What Are Funeral Costs?
When a person passes away, a funeral service is held at the expense of the family, or the deceased if there was insurance or money to cover the funeral costs. Costs of a funeral depend on different variables and if there was any pre-planning. The cost for a funeral was about $6,500 for an adult in 2010, according to the National Funeral Directors Association. A direct cremation or direct burial was less than $1,000.
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Services
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Funeral services vary for each funeral home. Administrative and professional aspects of a funeral include staffing the funeral home during the showing, visitation during the funeral and embalming; these aspects cost about $2,800 as of 2010. Other services include makeup, dressing and music for the visitation.
Funeral Home
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The cost of the funeral home and use of equipment needed for the showing, chapel, reception hall and visitation room was about $850 as of 2010. The funeral home representatives set up chairs, the casket or urn for viewing and (if the reception is held at the funeral home) tables and chairs. The fee includes cleaning the rooms after the funeral and reception. Food for the reception is generally not included unless specified.
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Transportation
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Transportation costs can include moving the deceased from the place of death, cars for the family during the funeral procession, limousine for the deceased and use of flags for the procession cars. The cost was about $450 as of 2010, but can vary with gas prices.
Merchandise
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The temporary grave marker, vault, casket and prayer cards cost a minimum of $2,295 as of 2010. The cost varies depending on the casket model. The cost of an urn may be less than that of a casket, but this also depends on the model.
Miscellaneous Costs
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The funeral home director or a family member writes the obituary. The funeral home publishes the obituary in the local papers and charges a fee. Other costs include a copy of the death certificate, headstone, honorarium, cemetery plot and flowers. The total cost for miscellaneous funeral expenses was about $1,650 as of 2010. The headstone cost varies depending on the size and the stone engraving. Cemetery plots can cost more if not purchased in advance.
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