How to choose a funeral home

Start with two or three homes

Pick two or three funeral homes near where the service or burial will be, and call each one. Prices for the same service can differ by thousands of dollars in the same town, so one phone call to each is worth it.

Our directory lists the prices we have on file for many homes. Treat them as a starting point and confirm the current price when you call.

What to ask when you call

Ask the same questions of each home so you can compare:

• What does direct cremation include, and what does it cost in total?
• What is the basic services fee, and is it already in the package price?
• Which charges are cash advances paid to others, such as the cemetery, the crematory, death certificates or an obituary notice?
• Can the family view the body before cremation, and is there a charge?
• How soon can the home pick up the body, and is there an extra fee at night or on weekends?
• Is there parking at the home, and is the chapel wheelchair accessible?
• Does the home help with veterans benefits or military honors?

Your rights under the FTC Funeral Rule

A federal rule from the Federal Trade Commission protects you when you buy funeral goods and services. In plain terms:

• You can ask for prices over the phone, and the home has to give them.
• When you ask about arrangements in person, the home has to give you its general price list in writing to keep.
• You can buy only the goods and services you want. The basic services fee is the one charge most homes may require.
• You can see the casket and outer burial container price lists before you look at the products.
• You can use a casket or urn bought somewhere else, and the home cannot charge you a fee for doing so.
• For direct cremation, the home has to offer an unfinished wood box or another simple container. A casket is not required.
• Embalming is not required by law in most cases. If a home says it is, ask which law requires it.
• Before you pay, you should get a written statement listing everything you chose and its price.

Before you decide

Ask for the written price list and compare totals, not single line items. A low package price can leave out charges that another home includes.

If you are planning ahead, ask what happens to prepaid money if the home closes or changes owners, and whether you can move the plan to another home.

Where obituaries are posted

Most funeral homes post obituaries and service times on their own website, usually under an “Obituaries” or “Tributes” page. Local newspapers and Legacy.com often carry them too. A home's profile on FuneralUS links to its website when we have one.