Guide
Direct cremation
Direct cremation is cremation without a viewing or a funeral ceremony while the body is present. On a General Price List it is its own package. The basic services fee is already inside that price. A funeral home cannot add the basic services fee a second time.
$2,645
$2,750
Those are 2023 national medians from the NFDA General Price List Study. A funeral with a viewing and a ceremony, followed by cremation, has a median of $6,280. The difference is the viewing, the ceremony, embalming and other preparation, a service vehicle, printed materials, and an urn. None of that is required for a direct cremation.
What to confirm
- Which container the quoted price includes, and the price if you decline it.
- Whether a death certificate, medical examiner fee, or permit is extra.
- How long refrigeration costs if the cremation waits.
- Whether an urn is included. The national median urn in the same study is $295.