Funeral services give family and friends the chance to honor a deceased loved one. In the past few decades, such observances have become more personalized with the aim to organize a structured ceremony. While most families look for services that can help organize the event, one major factor that needs to be considered is the cost. This article lists various factors that influence the cost of hosting a funeral service.

Funeral service costs
The average cost of organizing a funeral service in 2021 is upward of $10,000. The total cost can be broken up into factors like basic expenses, charges for funeral services, and any cash advances to vendors who supply the necessary items.

Types of funeral services
Families can choose the type of casket for the burial or may even opt for cremation if the deceased individual had asked for it. Here is a list of services that can be opted for:

Traditional funeral
Purchasing a casket is a major one-time expense to consider for a traditional funeral. And a wooden casket can normally cost upward of $2,500, depending on the quality and build. Using expensive wood like mahogany or having a casket made with precious metals can cost upward of $10,000. In recent times, more third-party vendors have started selling caskets in the open market, but buying one directly from traditional funeral homes is a better option. Funeral directors often handle the sale, and at the end of the day, the entire purpose of the casket is to facilitate a dignified burial.

Burial services
Such a service includes burial containers in the form of vaults or grave liners. Grave liners are made with concrete to cover the top and sides of the casket to prevent soft soil from caving in. Burial vaults are a bit more elaborate and made with special insulating materials that completely cover the casket and prevent the top, side, and bottom soil from caving in. Such a service is not necessary, and families can decide if a metal casket in its place is sufficient. The cost of burial services can vary on the basis of the time taken and labor employed for the task.

Cremation services
Getting a cremation done costs much lower in comparison to even a basic burial service. While other services are optional, simply viewing and then transporting the deceased for cremation can be done for under $5,000. Besides basic funeral charges, one must consider the cost of catering for guests and providing accommodation to those who have traveled from distant locations.

Body preservation
This service includes the embalming of the deceased for families wishing to preserve the body for longer viewing and visits. However, most families agree to burial or cremation within a short duration. Embalming is not required by law unless there are qualifying exceptions, which funeral services specify in writing.

Funeral insurance plans
Some life insurance companies provide for funeral costs. One can take an insurance policy and pay a premium in advance for an estimated cover for the funeral. Some policies may even pay for out-of-pocket expenses and cover cash advances for additional services that are not mandatory.

Seniors can also choose funeral insurance plans in which the monthly premium for the cheapest policy is just $18. The maximum premium payable for better death benefit coverage is just over $88 a month. Seniors can usually avail of $5000 to $20000 benefits for these premiums across two types of policies:

• Policy type 1
  The insured person must undergo a health check-up. The extent of this policy’s coverage is directly impacted due to the check-up, which is why these policies are available for the lowest applicable premium.
• Policy type 2
  The insurance company agrees to provide a plan with no questions asked to seniors without a health check-up. However, seniors must bear double the premium cost in this case.

Funeral homes
To locate the nearest funeral home cremation services or burial grounds, one can look up funeral homes online. It is advisable to compare and check the type of services and whether insurance policy coverages are valid at the location. The official Funeral Homes website, which is accredited by the International Cemetery, Cremation, and Funeral Association, is a useful directory of the best funeral services listed by location across the country.