Funeral costs continue to rise in 2025. Costs for funerals easily exceed $10,000, especially if you want a traditional funeral with a viewing and a burial. And you probably don’t want to leave your loved ones with a five-figure bill when you pass away.
Thankfully, you have a few options to get ahead of burial costs. You can plan your funeral ahead of time and loved ones can try government funeral cost assistance programs, but one method stands above the rest. Final expense insurance is an outstanding way to address your funeral bill before you pass.
With final expense insurance, you can customize your coverage to cover your projected funeral costs, give your loved ones an extra financial boost, or provide an inheritance. You have total control over your coverage and can tailor it to fit your needs. If you’re interested in learning more about final expense insurance, Final Expense Benefits are the experts and we are here to help you.
Call us at (866) 786-0725, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET. Check our free online quoting tool for life insurance options and pricing estimates.
Traditional Funeral Cost Breakdown
According to the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA), the median cost for a funeral with a casket and burial is $8,300. However, this data is based on their most recent funeral cost assessment in 2023.
The NFDA assesses funeral costs to have risen yearly by 6%. Accounting for a 6% funeral cost increase since 2023, our 2025 funeral cost estimate is $10,595 – for a basic service.
Their $8,300 funeral cost estimate doesn’t account for the cost of a vault, which is often required by cemeteries and costs nearly $1,700 on average, and includes only a basic casket cost. A more decorative casket or service beyond basic essentials can dramatically increase this funeral cost estimate.
1
Casket Cost
Burial caskets are easily the most expensive single traditional funeral cost. Casket costs range from below $100 for cardboard ones often used for cremations to tens of thousands of dollars for fancy wooden coffins.
A more reasonable median casket cost is around $2,500 for a simple metal burial casket, per NFDA estimates. That’s for a very basic casket and casket costs can run much higher, especially if you want a wooden casket. For coffins suitable for traditional viewings, the average wooden casket costs around $5,000.
Burial casket costs tend to be high because they are meant to remain indefinitely intact. Caskets are made out of tough materials to withstand weather and ground pressure. Quality craftsmanship comes at a high cost, and you likely need to pay if you want a traditional funeral.
2
Funeral Home Service Fees
Funeral home fees make up another major portion of traditional funeral costs. Either you or your family will need to pay a long list of funeral home fees – and there’s not much you can do about them. Most funeral homes almost always require these services, adding to your burial costs:
| Fee | Cost |
|---|---|
|
Services fee (body preparation, staff pay, etc.) |
$2,495 |
|
Embalming |
$845 |
|
Other body preparation (makeup, clothing, etc.) |
$295 |
|
Viewing facilities / staff |
$475 |
|
Ceremony facilities / staff |
$550
|
|
Service Fee Total |
$4,660 |
These pricing estimates are sourced from the NFDA.
If price increases continue at their projected rate, expect funeral facility fees closer to $5,000 in 2025. Costs vary depending on the funeral home, desired services, location, the service’s scale, and more.
However, you’re generally paying for quality. Funeral home services are specialized work requiring training and expertise. What’s important is to balance out your desired budget with what you and your loved ones want in a funeral.
3
Transportation
Transportation is an easily overlooked funeral cost. This includes body transport into the funeral home, hearse transit from funeral facilities to the cemetery, and attendee transportation.
Funeral transportation costs vary depending on what you need and how far your funeral home is from your grave site.
You may wish for funeral attendees to be transported by a bus from the ceremony to the burial, or for them to follow your hearse with a police escort.
These additional services add another $1,000 or more to your burial costs. However, the cost varies heavily depending on what’s necessary for your funeral.
4
Burial Plot, Headstone, and Cemetery Fees
Another major burial cost is the plot and headstone. Burial plot costs vary, but they average around $2,500. Remember this is one of the most variable funeral costs and your burial plot could cost much more, depending on location.
Headstones range in cost and quality. You can find headstones for as low as about $300, but if you are going through the effort of holding a traditional burial, you’ll probably want a high-quality headstone that lasts. For higher-end headstones, expect to pay upwards of $2,000 or even up to $10,000 for decorative, customized grave markers.
Some cemeteries may charge additional fees for burial services, such as a vault, interment (which is when the casket is lowered into the grave plot), and grounds fees. A vault is a metal sleeve that holds dirt back when the casket is lowered. Cemeteries often require vaults. The NFDA estimates average vault fees to be about $1,700.
You should budget at least $5,000 for combined burial costs with prices varying depending on your desired service, location, and more.
Based on these funeral cost breakdown estimates, a traditional funeral with a burial and viewing could cost closer to $15,000 or more depending on your and your loved ones’ desired services.
Factors That Affect Funeral Costs
Funeral costs can vary heavily depending on a few factors out of your control, but you have some ways to spend less.
1
Funeral Costs by Location
Funeral costs often vary by state. Rural states like Alaska or small states with little room to devote to expansive cemeteries like Hawaii cost the most. States with a lower cost of living like Kansas and Mississippi offering the least expensive burial costs.
2
Type of Funeral
A traditional burial with a viewing is the priciest funeral type. If you choose a different kind of funeral, costs can drop dramatically.
According to the NFDA, cremation is the most popular funeral type in the United States. Cost is certainly a factor: the average cremation cost is closer to $6,300.
Other types of funerals are becoming more popular too. Direct burial and direct cremation (burial or cremation services without a ceremony) cost significantly less than their traditional counterparts.
