Pennsylvania Funeral Cost Guide
Pennsylvania Funeral Cost Guide
Funeral costs in Pennsylvania vary significantly by region, provider, and the type of service chosen. Philadelphia-area funerals typically cost more than those in rural counties. Pennsylvania law gives families strong consumer protections, including the right to itemized pricing, the right to refuse embalming, and robust prepaid contract safeguards. This guide covers what to expect, how to save, and what your rights are.
Understanding Your Right to Itemized Pricing
Before comparing costs, know this: every funeral home in Pennsylvania is required by both federal law (FTC Funeral Rule, 16 C.F.R. Part 453) and Pennsylvania law (49 Pa. Code section 13.204) to provide you with itemized pricing.
What you must receive:
- A General Price List (GPL) when you inquire about services in person
- A Casket Price List before being shown caskets
- An Outer Burial Container Price List before being shown containers
- A written agreement with full itemization of professional services, merchandise, facilities, equipment, and cash advances -- signed by both the funeral director and family representative before disposition
Key right: You cannot be required to purchase a bundled package. You have the right to choose only the services and items you want.
Major Cost Categories
Professional Services
The basic services fee covers the funeral director's overhead: staff, facilities, licensing, and coordination with the Register of Wills, Social Security, and other agencies. This fee is typically non-declinable.
Body Preparation
| Service | Notes |
|---|---|
| Embalming | Not required by PA law. Alternatives exist (refrigeration or sealed container). Must have written family permission (49 Pa. Code section 13.202) |
| Refrigeration | Required if body is held 24+ hours without embalming; must maintain 35-40 degrees F (49 Pa. Code section 13.201(6)) |
| Other preparation (washing, dressing, cosmetology) | Standard for viewings |
Important: Embalming without written permission from the authorized family member is classified as unprofessional conduct in Pennsylvania (49 Pa. Code section 13.202(11)). If a funeral home embalms without your consent, they cannot charge you for it.
Casket
The casket is typically the single most expensive item. Prices range from a few hundred dollars for a simple wood or cloth-covered casket to thousands for metal or hardwood models.
Your rights regarding caskets:
- You may purchase a casket from any source -- online, retail, or another funeral home
- The funeral home cannot refuse to handle a casket purchased elsewhere (16 C.F.R. section 453.4(b))
- The funeral home cannot charge a handling fee for a third-party casket (16 C.F.R. section 453.4(b)(2))
- No Pennsylvania law requires a casket for cremation (16 C.F.R. section 453.4(a))
Venue and Transportation
Costs for use of the funeral home facilities (viewing rooms, chapel), hearse, and other vehicles.
Cemetery Costs
These are separate from the funeral home charges. Cemetery costs include the plot or grave, opening and closing (digging and filling), a grave liner or vault (if required by the cemetery -- not required by PA state law), and the headstone or marker.
Lower-Cost Alternatives
Direct Cremation
Direct cremation includes the cremation itself, basic services of the funeral director, transport to the crematory, and a simple container. There is no viewing, no embalming, and no ceremony before cremation.
Pennsylvania cremation requirements:
- 24-hour waiting period after death before cremation (49 Pa. Code section 13.212)
- Written authorization required from authorized family member
- Coroner approval required if death is under coroner jurisdiction
- No casket required -- an alternative container is sufficient
Direct Burial
Direct burial includes the burial without a formal viewing or ceremony. The body is placed in a casket and buried shortly after death or after refrigerated holding.
Green Burial
Green burial is legal in Pennsylvania. It involves no embalming (or formaldehyde-free alternatives), a biodegradable casket or shroud, and no concrete vault or liner. PA state law does not require a vault. Burial depth without a vault must be at least 2 feet (24 inches) below the natural surface (28 Pa. Code section 1.21).
Body Donation
The Humanity Gifts Registry (HGR) is Pennsylvania's primary body donation program. It is a non-profit agency of the Commonwealth that distributes donated bodies to all medical and dental schools in Pennsylvania.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Cost to family | None -- free cremation after use |
| Return of remains | Cremated remains returned to family after study (typically 1-2 years) |
| Phone | 215-922-4440 |
Direct donation programs are also available through the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Pennsylvania.
