Funeral Cost Calculator
| Type | Median | What it excludes |
|---|---|---|
| Burial with viewing | $8,300 | plot, marker, vault, cemetery fees |
| Cremation with viewing | $6,280 | cemetery, urn upgrades |
| Memorial only | ~$4,000 | venue/catering beyond basics |
| Direct cremation | $1,500-3,000 | everything - family holds the memorial |
The average funeral in America costs more than most families budget for any single event except a wedding — and it gets bought in the worst possible frame: grief, time pressure, and a sales floor. The industry's own numbers say a funeral with viewing and burial runs about $8,300 at the median before the cemetery plot and headstone, and a cremation with viewing about $6,280. What most price-shock stories leave out is that a federal rule has been on your side since 1984.
The FTC Funeral Rule gives every family three levers most people never hear about: the funeral home must hand you an itemized general price list if you ask (in person or by phone), you may supply your own casket — an online or warehouse one — and they may not charge a handling fee for it, and embalming cannot be performed or charged without explicit permission except in the rare cases a state law requires it. Families who use the itemized list and decline the package pricing routinely trim a fifth or more off the number this calculator starts from.
How to use
- Pick the service type closest to the plan: burial with viewing, cremation with a memorial, direct cremation, or a celebration-only gathering — the medians differ by thousands.
- Add the guest count for the reception line: catering and venue for a gathered meal is the part families consistently underbudget, and it scales with people, not with the casket.
- Take the band to the funeral home and ask for the itemized general price list by name — the call itself is a right under the Funeral Rule, and comparing two homes' lists line by line is the whole game.
Frequently asked questions
How much does an average funeral cost in 2026?
The NFDA's most recent member price study put the median at about $8,300 for a funeral with viewing and burial, and about $6,280 for viewing plus cremation — both before the cemetery plot, marker, orvault for a burial. Direct cremation, where the family handles the memorial separately, typically lands between $1,500 and $3,000, which is why its share keeps climbing.
What is the FTC Funeral Rule and does it still apply?
It is the federal rule that has governed funeral pricing since 1984: funeral homes must give an itemized general price list on request, must quote prices over the phone with no name required, cannot require you to buy a casket for direct cremation, cannot charge a fee when you bring your own casket, and cannot embalm without permission unless state law requires it. It applies to every funeral home in the country and shows no sign of going anywhere.
Is embalming legally required?
Almost never. No federal law requires it, and only in rare, specific circumstances does a state require it (usually after certain contagious diseases or after a multi-day waiting period). A body kept refrigerated can usually skip it entirely — for a direct cremation or a quick burial it is a line item to strike, not a given.
What is the cheapest legal send-off?
Direct cremation with a family-held memorial: the cremation itself runs in the low thousands, the urn or container is a fraction of casket pricing, and the gathering — a hall, a park, a house — costs whatever you choose to spend. Cemetery costs are the wildcard in burials: plot, opening and closing, marker, and perpetual care can add several thousand dollars no funeral home quote includes.
Does insurance or veterans' benefits cover any of this?
A prepaid plan or life policy covers what it covers — but verify the payout timing, because funeral bills are due in days and policies can take weeks. Veterans earn a burial allowance, a grave space in a national cemetery, and a marker in many cases: the VA's burial benefits page lists current amounts. Social Security pays a small one-time death benefit to eligible family members only.