When a loved one passes, you may be left with questions about how to move forward. While you want to honor your loved ones and provide a dignified way to remember them, you may have questions about costs.
You have options for how you proceed, from traditional funerals and burials to direct cremation. In this guide, we will break down the average direct cremation costs, survey the low-cost direct cremation options, and answer the question, “What is direct cremation?” We will also discuss whole-body donations for science, which can provide a no-cost option for cremation.
What Is Direct Cremation?
Direct cremation is a simplified and cost-effective service. Remains are cremated without a traditional funeral service, embalming, or casket. Because memorial services are not included with direct cremation, costs are lower than a traditional cremation.
What Is Typically Included with a Direct Cremation?
- Transportation of the deceased from the place of death to the crematory
- Secure temporary storage of the deceased if needed
- The cremation process itself
- A basic container or alternative cremation container
- Return of the cremated remains to the family
What Is Typically Not Included with a Direct Cremation?
- Embalming or public viewing of the deceased
- A casket or outer burial container
- A funeral or memorial service with the body present
- Programs, flowers, or other items associated with traditional funerals
- An urn for the cremated remains (a basic plastic container is provided)
- Interment or scattering of the cremated remains
Direct Cremation Costs by Location in Arizona
Prices in Arizona typically fall below the national average, but there can be significant cost discrepancies depending on where you live. Checking funeral homes and crematoriums throughout the state, along with US Funerals Online, provides these estimates for direct cremation costs.
| AREA | Average Cremation Costs | Low-Cost Direct Cremation |
| Phoenix | $1,430 | $795 |
| Tucson | $1,279 | $785 |
| Flagstaff | $1,373 | $695 |
| Lake Havasu/NW Arizona | $1,433 | $795 |
| Yuma | $1,187 | $695 |
However, you may find different prices for direct cremation costs, so you should check with local crematoriums or funeral homes for actual prices. The federal Funeral Rule requires funeral homes to provide a general price list (GPL) when requested. Consumers have the right to select the types of services they want and not be obligated to accept a package price.
You are also not required to embalm the body before cremation, although some funeral homes may not allow showings unless embalming has occurred. You are also not required to purchase a casket. Direct cremation typically uses an alternative type of container, such as wood, fiberboard, or heavy-duty cardboard.
You may opt to hold your own memorial service or purchase a commemorative urn to hold the remains after cremation, but you are not obligated to do so. Instead, you may opt for a temporary container that is typically provided at no additional cost. Many families choose this option when they plan to disperse the ashes themselves.
How Does Direct Cremation Cost Compare to a Traditional Funeral?
About 60% of families in the United States now opt for cremation as opposed to a traditional funeral, according to the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA).
The NFDA also reports that the average cost of a traditional funeral, including the preparation of the body and casket, the use of facilities and staff for viewing, and transportation or storage, is $7,848. This cost does not include the price of internment in a cemetery, a burial plot, or a monument or marker. These options can add another $5,000 to the total cost, although prices vary greatly depending on the cemetery and service provider.
Have You Considered Whole Body Donation?
An alternative to traditional funeral services, cremation services, or direct cremation is a whole-body donation. When you donate a body to science, you can take comfort in knowing that your loved one is making an important contribution to the advancement of medical science and research.
In Arizona, the United Tissue Network (UTN) is the only nonprofit agency that accepts whole-body donations. UTN is accredited through the American Association of Tissue Banks (AATB) and works with a network of medical and scientific research facilities. UTN pays for all fees associated with the transportation and storage of the body, cremation services, and return of the remains to the family.
UTN also provides families with two copies of a certified death certificate at no cost.
Call the caring team at United Tissue Network at 877-738-6111 24/7 to learn more about how whole body donations work and the important role they play in medical science.
