Guide · First two weeks
Funeral planning checklist
How to plan a funeral or memorial without overpaying. Required choices, optional services, and what FTC rules entitle you to.
A funeral home must give you an itemized General Price List under the FTC Funeral Rule. Choose burial or cremation, pick the service style, and decline package bundling so you only pay for what you want. National median costs range from about $7,000 for burial to $5,000 for cremation with a service.
Step by step
Decide burial or cremation
Cremation runs roughly $1,000 to $3,000. Traditional burial with a casket and plot averages $7,000 to $12,000 nationally.
Request the General Price List
Under the FTC Funeral Rule, every funeral home must give you an itemized General Price List on request. Compare two or three before deciding.
Choose service style
A graveside service is shorter and cheaper. A full memorial with a venue, officiant, and reception costs more but offers a structured gathering.
Pick the casket or urn separately
You can buy a casket or urn from any outside source. The funeral home cannot charge extra or refuse one supplied elsewhere.
Check veteran and union benefits
Honorably discharged veterans qualify for a free burial plot at a national cemetery and an honor guard. Some unions and employers provide death benefits.
Pay and request itemized receipts
Keep itemized receipts for everything paid. Funeral expenses are deductible from the estate on Form 706 and often reimbursable from life insurance.
Common questions
Is embalming required?
No federal law requires embalming. Some states require it only if the body is not refrigerated within a certain window or if shipped across state lines.
Can I have a private cremation without a service?
Yes. Direct cremation, with no viewing or service, is the lowest-cost option and is offered by most funeral homes for under $2,000.