When you are arranging a home funeral you may want to do all the services yourself, or you may want to have the help of a traditional funeral home. For example, if you are waiting for a relative to come in from overseas and need to postpone burial for a week, you may want the body cooled at a funeral home after the first couple of days. Or if a body is badly disfigured, you may want the services of a funeral home to restore a more normal appearance to your loved one.
For example here are some services a funeral home can provide a la carte and approximate prices:
- $100 file the legal forms (Report of Death, Death Certificate, Medical Examiner’s Authority to Cremate and Burial-Transit Permit). Required forms will vary from state to state, this is only an example.
- $325 cremation
- $ 50 cremation container (cardboard sides and top with plywood bottom)
- $250 transport the body from home or facility to funeral home or crematory
There is not a right or a wrong way to do a home funeral. It is sometimes useful to have the assistance of a funeral home if it helps things go more smoothly for the family. But remember they are a business and be clear in your agreements and understandings.
