the Cost of Funeral Homes

A traditional funeral, referred to by the funeral home as a "full-service funeral" on a non-weekend day. This included transportation of the remains to the funeral home ($300 plus extra mileage), the embalming and dressing (about 1,000), a room for the viewing for one non-weekend day as well as a room for food/refreshments on the day of the viewing (over 1,000), a small room seating abot thirty or the "chapel" for the funeral services ( about 1,200), transportation from the services to the burial site by hearse ($200), the burial (1,600), the burial vault (about 1,000), and the casket (about 3,500). Other services we were charged for included the flowers for the funeral and viewing (about $800), and basic funeral staff services, and little things like the memorial cards and other odds and ends.

This funeral was partially pre-paid using a payment plan. The price of $11,000 did not include the plot or the headstone. The plot was an additional $3,000 and the headstone, or "bronze plaque" was just under $1,000.

After all was said and done, the total cost of the funeral (going just to the funeral home) was about $15,000. This was "a deal."

Our family was initially VERY unhappy about the embalming and viewing services provided. While we understood that she would not look anywhere near the same, the embalming services were so poor that our family did not recognize our loved one at all. The wax that was used could too easily been seen and terribly stood out. The very specific instructions of how we wanted her to look were completely ignored. During the viewing, we had to share our "private" room for refreshments due to over-booking on the funeral home's part. The quiet, contemplative environment we were promised was destroyed by the overflow of family members caused by the over-booking. The entire building was filled beyond capacity with the funeral home unable and unwilling to take charge.

The funeral and burial, however, were conducted with level of dignity and respect we had hoped (and paid) for. The staff managed to pull it together and give our loved one the funeral that she so deserved. The funeral and burial were worth the money. The rest of the services definitely were not.

Be firm and make sure to insist on a meeting with the funeral director if you are unhappy. If your concerns and complaints are legitimate, the funeral home will make concessions. Although convenient, you do not have to buy your flowers from the funeral home, and will save an enormous amount of money and get more beautiful flowers if you go elsewhere. Packages are also convenient, but include a lot that your loved one may not need (or even have wanted). If it works for your family and does not go against the final wishes of your loved one, non-weekend funerals cost significantly less.