Green burials, also known as eco-burials, are another economical alternative. A tree pod burial costs around $4,000, less than a third of the cost of a traditional funeral.
However, these are all just alternatives. We can only list projected price estimates; how you go out is up to you and your loved ones. If you want a traditional funeral with a ceremony, it’s a beautiful way to be remembered. Just prepare for the costs.
3
FTC Funeral Rule
In 1984, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) introduced a rule to regulate how funeral service providers charge for funerals. The FTC Funeral Rule requires funeral service providers to provide standardized pricing lists, itemized receipts, and detailed funeral cost breakdowns.
This rule was designed to create transparency in the funeral process and to protect grieving families from being taken advantage of by funeral service providers.
4
Following Funeral Cost Saving Best Practices
It’s important to know your rights granted by the FTC Funeral Rule, but you and your loved ones can do more to control funeral prices and ensure you’re not overcharged. Here are some of our suggestions on how best to save on funeral costs:
- Request the funeral facility’s general pricing list
- Shop around and find at least three different funeral homes to compare prices
- Don’t share your exact budget to maintain negotiating power
- Don’t buy your casket or urn from the funeral home
- Consider not holding a viewing service
- Try a direct funeral
- Host the memorial at home
- Look into green burials
- Hold the service at the grave site rather than a funeral home
How to Cover Funeral Costs
You can cover funeral costs by dipping into retirement savings or seeking government support. However, none are as reliable at covering up-front funeral costs like a strong final expense insurance policy.
1
Funeral Government Assistance
The federal government and some states offer limited funeral assistance programs, though none offer enough of a payout to cover an entire funeral. Some states provide funeral assistance to low-income families but coverage is limited.
The Social Security Administration offers a lump sum death benefit of $255.
This may cover a few flower arrangements but it comes nowhere near covering a meaningful portion of traditional burial costs.
Veterans Affairs pays about $2,000 to cover veteran funeral costs for veterans. This won’t fully cover burial costs but can help.
2
Final Expense Insurance
A major challenge in meeting funeral costs is a lack of control. You have little control over how much funeral homes charge for your funeral and even less over government assistance.
But you can assist in your family’s financial future with final expense insurance.
Final expense insurance is a type of whole life insurance specialized in covering end-of-life expenses like funerals. You can choose your policy’s payout, which typically range from $5,000 to $50,000.
Getting a final expense insurance policy that can cover funeral costs and more doesn’t have to be difficult or expensive. A $10,000 policy can cost less than $30 per month.
Plus, final expense insurance grows in cash value over time and can grant an even larger payout. Most plans offer quick approval thanks to speedy underwriting turnaround and relaxed application requirements designed with seniors saving to cover funeral costs in mind. You often don’t need to take a medical exam to qualify for a quality policy and some policies guarantee approval.
How Final Expense Insurance Covers Funeral Costs
In most cases, beneficiaries are entitled to death benefit payouts immediately following the policyholder’s death. This is a major reason why final expense insurance policies are great for covering up-front bills like burial costs.
You can qualify for final expense insurance even if you smoke or have a pre-existing medical condition, such as:
Some plans require a mandatory two-year waiting period or pay death benefits with delays. Final Expense Benefits is here to help you get the best available coverage at the price you want. We can guide you through the application process and help you find a great policy, often without a waiting period.
How Much Does Final Expense Insurance Cost?
A major benefit to final expense insurance is the cost. You can cover a large portion of funeral costs with a policy with a $10,000 benefit – which you could get for less than a dollar a day. Here are some example monthly prices for a $10,000 policy from our top providers for a non-smoking applicant with no preexisting health issues:
| Company |
Male 50y/o |
Female 50y/o |
Male 60y/o |
Female 60y/o |
Male 70y/o |
Female 70y/o |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
$34 |
$27 |
$50 |
$40 |
$70 |
$56 |
|
|
$31 |
$26 |
$43 |
$35 |
$71 |
$53 |
|
|
$31 |
$24 |
$44 |
$33 |
$75 |
$53 |
|
|
$34 |
$29 |
$45 |
$35 |
$79 |
$59 |
|
|
$33 |
$26 |
$48 |
$36 |
$82 |
$58 |
These figures are estimates only, based on a $10,000 final expense insurance policy with no applicant pre-existing conditions.
If you’re interested in these or any of our other life insurance options, call us at (866) 786-0725 to learn more. Be sure to check our free online quoting tool for personalized pricing estimates.
Conclusion
A traditional funeral with a viewing, service, and burial costs a lot – often nearly $15,000. It’s a beautiful way for loved ones to commemorate a life, but it comes with major expenses. That’s where final expense insurance comes in.
You can fully cover funeral costs ahead of time with a final expense insurance policy, giving you and your family major peace of mind. Final Expense Benefits is here to help you understand your final expense insurance options and to help you get the policy you need at a great price.
Call us Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET, at (866) 786-0725 to learn more about final expense insurance. Check our free online quoting tool for a personalized price estimate.
FAQ
What is the average cost of a funeral?
Average funeral costs with a viewing and a burial are nearly $15,000, even for basic funerals with a simple casket and service. Get ahead of these costs with a final expense insurance policy.
Why are funerals so expensive?
Traditional funerals are expensive mainly because of the skills needed to facilitate them. Preparing bodies for viewings and cemetery plots for burials requires specialized training. Casket costs are high due to the craftsmanship required.
Do funeral homes charge to hold a body?
They often do, though costs depend on the funeral home. Many may include body storage fees in overall funeral costs, but extended storage periods may require higher fees.
