How to Budget for a Funeral: A Simple Cost Checklist

One-screen summary

Who it’s for: Anyone arranging a funeral now (or pre-planning) who wants a clear, non-judgmental way to control costs.
What decision it supports: What kind of funeral/service you’re choosing—and what you’ll pay for (and what you won’t).
How to use it: Follow the flowchart, then fill the printable checklist before you agree to any package.

Should I choose burial or cremation if I’m budgeting?

Start with one decision, because everything else stacks on top of it:

Burial usually adds cemetery-related costs (plot, opening/closing, vault/liner rules, marker).
Cremation can be direct cremation (simplest) or cremation with viewing/ceremony (more moving parts).

For context, the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) reported a national median in 2023 of $8,300 for a funeral with viewing and burial and $6,280 for a funeral with viewing and cremation (excluding cemetery costs and other add-ons). (nfda.org)

Also, cremation is becoming the default choice in many places: NFDA projects the U.S. cremation rate at 63.4% in 2025 versus 31.6% burial, reaching 82.3% by 2045. (nfda.org)

The 60-second flowchart (pick your “base plan”)

START
  |
  |-- Do you need a cemetery gravesite? ---- Yes --> BURIAL PATH
  |                                         |
  |                                         No
  |
  |-- Do you want any viewing/ceremony at the funeral home? -- Yes --> SERVICE PATH
  |                                                           |
  |                                                           No --> DIRECT CREMATION PATH

What each path usually implies

DIRECT CREMATION PATH: minimal services + cremation + simple container/urn + paperwork
SERVICE PATH (burial or cremation): adds staff time + facility use + embalming/body prep + vehicles + printed materials
BURIAL PATH: adds cemetery fees and rules (often the hardest part to “ballpark” without calling the cemetery)

If you’re deciding between packages, ask for itemized prices first

In the U.S., the FTC’s Funeral Rule is designed to make comparison possible. One line worth keeping in front of you:

“Under the FTC’s Funeral Rule, consumers have the right to get a general price list from a funeral provider…” (ftc.gov)

That “general price list” (often called a GPL) is your budgeting anchor—because it turns an emotional conversation into line items. (ftc.gov)

Simple cost checklist (what to write down, every time)

Think in three buckets: funeral home, crematory/cemetery, and “cash advances” (third-party charges handled for you).

A) Funeral home (services + coordination)

Basic services fee (often non-declinable)
Transfer/removal of the deceased
Refrigeration (if applicable)
Embalming (only if you choose it / if required for a specific plan)
Preparation for viewing
Facility/staff for viewing
Facility/staff for ceremony
Hearse/service vehicle(s)
Printed materials (programs, memorial cards)

B) Disposition fees (cremation or burial)

Cremation
- Cremation fee
- Alternative container (for cremation)
- Urn
Burial
- Cemetery plot/right of interment
- Opening/closing
- Vault/liner (if the cemetery requires it)
- Marker/monument and installation fees

C) “Cash advances” (often overlooked)

Printable decision aid: the “Funeral Budget One-Pager”

Print this or copy it into a notes app. The goal is simple: one page, one total, no surprises.

Line item	Required? (Y/N)	Who bills it? (Funeral home / Cemetery / Other)	Amount	Notes / alternatives
Base plan (choose one path)				Direct cremation / Service / Burial
Basic services fee				Ask what’s included
Transfer/removal
Refrigeration
Embalming/body prep				Only if you choose viewing
Facility + staff (viewing/ceremony)				Time limits?
Vehicle(s)				Can you skip extra cars?
Cremation fee OR cemetery fees				Cemetery: ask about vault rules
Container/casket/urn				Choose a simpler option
Death certificates/permits				How many copies do you need?
Total

The three biggest “budget levers” (without cutting meaning)

Service time and staffing: Viewing + ceremony = more facility time and coordination. If that’s important, keep other categories simple.
Container choices: Casket/container/urn decisions can swing totals quickly; decide your “good enough” standard early.
Cemetery rules (burial): Many surprises live here (vault/liner, installation, opening/closing). Ask the cemetery for its fee list before you commit.

NFDA’s 2023 study also noted inflation rose 13.6% over two years, while its measured median funeral costs rose 5.8% (burial) and 8.1% (cremation with viewing) over that same span—useful as a reminder that prices move, but your choices still matter. (nfda.org)

Quick recap

Pick a base plan: direct cremation, service, or burial
Get the funeral home’s itemized price list (GPL) before choosing a package (ftc.gov)
List cemetery/crematory fees separately (they’re a different bill)
Fill the one-pager and total it once before signing anything
Use the three levers: service time, container choice, cemetery rules