The profound grief of losing a loved one comes with the practical, and sometimes overwhelming, challenge of arranging final goodbyes. For families in St. Petersburg, Florida, understanding the financial aspects of end-of-life services can help ease the burden.
The decisions you make significantly impact affordability, so we’ll provide a detailed breakdown of cremation costs in St. Petersburg, explore various affordable options, and tell you about some financial assistance programs and alternatives, including how to get free cremation.
How Much Does It Cost to Cremate Someone?
How much does it cost to be cremated in Florida? Cremation prices in Florida vary depending on where you live, the provider you choose, and the services you pick. In general, here is a breakdown of the costs.
- Direct cremation: $1,000 to $2,000
- Cremation with memorial service: $2,000 to $4,000
- Traditional cremation with viewing and memorial: $4,000 to $6,000+
Direct Cremation
Direct cremation is the simplest and most affordable option. It involves the immediate cremation of the deceased after death, without embalming, public viewing, or a formal funeral service.
Typically, a direct cremation package includes:
- Transportation of the deceased from the place of death to the crematory
- The cremation itself
- A basic, temporary container for the cremated remains
- Necessary administrative paperwork and permits
Direct cremation offers significant flexibility for the family to hold a personalized memorial service or scattering of the remains at a later date, providing time to grieve and plan without immediate pressure. It’s ideal for those seeking simplicity and cost savings.
Cremation With a Memorial Service
This option adds on a memorial service, typically held in a chapel, church, or funeral home. The additional fees are for staffing, venue space, memorial cards, and other items.
Traditional Cremation
A traditional, or full-service, cremation is similar to a funeral and burial. The body is embalmed and prepared for a viewing and visitation. Typically, a casket is rented for the viewing ceremony, with a formal memorial ceremony before the cremation.
Prices can vary depending on the specific services. Some families choose ornamental urns while others prefer to bury the remains in a cemetery, scattering garden, or columbarium.
Families may also choose additional services such as a reception, limousine service, or personalized keepsakes, further impacting the cost.
How Much Does It Cost to Cremate a Person in St. Petersburg?
We’ve put together this chart to compare the options side-by-side.
| Cremation Type | Price Range | Services | Best For |
| Direct Cremation | $1,000–$2,000 | Transportation Paperwork Cremation process No embalming, viewing, or service | Families prioritizing simplicity and cost savings. |
| Cremation with Memorial | $2,000–$4,000 | Basic cremation services Memorial service at a funeral home, religious venue, or private location No viewing ceremony | Those wanting a memorial gathering without the full funeral costs. |
| Full-service Cremation | $4,000–$6,000+ | Embalming and body preparation Visitation/viewing Formal ceremony before cremation Extended staffing Facility usage fees | Families desiring more traditional funeral services before cremation. |
How Much Does It Cost to be Cremated in Florida?
Cremation prices in Florida also vary by location. While you can sometimes find direct cremation prices as low as $895 in some areas where there is significant competition, the average cost in the Tampa–St. Pete area for direct cremation is $1,723.
Here is a breakdown of the average costs in various cities in Florida from US Funerals Online.
| CITY | AVERAGE DIRECT CREMATION COST |
| Cape Coral | $1,474 |
| Fort Lauderdale | $1,855 |
| Gainesville | $2,113 |
| Hialeah | $1,685 |
| Jacksonville | $1,708 |
| Miami | $1,403 |
| Orlando | $1,576 |
| Pensacola | $3,210 |
| Port St. Lucie | $1,565 |
| St. Petersburg | $1,723 |
| Tallahassee | $2,095 |
| Tampa | $1,723 |
Factors Affecting Cremation Prices in Florida
Beyond the basic choice between direct and traditional services and location, several other factors can influence the final cremation costs in Florida.
Funeral Home or Crematory Selection
Independent crematories often specialize in direct cremation and may offer more competitive pricing due to lower overhead. Full-service funeral homes, while offering comprehensive packages, might have higher prices.
Cost can vary greatly depending on local competition, whether the funeral home operates its own crematory or outsources cremations, and whether they are part of a national chain.
It’s a good idea to request a General Price List (GPL) from any provider you are talking to. Under the Funeral Rule, providers are required to give you a written price list that itemizes each service. This allows you to compare prices at different providers.
Additional Services and Merchandise
Often, the most affordable option is to choose a package price from a provider, which includes the most commonly requested items. However, you may want to personalize your selection or add additional services, which is why it’s challenging to answer the question, how much does it cost to cremate someone in St. Petersburg? The answer is, it depends on the selections you make.
Urns
The cost of an urn can range from a few dollars for a basic polymer container (often included in direct cremation packages) to hundreds or even thousands for elaborate, artistic, or custom-made urns.
Death Certificates
While one certified copy is often included, additional copies are typically needed for legal and financial matters. In Florida, the first certified copy costs $5.00, and each additional copy is $4.00.
Witnessing the cremation
Some facilities offer the option to witness the cremation for an additional fee.
Expedited services
If a cremation is required urgently, some providers may charge an additional fee for expedited processing.
Transportation Costs
Fees for transporting the deceased from a home, hospital, or nursing facility to the funeral home or crematory are generally included. However, if the deceased needs to be transported across a significant distance, additional mileage fees will apply.
Body Preparation
While there is no law requiring embalming in preparation of a cremation in most cases, funeral homes will require embalming if you plan a viewing ceremony, to preserve the body.
