The national median cost of a funeral with viewing and burial was $8,300 in 2023, or $9,995 with a vault. A funeral with viewing and cremation had a median of $6,280 (National Funeral Directors Association).
Those medians leave out cemetery costs, the headstone and cash advances such as flowers and obituaries, so the final bill is often higher. Under federal rules, every funeral home must give you an itemized price list so you can choose only what you want.
Typical totals
| Type | National median (2023) | Not included |
|---|---|---|
| Funeral with viewing and burial | $8,300 | Vault, cemetery plot, opening and closing the grave, headstone, cash advances |
| Same, with a vault | $9,995 | Cemetery plot, opening and closing the grave, headstone, cash advances |
| Funeral with viewing and cremation | $6,280 | Cemetery or niche for the urn, cash advances |
Source: National Funeral Directors Association, 2023 General Price List Study. The median includes a metal casket for the burial funeral, and an alternative cremation container and urn for the cremation funeral (National Funeral Directors Association). Prices vary widely by state and by funeral home.
What a funeral bill is made of
The FTC groups funeral costs in three parts (Federal Trade Commission):
- The basic services fee. The only charge you cannot decline. It covers planning, permits, copies of the death certificate, preparing notices, sheltering the body and coordinating with the cemetery or crematory.
- Other services and merchandise you choose: transporting the body, embalming and other preparation, use of the funeral home for a viewing or service, the hearse, the casket or urn, the vault, and the cremation or burial.
- Cash advances: things the funeral home buys from others for you, such as flowers, obituary notices, clergy and musicians. If the funeral home adds its own fee on top, it must tell you so in writing.
Cemetery costs, such as the plot, opening and closing the grave, and the headstone, are often paid to the cemetery or a monument dealer, not to the funeral home.
Worksheet: total the price list you were given
Copy the prices from the funeral home's General Price List. Leave a line empty if you do not want it. Nothing you type leaves this page.
Your rights when you shop
The FTC Funeral Rule applies to funeral homes. It gives you the right to (Federal Trade Commission):
- Buy only the goods and services you want, instead of a package.
- Get prices by phone, without giving your name, address or phone number.
- Get a written, itemized General Price List to keep when you visit.
- See the casket price list before you see the caskets, and the outer burial container price list.
- Use an alternative container instead of a casket for cremation.
- Bring a casket or urn bought elsewhere, without a handling fee.
- Get a written statement of everything you chose, with the price of each item and the total, before you pay.
The Rule does not cover cemeteries without an on-site funeral home, or third-party casket and monument sellers.
Ways families lower the cost
- Call two or three funeral homes and ask for the price of the same arrangement. They must tell you by phone.
- Choose direct cremation or immediate burial, with no viewing, which do not need embalming.
- Hold the memorial service elsewhere, such as a place of worship or a family home, after a direct cremation.
- Ask about benefits: the Social Security death payment of $255 (Social Security Administration), and VA burial allowances for veterans (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs).
Common questions
Can a funeral home refuse a casket I bought online?
No. Under the FTC Funeral Rule, a funeral home cannot refuse to handle a casket or urn you bought elsewhere, or charge you a fee to do it, and it cannot require you to be there when it is delivered.
Is embalming required by law?
No state law requires routine embalming for every death. Some states require embalming or refrigeration if the body is not buried or cremated within a certain time. Many funeral homes require embalming for a public viewing, but direct cremation and immediate burial do not need it.
Is a vault required?
No state law requires an outer burial container, but many cemeteries do, to keep the grave from sinking. Ask the cemetery for its rules in writing.
What help is there with funeral costs?
Social Security pays a one-time $255 death payment to a surviving spouse or some minor children. The VA pays burial allowances for many veterans: for a death on or after October 1, 2026 not related to service, up to $1,032 for burial and $1,032 for a plot, and up to $2,000 for a service-connected death after September 11, 2001.
Related guides
What to do when someone dies
A step-by-step checklist for the first hours, the first week and the first months after a death, with the official agencies to notify.
VA burial benefits
The VA burial allowance amounts for deaths on or after October 1, 2026, who can claim, the 2-year time limit and the free burial and headstone benefits.
Sources
- 2023 NFDA General Price List Study (news release), National Funeral Directors Association. Checked November 7, 2026.
- Funeral Costs and Pricing Checklist, Federal Trade Commission. Checked November 7, 2026.
- The FTC Funeral Rule, Federal Trade Commission. Checked November 7, 2026.
- What you could get from Survivor benefits, Social Security Administration. Checked November 7, 2026.
- Veterans burial allowance and transportation benefits, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Checked November 7, 2026.
This guide explains general rules. It is not medical, legal or financial advice for your situation. Program rules and amounts change, usually each January (Medicare and Medicaid) and each October (VA). Confirm details with the agency or a qualified professional before you decide. See our editorial policy.