A casket can be one of the larger costs in a burial, and the price range inside a single funeral home can be wide. The same home may sell a simple casket for about a thousand dollars and a premium one for many times that.
You don't have to guess. Federal rules say the funeral home has to show you its casket prices in writing before it shows you the caskets. You can also buy one somewhere else. Here's what the price lists we checked show, and what your rights are.
What do funeral homes charge for a casket?
We read the casket prices of funeral homes in 49 states, from price lists checked between September 19 and October 23, 2026. For each home, we looked at the least expensive and the most expensive casket on its list.
| Casket on the list | Homes | Middle price | Middle half of homes charge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Least expensive casket | 1,464 | $1,195 | $995 to $1,295 |
| Most expensive casket | 1,346 | $21,095 | $12,000 to $21,695 |
At the low end, a few homes list a casket for less than $326, and a few have nothing under $2,050. At the high end, a few homes top out below $5,695, and a few list caskets above $35,919.
So for half the homes, the cheapest casket sits in a fairly narrow band. The top of the range varies much more from home to home. To compare homes near you, try our California burial cost page or search funeral homes by ZIP.
Do you have the right to see casket prices first?
Yes. Under the FTC's Funeral Rule, a funeral home that sells caskets must offer you a printed casket price list when you start talking about caskets, and in any case before it shows you any. The list has to include the retail price of every casket and alternative container it offers that doesn't need a special order, enough detail to tell them apart, and the date the prices took effect.
Some homes put those casket prices on their General Price List instead of a separate list. Others show a casket price range on the General Price List with the line "A complete price list will be provided at the funeral home."
The FTC suggests asking to see lower priced models if they aren't on display. A casket can be on the price list without being in the showroom.
What are caskets made of?
The FTC describes caskets as usually made of metal, wood, fiberboard, fiberglass or plastic. Metal caskets are often steel, and a lower gauge number means thicker steel. Wood caskets can be hardwood or softwood, and the FTC notes that pine is the least expensive and is rarely displayed.
Some metal caskets are sold as "gasketed," "protective" or "sealer" caskets, with a rubber seal meant to delay water getting in. The FTC says these features add to the cost and can't preserve a body indefinitely. The Funeral Rule bars a funeral home from claiming that a casket will delay natural decomposition for a long or indefinite time.
Do you need a casket for cremation?
No. No state or local law requires a casket for cremation, the FTC says, and a funeral home can't tell you otherwise. A home that arranges direct cremation must offer an alternative container, such as an unfinished wood box, fiberboard or cardboard.
If you'd like a viewing or a service with the body present before cremation, the FTC notes that you can often rent a casket from the funeral home for it. Ask whether a rental is on the price list.
Can you buy a casket somewhere else?
Yes. You can buy a casket from another seller or online and have it delivered to the funeral home. The FTC says the home must accept it and can't charge you a fee for using it. The FTC calls an extra casket handling fee a hidden penalty that the rule doesn't allow.
You'll see this on the price list too. For immediate burial (burial soon after death, with no viewing or ceremony with the body present), the home must show a separate price for when you provide the casket. On the lists we checked:
| Immediate burial line | Homes | Middle price | Middle half of homes charge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Family provides the casket | 1,446 | $3,795 | $2,995 to $4,714 |
| With the home's casket | 1,435 | $5,260 | $4,199 to $6,338 |
The first price covers the funeral home's work only, so you'd add what you paid for your own casket. Our immediate burial guide explains what each line includes.
What about vaults and grave liners?
An outer burial container is a box that goes in the grave around the casket. A grave liner covers the top and sides; a vault encloses the casket and costs more. No state law requires one, but many cemeteries do, so the ground doesn't sink. The FTC says a grave liner meets that requirement.
Funeral homes that sell these must show you their prices before showing the containers. On the lists we checked:
| Outer burial container on the list | Homes | Middle price | Middle half of homes charge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Least expensive | 1,328 | $1,495 | $1,195 to $1,795 |
| Most expensive | 1,221 | $6,095 | $4,995 to $12,895 |
A few homes list their least expensive container below $499, and a few list their top container above $24,995. The FTC notes a third-party dealer may charge less than a funeral home or cemetery. Neither a liner nor a vault preserves the body. See are burial vaults required? for more.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest casket a funeral home sells?
It differs by home, but on the lists we checked, for half the homes, the least expensive casket cost $995 to $1,295. The casket price list must include every casket the home offers that doesn't need a special order, so you can find the cheapest one there even if it isn't on display.
Can a funeral home refuse a casket I bought online?
No. The FTC says the funeral home must accept a casket you bought elsewhere and can't charge a fee for it. If a home tells you otherwise, you can report it to the FTC.
Does a more expensive casket protect the body longer?
No. The FTC says sealed or "protective" caskets can't preserve a body indefinitely, and a funeral home isn't allowed to claim that a casket will delay decomposition for a long or indefinite time.
Is a casket required for burial?
The Funeral Rule lets a funeral home price an immediate burial with either a casket or an alternative container, and some lists show both. The cemetery may have its own rules, so ask it. For cremation, no law requires a casket.
Sources
- eCFR: 16 CFR Part 453, Funeral Industry Practices
- FTC: The FTC Funeral Rule
- FTC: Funeral Costs and Pricing Checklist
- FTC: Complying with the Funeral Rule
- HonestFarewell: checked General Price Lists