| Right | What it means |
|---|---|
| Itemized General Price List | must be handed to anyone who asks, in person or quoted by phone |
| Buy only what you want | no package can be forced on you — pick item by item |
| Your own casket or urn | the funeral home must accept it, no handling fee allowed |
| No required embalming | rarely required by law; refrigeration is usually an alternative |
| Written statement before payment | itemized, before you pay anything |
Typical itemized US prices: the non-declinable basic services fee (~$2,300), casket, viewing/ceremony, transport, vault, plot and headstone for burial; cremation fee, container and urn for cremation routes. Benchmarked against the National Funeral Directors Association 2023 medians.
Sources: NFDA General Price List Survey · FTC Funeral Rule.
Prices vary sharply by region and funeral home. Cemetery fees (opening/closing the grave, $1,000+), death certificates, and clergy or celebrant honoraria are not itemized. Medians are from the 2023 survey, the most recent full edition — costs have drifted up since.
total = basic fee + items you choose + cemetery/crematory costs
your rights: itemized price list · buy only what you pick · your own casket, no fee