The average cost of cremation in Florida can vary depending on whether you choose a direct cremation or a cremation with a memorial service or opt for a viewing ceremony as well.
Direct cremation is the least expensive option. There is no memorial service or viewing. Cremation occurs in a simple cardboard or wooden box and the remains are returned in a temporary container.
You may choose to hold a memorial ceremony in a funeral home or a religious facility. You will pay for using the facility, staffing, and services. If you wish to hold a viewing ceremony, it will require embalming, which is an additional fee as well.
Typical costs in Florida for a direct cremation are about $1,200–$1,400 although you can sometimes find prices as low as $800. Cremation with a memorial service will average around $4,000. Embalming and viewing can add several thousand dollars.
Other Factors Influencing Costs
When determining how much does cremation cost in Florida, there are several other factors you need to consider.
Location and Providers
Costs will vary depending on where you live and who you choose as a service provider. There may be more competition in some areas, which can lead to lower prices, or you may live in an area where there is little competition.
Prices can vary greatly even among two similar providers in the same community. Some funeral homes have their own crematorium, which can lower costs. Others might have to provide additional transportation to the facility.
You should research several options if cost is a concern. Ask for a general price list (GPL), which details the costs of individual services and options.
Additional Services
Besides memorial services or viewing ceremonies, there may be other services you want to consider. For example, purchasing customized urns, keepsakes, producing videos, or flowers for memorial services. You should be aware that you are not required to purchase these items through a funeral home. You can often find lower prices and more selection for urns online.
Many families choose to reduce costs by holding private memorial ceremonies. These might take place at a family home or nearby park.
If you decide you want cremation, but would prefer the remains are buried in a cemetery, you would need to consider the costs of a burial plot, markers or headstones, or a burial vault if required. Another option is a columbarium, which is an above-ground building that houses urns of cremated remains.
Additional Fees
There can be additional fees that impact the average cost of cremation in Florida, including transportation of the body (depending on the distance), handling obese or exceptionally heavy bodies, or removal of a pacemaker for safe cremation.
While a funeral home or crematorium may be able to guide you with paperwork, there may be additional fees for acquiring certified copies of the death certificate or having an obituary posted online or in a newspaper.
Fees may also include permits and processing of paperwork, although these are usually included in the cost of cremation.
How Much Does Cremation Cost in Florida?
As you can see, the answer depends on several factors. When trying to get an answer to the question, “How much does cremation cost in Florida?”, you will want to get a final cost in writing, which includes all additional fees, services, or options you choose.
Whole Body Donation
One option you may not have considered is a whole-body donation. Just as organ donation provides organs for life-saving transplants, whole-body donation can make an important contribution to the advancement of medical science.
Whole-body donations can aid medical researchers, scientists, and physicians in understanding disease progression, developing new treatments and therapies, and testing medical devices for safety. Donations have led to significant breakthroughs in the treatment of diabetes, various forms of cancer, heart disease, and more.
When you make a whole-body donation through United Tissue Network (UTN), you reduce the cost of cremation. UTN ensures donated bodies are placed with reputable research labs and facilities. After research is completed, UTN pays the costs for direct cremation and makes the remains available to families upon request, or will dispose of the remains in a dignified manner.
If you would like more information about whole-body donation and how it works, talk to one of our Donor Service Coordinators by calling 877-738-6111.
