# The True Cost of Having a Funeral at Home: What You Need to Know
When someone passes away, families face many decisions during an already difficult time. One of the biggest questions is often about cost. Many people wonder if having a funeral at home might be cheaper than using a traditional funeral home. The reality is more complex than you might think, and understanding the actual expenses involved can help you make the best decision for your family and budget.
## Understanding What “Funeral at Home” Actually Means
First, it’s important to clarify what people mean when they talk about having a funeral at home. This term can mean different things to different families. Some people use it to describe a simple gathering where family and friends come together to remember the deceased in a home setting. Others might mean having the body present at home for viewing before burial or cremation. Still others might be thinking about a direct cremation or burial with a small family gathering afterward at home rather than at a funeral home facility.
The costs associated with each of these scenarios vary dramatically. A casual gathering at home to share memories and stories costs very little beyond food and refreshments. However, if you want to have the deceased’s body present at your home, there are significant legal, logistical, and practical expenses involved that many families don’t anticipate.
## The Hidden Costs of Home Funerals
When families decide to have a body present at home, they quickly discover that there are mandatory expenses they cannot avoid. These costs exist whether you use a funeral home or attempt to handle things yourself.
The first major expense is transportation of the remains. When someone dies, their body must be transported from the place of death to either a funeral home, crematory, or cemetery. This transportation is not optional and is required by law in all states. Even if you plan to have the body at home, it must first be transported there by a licensed professional. This typically costs between 300 and 500 dollars depending on the distance and your location.
Next comes the matter of permits and authorizations. Every state and locality requires specific permits before a body can be buried or cremated. These permits are not free. They typically cost between 50 and 200 dollars depending on where you live. Some areas charge more. These permits are mandatory and there is no way around them.
If you want to have viewing or visitation at your home, you may need to arrange for refrigeration of the body. Home refrigeration is not practical for most families. Bodies begin to decompose quickly, and without proper refrigeration, viewing becomes impossible within a short time. Professional refrigeration at a funeral home typically costs between 100 and 300 dollars for several days. If you attempt to keep a body at home without proper refrigeration, you face serious health and legal issues.
Preparation of the body is another significant cost. The body must be cleaned, and if there is to be any viewing, it should be properly prepared. This preparation includes washing, dressing, and basic cosmetic work. If the death involved trauma or disease, more extensive preparation may be necessary. Professional body preparation typically costs between 200 and 500 dollars.
## Cremation as a Lower-Cost Option
Many families find that cremation is significantly cheaper than traditional burial, and this remains true whether you use a funeral home or attempt to arrange things independently. Direct cremation, which is the least expensive cremation option, ranges from 595 to 1,795 dollars depending on your location. In some areas, you can find direct cremation for as little as 1,305 dollars.
Direct cremation means the body is transported to the crematory, cremated, and the ashes returned to the family. There is no viewing, no embalming, and no funeral service at a funeral home. This is the most affordable option for families who want to cremate their loved one. After the cremation is complete, families can hold a memorial service at home at minimal cost, or they can skip the service entirely.
A full-service cremation, which includes a viewing and memorial service at a funeral home before cremation, typically costs between 6,000 and 6,500 dollars. This is still significantly less than a traditional burial with viewing, which averages around 8,300 dollars.
## Traditional Burial Costs
If your family chooses burial rather than cremation, costs increase substantially. A traditional funeral with viewing and burial averages 8,300 dollars according to industry data. When you add the cost of a burial vault, which is required by most cemeteries, the total rises to approximately 9,995 dollars.
This 8,300 dollar figure includes several components. The basic service fee for a funeral director and staff is typically 2,495 dollars. Transportation of the body to the funeral home costs around 300 to 500 dollars. Embalming costs approximately 845 dollars. Other preparation of the body costs about 295 dollars. Use of the funeral home facilities for viewing and ceremony costs around 1,025 dollars. The hearse costs 375 dollars. A metal burial casket costs approximately 2,500 dollars. A burial vault costs around 1,695 dollars. Basic printed materials like memorial cards cost about 195 dollars.
These are just the funeral home costs. You must also purchase a cemetery plot, which typically costs 2,000 dollars or more. A headstone or grave marker costs between 1,000 and 3,000 dollars. These cemetery costs are separate from the funeral home costs and add significantly to the total expense.
## Regional Variations in Funeral Costs
Funeral costs vary dramatically depending on where you live. This is one of the most important factors in determining your total expenses. In some regions, you can arrange a funeral for significantly less than the national average, while in other areas, costs are substantially higher.
In the West South Central region, which includes Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Arkansas, the median cost for a traditional funeral is 7,912 dollars, and cremation averages 5,890 dollars. In the East South Central region, which includes Tennessee, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Alabama, traditional funerals average 7,615 dollars and cremation averages 5,858 dollars. These are among the most affordable regions in the country.
In the East North Central region, which includes Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin, traditional funerals average 8,280 dollars and cremation averages 6,120 dollars. This region tends to be more expensive than the South.
Specific cities show even more variation. In Houston, Texas, direct cremation costs as little as 795 dollars, while a full-service cremation costs 6,800 dollars. In Dallas-Fort Worth, direct cremation is 795 dollars with full-service cremation at 6,300 dollars. In San Antonio, direct cremation is 895 dollars with full-service cremation at 2,476
