FAQs: Funeral Costs

1. How much does a funeral cost?
 
2. Why are funerals so expensive?
 
3. What happens if I have a problem with how a funeral was handled?
 

Question #1How much does a funeral cost?
Answer:The cost of a funeral depends entirely on your wishes for the funeral. Funeral costs are made up of professional services, charges for transporting the body and presentation of the body, casket costs, vehicle charges, and fees for the doctor, minister, or cremation. Personalizing a funeral is also a factor in the cost. While we have many options to help you memorialize your loved one in a meaningful way, those options all have costs attached.

Question #2Why are funerals so expensive?
Answer:Funerals are expensive because they require a lot of work from a lot of people. Funeral directors spend as much as 40 hours working on a single funeral. The funeral home needs to operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to ensure that we’re available when a death occurs. Funeral costs also include merchandise such as the casket or the urn and services such as processing of paperwork, florists and placing the obituary in the newspaper.

Question #3What happens if I have a problem with how a funeral was handled?
Answer:We take pride in caring for the families who trust us during this difficult time. However, sometimes things can go wrong, and if they do, you are not alone. Funeral service in the U.S. is regulated by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and state licensing boards.

If a problem occurs, first discuss it with the funeral director. If it can’t be resolved, contact the FTC Consumer Response Center.

Consumer Response Center, Federal Trade Commission
600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC  20580

www.ftc.gov

1-877-FTC-HELP (382-4357).