What is typically the most expensive part of a funeral?

The most expensive part of a funeral is typically the casket, followed closely by funeral home service fees and cemetery costs. In the United States, a casket alone can cost between 2,000 dollars and 10,000 dollars on average, with high-end caskets made of mahogany, bronze, or copper costing 15,000 dollars or more. The casket price often surprises families because it is a large single item purchase. After casket, the next most expensive parts are the funeral home's basic services fee, which includes staff, paperwork, and coordination, usually 2,000 to 3,500 dollars, and the vault or grave liner required by many cemeteries, costing 1,000 to 2,500 dollars. Cemetery costs including opening and closing the grave, burial plot, and headstone can total 3,000 to 10,000 dollars. Embalming and body preparation cost 500 to 1,200 dollars, viewing and ceremony use of facilities 1,000 to 2,000 dollars, and hearse and transportation several hundred dollars. For cremation, the most expensive part is often the funeral home service and urn rather than casket. Overall, traditional burial funerals average 7,000 to 12,000 dollars, with casket being the single biggest expense.