from a simple alternative container to a premium casket.
- Hearse and other vehicles.
- Burial vault or grave liner. Many cemeteries require one so the ground does not sink. The requirement comes from the cemetery, so ask the cemetery directly.
- Cash-advance items. Things the funeral home pays on your behalf, such as certified death certificates, clergy honorarium, flowers, obituary notices and musicians.
Cemetery costs are often billed by the cemetery rather than the funeral home: the plot, opening and closing of the grave, perpetual care and the marker. Together they can equal or exceed the funeral home bill, so ask for both quotes before you decide.
Your rights under the FTC Funeral Rule
The Federal Trade Commission's Funeral Rule applies to funeral providers in the United States. In plain terms, it gives you the right to:
- Get prices by phone. A funeral home must give you price information over the phone if you ask.
- Receive a General Price List (GPL) in writing to keep, when you ask in person about arrangements or prices.
- Choose only what you want. You can buy individual goods and services instead of a package, except for the basic services fee.
- Use a casket from another seller. The funeral home must accept it and cannot charge you a handling fee.
- Receive a written, itemized statement of everything you selected before you pay.
Prices in the GPL are the same for every family. If a quote does not match the list, ask why.
How to compare funeral homes
- Call at least two or three providers and ask for the GPL by email or in person. Write down the date and who answered.
- Compare the same service on each: for example, "direct burial" or "service with viewing and graveside".
- Ask what is included in the basic services fee and what the casket or container price covers.
- Ask for cemetery fees separately, and ask whether the cemetery requires a vault or liner.
- Ask for an itemized total, including cash-advance items and taxes, before you sign.
- Say your budget out loud. Many funeral homes can suggest a simpler option when they know the limit.
A written itemized total is strong protection against a price that grows. If anything on the final statement is new, ask what it covers before you agree.
Common mistakes
- Deciding on the first call. Grief makes a fast yes feel easier. A short pause to compare two providers is normal, and any reputable funeral home will understand it.
- Buying a package you do not need. Packages bundle items. Under the FTC Funeral Rule you can ask for the individual lines instead.
- Forgetting the cemetery. The funeral home bill and the cemetery bill are often two separate bills.
- Ordering too few death certificates. Banks, employers and agencies each ask for a certified copy. Ordering extra at the start is cheaper than ordering again.
- Not saying who pays. If several relatives share the cost, agree on one contact person so the funeral home does not receive conflicting instructions.
- Paying cash-advance items twice. Ask whether flowers, notices and clergy fees are already in the statement.
When the funeral will be in another country
If the person will be buried in Latin America or Spain, the cost structure changes. You still pay a U.S. funeral home for the transfer, preparation and documents, and then you add a sealed shipping container, certified paperwork and apostilles, air cargo, and a funeral home at the destination. Our guide to repatriation costs shows each component and what drives the price. If the family prefers to cremate in the U.S. first, read about cremation costs in the US and the choice between shipping the body or ashes.
For country-specific steps, see our guides for Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras.
How Eternimax helps
Eternimax is not a funeral home and not an insurance company. We are a U.S. company that coordinates international funeral services for Latino families. One coordinator speaks with the independent licensed providers on both sides, explains each line of the quote in plain English or Spanish, and keeps you updated in writing. We do not set the funeral home's prices; you receive each provider's own price list and decide.
If you want a second pair of eyes on a quote, or you need to move a loved one to another country, you can contact us and a coordinator will go over your situation with you. Separately, Eternimax also offers a membership for coordination in the country where a loved one lives.
Talk with a coordinator. One call. One coordinator. We assist in English and Spanish. +1 (866) 978-5207 · Write to us
Frequently asked questions
How much does a funeral cost in the US?
The National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) reported a national median of roughly US$8,000 for a funeral with viewing and burial, and roughly US$6,000 for a funeral with viewing and cremation, in its 2023 survey. Cemetery property, a headstone and many third-party charges are usually extra, so the total a family pays is often higher.
Do I have the right to see prices before I decide?
Yes. The FTC Funeral Rule gives you the right to receive an itemized General Price List in writing, and to get prices by phone. You can choose only the goods and services you want.
Why is the final bill higher than the first number I heard?
The headline figure often covers only the professional services and a basic casket or container. Cemetery fees, flowers, death certificates, clergy, transportation and upgrades are commonly added later. Ask for an itemized statement that lists them all.
Can I buy a casket somewhere else?
Under the FTC Funeral Rule, funeral homes must accept a casket you bought from another seller and cannot charge a handling fee for it. Compare the price and the delivery time first.
What if the funeral will be in another country?
Then the costs follow a different structure: preparation, a sealed container, documents, air cargo and a funeral home at the destination. See our guide to repatriation costs for what drives the price.
Is Eternimax a funeral home?
No. Eternimax is a coordination company. We work with independent licensed funeral providers, and the funeral home you choose gives you its own price list. Eternimax is not an insurance company.
Official sources
- National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) — Statistics
- NFDA — 2023 General Price List Study news release
- Federal Trade Commission — Funeral Rule
- FTC Consumer Advice — Funerals: Your Rights
Links to the official sources. Requirements change: always check the current version.
General information
This guide is general information. It is not legal, medical, immigration or tax advice and does not replace a professional licensed in your jurisdiction. Requirements, timelines and costs are determined by the providers and authorities in each case and may change. Eternimax coordinates between the parties and does not itself perform funeral or other regulated services.
