How to Choose a Funeral Home

Choosing a Funeral Home

It is easy to be overwhelmed when deciding how to choose a funeral home. There are several basic steps in choosing a funeral home as listed below. These steps are similar when making any major purchase as an informed consumer and include:

1. Decide what you want and what you need
2. Decide on your budget
3. Know your rights as a consumer
4. Visit funeral homes
5. Collect information and pricing
6. Consider all variables, including pricing, experience, reputation
7. Choose a funeral home

What Does a Funeral Home Do?

There are many services that a funeral home will provide. Basically, a funeral home provides final arrangements for the deceased. Most funeral homes are on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, open 365 days a year. The funeral home will remove and transfer the deceased from the place of death (nursing homes, hospital, home, etc) to the funeral home.

The funeral home provides a consultation with the family to gather information for completion of paperwork (Death Certificate, insurance claims, etc,) as well as arrange all the details for the service.

Funeral homes will also assist with cemetery, crematory, or other places of dispositions. Funeral homes can provide memorial products, help arrange flowers, provide transportation, and direct the chosen funeral services in a professional manner.

What are you looking for in a funeral home?

You may want to first consider what you want and what you need in a funeral. Our funeral planning checklist may help. This checklist may help you narrow down what you really want a funeral home to offer.

Typically, funeral homes are chosen for three reasons: reputation, prior experience, and/ or costs.

Reputation

People may feel comfortable choosing a particular funeral home if it has a good reputation. If a funeral home has great reviews online, or has a lot of great press, you may be interested in selecting this home. You may also choose a funeral home that your family and friends patronize, which can take out the hassle of having to call around. However, it is always better to find out as much as you can before deciding.

Prior Experience

You may already be comfortable with the staff and the procedures due to a prior existing relationship. If your experience with the funeral home was positive, then you may wish for this funeral home to provide services again.

Cost

Another way to choose a funeral home is by cost. When there isn’t a life insurance policy or pre-paid plan, then costs can play a huge role in how to choose a funeral home. Some funeral homes may have cremation packages and burial packages to fit your specific price range.

Funeral homes are typically not affiliated with crematories or cemeteries. In fact, in some states it is illegal to own both a funeral home and cemetery. The funeral director may suggest a final resting place based on cost or prior use or based upon the funeral home services you select.

Decide on a Budget

When working with a budget, it is best to call or shop around to see what price point or packages your local funeral home offers. In 1980, the cremation rate around the U.S. was just under 10%, and the percentage has been shifting toward cremation since. Part of the reason is cost—cremation is often thousands of dollars cheaper than burial because it doesn’t require a casket, embalming, or a cemetery plot. The average cremation with a memorial service is $3,250 while the average funeral is $7,045, according to the National Funeral Directors Association.

Your Rights When Choosing a Funeral Home

Although you may be overwhelmed by the options presented at a funeral home visit, you have several legal rights in the process.

Above all, you have the right to go to another funeral home at any time during your funeral planning consult. If the funeral home has already embalmed your loved one then they may charge a small fee for that funeral home service before the body is released to another firm.

You have more options than you might think you do when planning a funeral. For instance, embalming is not required by law; however state local laws differ on embalming requirements. Whether to have a casket, wake, hearse, or flowers is all up to the family. If you wish to not have a wake and have a closed casket the day of the funeral, that decision is solely up to the discretion of the family or closest to kin.

The Funeral Rule

The Funeral Rule was created to protect consumers within the funeral industry. Enforced by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), it allows the consumer to choose and purchase only the goods and services they want or need.

Under the Funeral Rule, your rights include:

1. Purchase Options: You have the right to buy only what you want. You can also buy goods (such as caskets) and services (like embalming) from third party sellers.
2. Prices: You have the right to obtain prices from funeral homes over the telephone.
3. General Price List: You have the right to get a General Price List, which is a written, itemized price list, when you visit the funeral home.
4. Casket Prices: You have the right to see a casket price list before viewing the caskets.
5. Outer Burial Container: You have the right to see a list of outer container prices before deciding to purchase. These are not required at all cemeteries.
6. Get it in Writing: You have the right to get a list of your order and costs in writing, before paying.
7. Requirements: The funeral home should provide, in writing, an explanation of any legal requirements that effect your cost.
8. Alternatives: You do not have to pay for a casket for cremation. You have the right to use an alternative container in this case.
9. Third party casket: You may provide the casket or urn that you have purchased from a vendor other than your chosen funeral home.
10. Embalming: States have different laws regarding embalming. It is not necessary or required in every situation. Refrigeration is often an option. However, it is recommended that state law be reviewed if you are interested in exercising this right.

Costs of a funeral

Costs of funeral vary; the best funeral homes tend to have several package options in place for clients to pick from. Each funeral firm has their own set of fees, for paper work, embalming, clergy, soloist, obituary and caskets. It is best to call around if you don’t know where to go for final arrangements. Also remember, you do not have to choose a package if it includes goods or services you do not want, according to The Funeral Rule.

“Mom and Pop,” small local funeral homes, that are typically family owned and operated, tend to be more affordable, whereas, bigger more popular firms tend to be more expensive. But compare these services side by side, you may not be able to tell the difference. With the average funeral costing between $7-10000 or more, you need to treat this like any other large purchase. You wouldn’t buy a car from the first dealer you walked into, so don’t buy a funeral without checking with more than one funeral home. Smart consumers can save thousands of dollars by going a few miles down the road to your local funeral home.

Obtaining a Price List

Consumers can get prices from funeral homes 2 ways.

1. You can call funeral homes for their price list. They are required by law to provide consumers with prices over the phone. If they refuse, go elsewhere.
2. When you visit the funeral home, request a written General Price List. Funeral homes are required to provide their prices in written format upon request.

You may also be able to obtain a minimum price list through your local Funeral Consumers Alliance. This is a non-profit group that believes in educating consumers in the funeral industry. The Funeral Consumers Alliance runs a survey of funeral home prices every few years and many of the local groups post the prices on their web page. Be warned, however, that many of these price lists are outdated by several years.

Visit the Funeral Homes

On your visit, the funeral home may have a checklist to be sure they cover all important tasks to help your transition be a smooth one, including but not limited to the type of service you desire to obituary layouts. It’s okay to prepare a list of questions to ask the funeral director. In fact, the best funeral home will be very well prepared and eager to answer any questions you may have.

When visiting, look around a get a feel for the location, the staff, and the aesthetic of the funeral home. You want to be sure the chapel is large enough to hold your family, that the parlor is clean and handicap accessible, or that the transportation offered is adequate. Be sure to ask about the price points and payment options. Some firms may offer financing, while others require you to pay the day before the funeral.

Choose the Funeral Home

It is recommended that you visit several funeral homes to observe and ask questions. Once you have collected all the information, price lists and answers to your questions, it is time to decide. Carefully consider all or your needs and wants, and the services provided by each funeral home. Also consider family or friends experiences and funeral home reputations to help make your decision.

Ultimately, most funeral homes want to help you and ensure that your loved one’s transition is made with ease and dignity. Once the funeral is over its okay to reach out to the firm for consulting or support groups to help deal with grief.

Planning a funeral can be a tough time for anyone.. It is a great idea to plan for yours ahead of time. Imagine your loved ones not having to deal with burden of planning a funeral and dealing with grief. Not to mention, you get to choose exactly what you want and do not want. You will also be able to lock in today’s market rates.