Cremation costs vary wildly from location to location, but they also vary depending upon which services you opt to get. The one thing that is consistent across the board however is that cremation is usually much cheaper than burial. To learn more about the cost of cremation, you should read the rest of this article. For answers to all of your cremation questions, please feel free to explore the rest of this site.
Types of Cremation
Typically, cremation services can be divided into three major categories. The type that you choose will have a direct impact on the final price that you pay for the service. The three types of cremation are as follows:
• Cremation that occurs after a funeral or viewing
• Cremation that occurs prior to a funeral or wake service
• Cremation that occurs without a funeral or that occurs prior to a funeral which is planned by the family without the help of the funeral director
Cremation costs without a Funeral
In most cases, the family will pay a fee to the funeral director for preparing the body for a viewing. They may also pay an addition fee if he or she arranges a funeral or a viewing for the body. However, if they forgo these services, they will pay a cheaper rate. If you are only interested in cremation, the cost could be as low as $1000, but keep in mind cremation costs vary depending on location.
Cremation costs with a Funeral
When you opt to have a funeral or a viewing, you can expect to pay more for the cremation. However, the total price will still be less than what you would expect to pay for a traditional burial. There are several reasons that cremation is less than a burial.
A casket is required for a cremation, and normally, the cost of a casket can range from $500 to $10,000 or more. However, most families opt to have their deceased
family members cremated in a cheaper casket. If they wish to have a more ornate casket at the funeral, they can simply rent one. After the ceremony, the body will be placed in the cheaper casket. Typically, cremation caskets are cheaper because they are simple wooden boxes that do not have any latches or other metal hardware. Those items are not included because they will not burn in the crematorium. Thus, they are a hindrance.
The second thing that makes cremation cheaper than burial is that the family can save money on the cost of a burial plot. If they opt to spread the ashes, they will not pay any fee. If they opt to use a spot at a cemetery, they can expect to pay less because they will be using less space.
While planning a funeral, the funeral director will probably work with all kinds of other professionals. Instead of letting them each send the grieving family a bill, he or she will collect the bills and give the family one large bill. Thus, the cost of the funeral can depend upon things like the cost of flowers, the cost of renting a church, the cost of getting a death certificate, and other factors.
When planning a cremation, it is important to speak with the funeral director about your exact wishes. The cremation costs will depend upon your individual preferences, but you can expect to pay anywhere from $500 to $4,000. Also, please be sure to checkout our other articles on cremation listed in the left sidebar, or at the top of the page.