Most funeral homes charge a basic fee which covers the common services that everyone who uses the funeral home will need. Some of these services are removal of
the remains from the place of death to the funeral home, use of the basic facilities of the funeral home, and staff services for a basic arrangement conference.
In addition to the common services a family may choose services that involve additional charges, such as:
certified death certificates
newspaper obituary notices
embalming, dressing and cosmetology
a casket or other container for the remains
the use of the funeral home chapel and/or visitation rooms
use of automotive equipment
flowers
printed materials reception following the service
other merchandise or services
It is very difficult to accurately estimate the cost of a funeral as there is no standard with which to compare costs and each service is different and personal. However
some basic guidelines may be useful:
The national average for a full traditional funeral is approximately $4100
The Seattle area average is more likely to be $3400
A recent survey indicated that the service charges for a traditional service of funeral homes in the Seattle area ranged from $1300 to $2300, with the cost of
the selected casket being additional
Casket prices range from around $6000 for a copper or bronze casket down to $400 for a cloth-covered casket. The most common purchase is in the
$1000 to $2000 range.
Please note that these approximations do not include cemetery costs.
