Funeral Costs

Explanation of Funeral Costs

During the funeral arrangements, our funeral director will discuss full details of the expected cost of the funeral. Occasionally we may need to clarify a cost before we can give you the information, but we will confirm the cost is acceptable before committing you to anything.

 

You must feel comfortable with the funeral commitments you are undertaking. If you do not feel this is the case, please let us know, and we will discuss the best way to come in line with your expectations. If you have a budget in mind, let us know so we can work with you to keep to it, but please be assured that most funerals cost nothing like what is reported in the media!

 

Before the day of the funeral, we will send you a written estimate, and unless discussed otherwise, a final invoice around a week after the funeral. Both will show the costs broken down in the same way:

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What makes up the total cost of a funeral?

Funeral costs fall in to 2 categories, to get the total cost, add these figures together.

 

Funeral Director's Charges; this is what you are paying us to put into place and carry out your chosen arrangements.

 

Disbursements (3rd party costs); these are costs we have no direct control over, such as crematorium or cemetery fees; these fees will not change regardless of which funeral director you use, but they may change depending on the choices you make for the funeral.

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Our full price list is available to download, but below are the typical costs.

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Funeral Director's Charges

Below are detailed the breakdown of our typical funeral charges, the total is £1915.00 plus your choice of coffin.

 

Professional Charges  £1265.00

Bespoke full service funeral with burial or cremation.

Services included in our professional charge:

• Attendance by a funeral director at any time to deal with all matters

• Guidance of all legal aspects following a death

• Help and advice on registering the death and booking appointments

• Liaising with the Coroner when necessary

• Copies of documentation

• Having available and making arrangements for the completion of all relevant forms

• Collection and delivery of all necessary forms to relevant authorities

• Full and clear advice on the services available

• Liaising with celebrant, cemetery, crematorium, church, organist, verger, etc. for arranging the timing and details of the funeral

• Formally confirming funeral details to the family and celebrant

• Wording and placing announcements in local or nation newspapers and online

• Dealing with all enquiries relating to the funeral

• All necessary phone and postage charges

• Making available documents relating to other matters such as bereavement counselling services

• Provision of a pack of documents including a written confirmation and estimate

• Receiving and arranging floral tributes

• Provision of a funeral director to look after with mourners, administer the funeral, and provide guidance and control during the funeral ceremony

• Receiving, handling and forwarding donations

• Distribution of flowers to one address within a 10 mile radius of the place of service

• Care and preparation of the deceased for viewing

• Use of viewing chapel both in and out of office hours by appointment

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Transfer of the Deceased Person to our Premises  £200.00

The provision of two staff at any time, day or night to move the deceased person from any address (within a 10 mile radius of any of our offices) to our premises, or to another location as requested by HM Coroner, and then to our premises at a later date. Includes the use of a suitably discreet vehicle, all necessary protective clothing for staff and equipment.

 

Excess mileage on the collection of the deceased person will be charged at £1.50 per mile travelled (plus ferry and toll charges and when an overnight stay is necessary, subsistence and hotel charges).

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Provision of a Hearse  £240.00

A coach-built hearse for the funeral service.

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Provision of Bearers  £210.00

Up to 4 bearers to allow carrying of the coffin, or provide instruction to family bearers, when it is deemed safe to do so.

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Additional Services

These are just some of the optional services available, and will only be charged for if requested.

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Provision of Limousines  £200.00 per vehicle

Coach-built limousines, to be included as part of the funeral cortege, staying for the service, and dropping off at a venue after the service.

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Reception Home £170.00

Bringing the deceased home overnight before the funeral service.

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Reception into Church £170.00

Bringing the deceased into the funeral venue, usually a Church, the evening before the service.

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Attending an Interment of Cremated Remains £55.00

A funeral director to attend the interment of ashes at a local cemetery or Churchyard. We will make any arrangements free of charge if we arranged the funeral, this is simply if you want us present at the interment.

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Embalming £145.00

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Coffin from £445.00

Your selection of coffin, including interior, handles and identification plate. There is a full array of options, please see our coffins page for more information.

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​Hygienic treatment and attendances to the deceased are also considered very important to our company. The last time you saw a loved one may be a distressing memory, perhaps in hospital or for the purposes of identification. In any event, we believe that in asking us to look after a member of your family, you would like to know that the best that could be done for your relative has been done, whether you want the coffin open or closed.

 

We do offer embalming as an optional expense, but, despite what you may have been told, it is not a legal requirement for your loved one to be embalmed in order for you to see them, and generally is not necessary. We are happy to discuss this further if you wish.

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Disbursements (3rd Party Costs)

These are the fees paid to any third party involved in the funeral, for example, the crematorium or cemetery, minister, florist, doctors (see below) etc. As you will appreciate, we have no direct control over these charges and could therefore be subject to slight variations. Should there be any major alteration your funeral director will advise you accordingly. These alter from funeral to funeral, so it is difficult to give exact figures, but a few of the most common are given:

 

York Crematorium  £1086.00

Maple Park Crematorium £1060.00

Octon Crematorium £1210.00

Haltemprice Crematorium £1160.00

Use of the Chapel for the service and a cremation.

 

Doctors Fee for Cremation Form  £82.00

No one can be cremated until the cause of death is definitely known. The cremation form is referred to as Form 4, and is completed by the last doctor that treated the deceased. The cremation form is not required when the death falls under the coroner's jurisdiction.

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Minister or Celebrant   £200.00 - £250.00

A Minister or Celebrant, whether religious or not, to lead the service at either the Crematorium or Cemetery.

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Financial Assistance

If you feel that you may struggle with the costs of arranging a funeral, please talk to us about it. Part of our job is to give a realistic expectation of what your budget will provide. Where needed, we can help you to reduce costs where possible, and can point you in the right direction to try and get help with meeting the costs. We will never turn a family away without doing everything we can to help, and suggest meeting in person to talk about your situation. Please see our FAQ to get ideas of where may be able help.

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We are also pleased to be able to offer payment plans, meaning that you can have a regular, affordable payment, instead of having to come up with a lump sum, see Payment Plans for full details.