Tips & Advice
How much does a funeral service cost?
On average, a funeral service costs between $7,000 and $10,000. This cost includes funeral home expenses, burial, and headstone installation. Costs can vary from funeral home to funeral home and the can also differ by region. The type of casket will also affect total cost. The average cost of a casket is $2,000, but some can be $10,000 or more.
Embalming is a process in which a dead body is treated to delay decomposition. Embalming ensures that the body is suitable for public display if the body is to be viewed at the funeral service. During the embalming process, bodily fluids are removed and replaced with formaldehyde-based chemical solutions.
What does a funeral director do?
A funeral director manages a funeral home, and works with clients to ensure that burials and cremations are handled smoothly. Funeral directors can help clients plan funerals, and they can submit paperwork and legal documents on behalf of the deceased's family. A funeral director might also supervise the preparation of the deceased's body for burial.
Cremation is a process in which a cadaver is reduced to its basic elements by intense heat. During this process, the body is placed in a cremation chamber and is subjected to temperatures ranging from 1,400 to 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit. Cremation reduces a body to ashes, gases, and mineral fragments.
Is a mortuary the same as a funeral home?
There are slight differences between the services offered by a mortuary and a funeral home. Funeral homes typically offer a broader range of services, and they can help will most aspects of planning and executing a funeral or cremation. Mortuaries usually have a more limited focus geared toward caring for the body and preparing it for burial and cremation.
What services are provided by a funeral home?
Funeral homes complete and file the necessary paperwork, such as the death certificate. They can also provide assistance to the deceased's loved ones in making funeral arrangements, and they can help with questions about things like social security benefits and insurance claims. There are some cultures and religions that have special funeral homes or burial services that can help with any rituals.
A funeral home provides interment and burial services for the deceased. Typically the funeral home will remove the deceased from the place of death, and perform professional care that includes washing, embalming, dressing, and casketing. Funeral homes will also write an obituary for the deceased based on information provided by the client, which is then sent to newspapers and other publications. Cremations are provided by a crematory, and crematories are different from funeral homes.