Other Services or Items
There may be additional costs for:
- Obituaries and newspaper notices
- Flowers
- Personalized memorial items
- Removal of pacemakers or other medical devices
- Extremely overweight individuals
Financial Assistance and Affordable Alternatives
Even with the more affordable direct cremation option, the costs can still be a burden for many families. There are, however, some assistance programs that can help you.
Federal Government Assistance Programs
The Social Security Administration (SSA) offers a one-time death benefit to a surviving spouse or child if certain eligibility requirements are met. While there have been discussions about increasing this amount, the amount is $255.
Apply: Social Security Administration Death Benefit
Veterans Affairs (VA) Burial and Funeral Benefits
The VA offers various benefits depending on whether the death was service-connected or non-service-connected, and if the veteran was receiving VA benefits at the time of death.
For a service-connected death, the VA may pay up to $2,000 towards expenses. For non-service-connected deaths, the VA may pay up to $978 towards burial and funeral expenses, plus a $978 plot-interment allowance if not buried in a national cemetery. Eligible veterans may also receive a government headstone or marker, and a burial flag.
Apply: US Department of Veterans Affairs
County Assistance in Florida
While there are no statewide programs for financial assistance, each county in Florida has its own indigent burial or cremation program. For example, in Pinellas County, the Health and Human Services department will arrange for cremation with a contracted funeral home.
Eligibility is stringent, however. These funds are typically reserved for those in severe financial distress with no visible means of support. Burials occur in an unmarked grave, and cremated remains are disposed of without being returned to families.
Apply: A Life Tribute Funeral Care
Non-Profit and Charitable Organizations
Many local and national charities may offer financial aid for funeral expenses, often with specific eligibility criteria. You’ll want to do your research to ensure they are legitimate before providing personal information or financial details.
Tips for Saving Money on Cremation Costs
If there are still concerns about cremation prices in Florida or answering the question of how much is it to cremate someone, we have a few tips that can help:
- Choose direct cremation: This is consistently the most budget-friendly option.
- Avoid unnecessary add-ons: Be mindful of optional services and merchandise that can increase the total bill.
- Provide your own urn if desired: Many online retailers offer a wide selection of urns at lower prices than those found at funeral homes.
- Consider a simple memorial service: Holding a personalized gathering at a community center, park, or home eliminates staffing and facility rental fees at a funeral home.
Another alternative is to donate your body to science. This eliminates many of the end-of-life costs and includes free cremation.
Whole Body Donation: A Free Cremation Solution
A whole body donation provides an invaluable service to medical research and education. In return, United Tissue Network (UTN) covers all of the costs associated with the donation and cremation. This includes:
- Transportation of the deceased
- Placement with a reputable medical research or educational facility
- Cremation after research concludes
- Return of the cremated remains if requested
United Tissue Network is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that upholds the highest level of ethics. Accredited by the American Association of Tissue Banks (AATB), UTN has helped nearly 12,000 families make this important donation.
Who Is Eligible for Donating Their Body to Science?
Most adults 18 years or older are eligible, with no upper age limit. Researchers benefit from studying diseases at various stages, so those with heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s, and other conditions can help scientists learn about disease progression.
If your loved one has an active infectious disease such as HIV/AIDs or hepatitis, they will likely be ineligible for the safety of the medical professionals that will come in contact with the body.
Registering to Become a Body Donor
United Tissue Network has its Florida office in St. Petersburg and can help you learn more about body donation or register to become a donor. There are Donor Coordinators available 24/7 at (877) 738-6111.
You can also begin the process online. Whether you are pledging yourself to become a whole body donor or helping a loved one make arrangements, you can fill out a brief form and provide basic medical information. A Donor Coordinator will help you finalize the details.
Apply: United Tissue Network registration
When Death Occurs
When you or a loved one passes, family members will need to contact UTN as soon as possible. From there, UTN will handle the arrangements, coordinating with the hospital, hospice center, funeral home, or other agencies to transport the deceased to a medical research or educational institution. After research concludes, UTN will arrange for cremation at a licensed facility.
Many families find comfort in knowing that the passing of a loved one is serving a noble purpose and helping future generations. Working with United Tissue Network, you can relieve your financial burden and be assured your loved one is treated with respect and dignity.
Make the Right Decision for Your Family
You’d think it would be simple to answer a question like how much does it cost to cremate someone, but as you can see, the answer varies depending on the choice you make. For families in St. Petersburg, understanding cremation costs in Florida can be challenging, especially during an already difficult time.
Despite what you may think, you will find most funeral home and cremation providers honest and ethical. They’ll take the time to explain your options and provide you with an itemized listing of costs so you can make the right decision for your family.
We hope you’ll consider donating your body to medical science. Past donations have led to significant medical breakthroughs in understanding and treating Alzheimer’s, dementia, heart disease, cancer, and more. However, there’s more work to be done. There is a critical shortage of human tissue for study, and scientists need donated bodies to find innovative treatments and look for cures for diseases. Your contribution can play an important role in making this happen, as well as creating a lasting legacy for your family.
Why pay $1,723 for direct cremation in St. Petersburg when you can honor your loved one for free while advancing medical science? Discover United Tissue Network’s free cremation services and see how whole body donation eliminates financial stress while creating a lasting legacy for future generations.
