The National Funeral Directors Association survey shows the top reason consumers choose a particular funeral is affordability. Yet, most people don’t know how much funeral services really cost. When asked, about half of those surveyed underestimate the cost of funeral arrangements by up 50% or more.
When you have to make decisions quickly when someone passes away, it can be emotional and overwhelming, and it’s easy to overpay. What looks like an affordable option at first may turn into a big expense when everything’s added together. So, it’s helpful to think about how you want to be remembered before the time comes and have a good idea of how much does a simple cremation cost and what costs extra.
What Is a Simple Cremation?
Called a direct cremation, a simple cremation includes only the minimum services required to process the cremation. There’s no traditional funeral or formal ceremony beforehand.
| Typically Included | Typically Not Included |
| Transportation from place of death within service area | Embalming |
| Basic sheltering and care | Public visitation |
| Required permits and paperwork | Formal funeral ceremony |
| Basic alternative cremation container | Hearse procession |
| Cremation process | Expensive caskets |
| Return of cremated remains | Catering and reception services |
More than ever, families are choosing direct cremation because of its simplicity. It reduces the decisions that have to be made and the costs.
How Much Does a Simple Cremation Cost?
Simple cremation pricing can vary significantly depending on provider, region, transportation requirements, and services you choose. So, simple cremation costs can range from about $1,000 to $3,500 or higher. If you want more traditional elements, costs can rise to $6,000 or higher.
There’s no national standard for cremation pricing, and you might find wide differences even for the same services in the same community. One provider may include transportation, permits, and return of cremated remains in a quoted price, while another may charge separately for those services.
A simple cremation only includes the basic services, so you might also have to pay extra for death certificates or obituaries that require third-party fees, after-hours services, transportation outside a local service area, or any upgrades like a decorative urn rather than having remains returned in a temporary container.
Where you live makes a big difference, too. Simple cremation costs in states like Arizona, Washington, or Nevada might average less than $1,500 and the same services might cost about $3,000 or more in Connecticut, Nebraska, or Iowa.
Whole-Body Donation Offers Free Cremation
United Tissue Network offers families another option that can eliminate cremation costs. When you donate your body to medical science, UTN provides free cremation in return.
United Tissue Network is an accredited, nonprofit body donation organization that has partnerships with medical education and research programs across the country. Donated bodies may be used by medical professionals, researchers, and healthcare educators. Typically, this includes:
- Hands-on anatomy education for medical students
- Surgical training for surgeons to perfect their skills
- Research into understanding diseases and looking or cures
- Testing new treatment options and medical devices
Donors play a critical role in each of these areas. Besides training physicians and surgeons, past donations have produced significant medical breakthroughs in treatments for cancer, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, heart disease, and more.
United Tissue Network covers costs associated with donation, including transportation, coordination services, required documentation, and cremation expenses, saving families thousands of dollars. UTN also makes the cremated remains available to families upon request at no cost.
How Body Donation Works
You can pre-register to become a whole-body donor by filling out an online form and providing basic medical and social history. Donors must be 18 years or older, but there is no upper age limit. Most adults qualify and most medical conditions are accepted. At the time of passing, there is a medical screening to verify eligibility and ensure there are no infectious diseases that might harm medical professionals and match the donor with the right education or research program.
When death occurs, a family member or caregiver contacts United Tissue Network, which then arranges for professional transportation to a reputable medical research or educational facility. Studies may take a few weeks or last for more than a year in some cases. Once medical use is completed, UTN arranges for cremation.
For many families, becoming a whole-body donor eliminates even simple cremation costs, simplifies end-of-life arrangements, and provides comfort in knowing a loved one’s passing will help future generations live a better life.
Start your registration with United Tissue Network today. Support medical education and research while getting free cremation.
