Cremation costs depend on several factors, including where the service is performed. In the U.S., the average cost of cremation is $6,790, according to the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA). The state-by-state price can vary greatly, though. Even prices at the city level can be hundreds of dollars apart.
Further, the NFDA’s cremation prices are only relevant for cremations that include a funeral. A popular alternative, direct cremation, does not require a funeral home and therefore can be done at a much lower expense.
In fact, the typical cost of direct cremation is several thousand dollars less than a cremation with a funeral, and even less expensive than a traditional funeral and burial. Funeral and cremation pricing can be confusing, though, so we’ll detail the cost comparisons so you know what your options are.
What is the Average Cost of Cremation in Florida?
Nationally, a cremation with a funeral service costs nearly $7,000. At the state level, a typical cremation and funeral costs about the same in Florida ($7,070). Not surprisingly, this puts Florida right around the median in terms of cost.
The bulk of these costs (around $4,000) are associated with the funeral home’s service fees, fees for funeral home staff, and a fee for using their facility during a service. Other fees include embalming, which runs $700 or more, and a cremation casket, which typically costs up to $1,000 to rent.
There are additional funeral costs, too, such as fees for preparing the body cosmetically for the funeral (hair, makeup and possibly some reconstruction), as well as fees to transport the body to the funeral home.
As you can see, traditional funerals can stress any family’s budget, but direct cremation offers an alternative that costs less and provides people with flexibility in how they memorialize a loved one.
The Price of Traditional Cremation vs. Direct Cremation Services
The average cost for a Florida cremation with ceremony is just over $7,000. The average cost of direction cremation in Florida, though, is only $1,673. That means direct cremation costs in Florida are among the lowest in the U.S., ranking in the bottom five or six states.
The much lower price associated with direct cremation is due to a few factors. They include:
- No need for funeral homes and funeral home fees – You do not need to involve a funeral home during the direct cremation process. Your only point of contact is the cremation service. Without a funeral home involved, families save thousands on funeral home fees alone.
- No need to embalm the remains for cremation – Direct cremation services recover the decedent’s remains, refrigerate them, and cremate them within a couple of weeks. With this reduced timeline, families save hundreds of dollars on embalming fluids and labor. Further, families don’t need to pay for additional cosmetic work needed for an open casket viewing.
- No need for an expensive cremation casket – If cremation includes a traditional funeral service, a casket rental will be required for the ceremony. This can cost up to $1,000, and it’s important to note that the decedent is not cremated in it. Instead, the decedent is removed prior to cremation.
An expensive casket is not required for the direct cremation process, so it’s one less cost to account for.
In short, direct cremation is much less expensive because it only includes the services necessary to cremate the remains and return them to the decedent’s family.
Direct cremation minimizes cost, which is important for most people. It also allows families an alternative to a funeral, which may not be preferred by all. Some people would rather have a more private, personal way of remembering loved ones. Direct cremation makes that easy and cost effective to manage.
Orlando Direct Cremation Costs are Lower than the Florida Average
Direct cremation costs in Florida are some of the lowest in the nation, but there are notable differences even among Florida cities. The average cost of direct cremation in Orlando is around $1,600, for example, which is $500 or more less than the state average. Direct cremation costs vary due to local demographics, which means it’s more expensive in rural areas and less expensive in cities like Orlando.
However, even this isn’t the full picture. Although the average cost of direct cremation in Orlando is $1,600, it can be as low as $795, depending on the service provider and cremation package.
Direct Cremation Can Be Customized with Add-on Services
The fee list for a funeral service can be quite long, as it takes additional preparation to manage. Comparatively, the fee list is short for direct cremation and includes:
- Basic direct disposer services. Direct disposers are licensed to transport human remains and work with crematories.
- Transportation, from place of death to mortuary.
- Refrigeration up to the time of cremation.
- The crematory’s fee.
- And, a basic container for the cremated remains.
This is the minimum required for direct cremation, but many people add on extra services and items that will increase the final cost. Some of those services and items include:
- Some folks are very modest and prefer to be cremated in an environmentally friendly casket.
- Expedited cremation services.
- Delivery of cremated remains to a residence or cemetery with a columbarium.
- Mailing of cremated remains.
- An urn.
One of the advantages of direct cremation is its potential for customization, which allows families to memorialize their loved ones how they wish.
With Direct Cremation, Families Can Save Their Money for Other Memorial Options
With a traditional funeral attached, burial and cremation are both expensive end-of-life arrangements. That’s true no matter what state or city you live in. Direct cremation services, because they do not include a funeral, cost much less. And they cost even less if you live in a city like Orlando or stick to a basic direct cremation package.
This is especially true if you are shipping a loved one across state lines. By choosing cremation, you can easily ship the cremated remains across states lines saving thousands of dollars on funeral home costs, embalming, and shipping costs if you were to actually try and transport the body across state lines.