Prepaid Funeral Contracts: Strong PA Protections
Pennsylvania has some of the strongest prepaid funeral contract protections in the country.
Escrow requirement: The funeral director must deposit the entire amount of all prepaid contract funds into escrow or trust at a banking institution in Pennsylvania (63 P.S. section 479.13(c); 49 Pa. Code section 13.224). No funds may be retained by the funeral director.
Reporting: The funeral director must report each contract to the State Board of Funeral Directors within 90 days of execution, and report fulfillment within 30 days of service (49 Pa. Code section 13.224).
Form approval: All prepaid contract forms must be reviewed and approved by the Board before use.
Transfer protection: When a funeral establishment is sold, the buyer must provide written notice to prepaid contract purchasers within 30 days of settlement (49 Pa. Code section 13.91(b)).
Privacy: Prepaid contract information is not a public record under Pennsylvania's Right-to-Know Law.
Financial Assistance
Family Exemption
The surviving spouse (or children/parents in the household) may claim up to $3,500 in property from the estate under the family exemption (20 Pa.C.S. section 3121). This can be used toward funeral expenses.
Claim Priority
Funeral and burial costs are a high-priority claim against the estate (Priority 3 under 20 Pa.C.S. section 3392). They are paid before general creditors and most other claims, behind only administration costs and the family exemption.
Small Payment Rule
Banks may release up to $20,000 in deposits to family members without Letters Testamentary to help cover funeral expenses (20 Pa.C.S. section 3101(b)). See how to close bank accounts after death in Pennsylvania.
Social Security Death Benefit
A one-time $255 payment is available to an eligible surviving spouse or dependent child. Apply within 2 years of death. See Social Security survivor benefits in Pennsylvania.
Veterans Benefits
Veterans may be eligible for burial benefits through the VA, including a burial allowance, a government headstone or marker, and burial in a national or state veterans cemetery. Contact the VA at 1-800-827-1000.
Filing a Complaint
If you believe a funeral home has violated your rights, you have several options:
State Board of Funeral Directors:
- Online: pa.gov/agencies/dos/department-and-offices/bpoa (File a Complaint Against a PA-Licensed Professional)
- Phone: 1-800-822-2113
- Mail: Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs, P.O. Box 2649, Harrisburg, PA 17105-2649
- Email: ST-FUNERAL@PA.GOV
Verify a funeral director's license: pals.pa.gov
Funeral Consumers Alliance of PA: fcapa.org
PA Attorney General consumer protection: 1-800-441-2555
Valid grounds for complaint include unauthorized embalming, refusing to release remains until payment, retaining excess funds, failing to provide itemized pricing, and any violation of the FTC Funeral Rule (49 Pa. Code section 13.202).
Cost-Saving Tips
- Get the General Price List. Every funeral home must give you one. Compare at least three funeral homes before deciding.
- Decline embalming if not needed. It is not required by Pennsylvania law. Refrigeration is a legal alternative.
- Bring your own casket. Online casket retailers often sell for significantly less than funeral home prices. The funeral home cannot refuse it or charge a handling fee.
- Consider direct cremation or burial. These eliminate the costs of embalming, viewing, and ceremony venue rental.
- Ask about the funeral director's obligation to consider your financial circumstances. Pennsylvania law requires funeral directors to consider the family's preferences and financial circumstances (49 Pa. Code section 13.201(2)).
- Check for veterans benefits if the deceased served in the military.
What to Do Next
For the full sequence of tasks after a death, see the complete guide to what to do when someone dies in Pennsylvania. For burial and cremation regulations, see funeral and burial laws in Pennsylvania.
Kaira organizes every step for your state -- deadlines, forms, and next actions -- so nothing gets missed. See how it works.
This guide was researched using Pennsylvania statutes and regulations current as of April 2026. Prices vary by provider and region. For disputes with a funeral home, contact the Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs at 1-800-822-2113.
Sources: 49 Pa. Code Chapter 13 (State Board of Funeral Directors); 63 P.S. sections 479.1-479.20 (Funeral Director Law); 16 C.F.R. Part 453 (FTC Funeral Rule); 20 Pa.C.S. sections 3101, 3121, 3392; pa.gov/agencies/dos