Affordable Cremation Costs in Columbia, South Carolina $895

Since 2012, DFS Memorials has helped families find affordable, dignified cremation through an established network of independent, family-run funeral homes and cremation providers in 42 states. Every partner in our network is licensed, local to the community it serves, and committed to a clear price set before you commit, so families can focus on each other rather than on costs.

In Columbia and the Midlands, our local partner provides a direct cremation for $895 to families within 50 miles of West Columbia. That covers the whole of Columbia, Lexington, Irmo and the surrounding area.

What the $895 covers

• Collection of your loved one from the place of death, including hospitals, nursing homes, hospice and home
• Care and sheltering until the paperwork is complete
• Filing the death certificate and obtaining the cremation permit
• A simple cremation container
• The cremation itself
• Return of the cremated remains to the family

What may cost extra

• Certified copies of the death certificate. The South Carolina Department of Public Health charges $12 for the first certified copy.
• The county cremation permit fee, which varies by county
• Collection from outside the 50-mile area. Elsewhere in South Carolina, direct cremation through our network starts from $995.
• An urn, if you want something other than the standard container for the ashes

Ask for the General Price List before you agree to anything. Under the FTC Funeral Rule, every funeral home must give you one, and the price you are quoted should match it.

How $895 compares in Columbia

Prices for the same direct cremation vary widely across the city. Dunbar Funeral Home Northeast, a Dignity Memorial location owned by Service Corporation International, lists its lowest direct cremation at $2,835 on its price list (checked October 2026). For that price, the family supplies the container. Many Columbia funeral homes keep their historic local names after a corporate sale, so it is worth asking who owns the business before you compare.

Our Columbia partner, Pressley Cares Mortuary Services (SC FD/Emb license #2254) in West Columbia, also offers a complete traditional funeral with a casket for $4,895 within the same 50-mile area, for families who want a viewing and service.

The $895 price applies across Columbia neighborhoods, including Five Points, the Vista, Shandon, Rosewood, Earlewood, Melrose Heights and Northeast Columbia. It also applies in nearby communities such as Cayce, West Columbia, Lexington, Irmo, Chapin, Forest Acres, Blythewood and Elgin.

If a death occurs in a Columbia hospital

Hospital staff will ask which funeral home to call. Give them the name Pressley Cares Mortuary Services, and the release is arranged directly between the hospital and the provider. You do not need to collect anything yourself. Major hospitals in the area include:

• Prisma Health Richland, 5 Richland Medical Park Drive, Columbia
• Prisma Health Baptist, Taylor and Marion Streets, downtown Columbia
• MUSC Health Columbia Medical Center Downtown, 2435 Forest Drive, Columbia
• Lexington Medical Center, 2720 Sunset Boulevard, West Columbia
• William Jennings Bryan Dorn VA Medical Center, 6439 Garners Ferry Road, Columbia

If a death occurs at home

If your loved one was under hospice care and the death was expected, call the hospice nurse first. The nurse confirms the death and then contacts the provider you have chosen. If the death at home was unexpected, call 911.

Richland or Lexington County Coroner?

Most of Columbia lies in Richland County. West Columbia, Cayce and Lexington, across the Congaree River, are in Lexington County. The coroner of the county where the death happened handles any sudden or unexplained death and must approve every cremation. If your loved one is with the coroner, you can still choose your provider at any time. The provider arranges the release directly with the coroner’s office.

• Richland County Coroner: (803) 576-2060
• Lexington County Coroner: (803) 359-8439

Military families and deaths away from Columbia

Fort Jackson brings many families to Columbia whose relatives live in other states. Daryl Pressley is also an experienced mortuary transport provider, licensed in South Carolina, North Carolina and Georgia. That makes transfers between Columbia and the neighboring states simpler. After a cremation, ashes can be shipped or carried to family anywhere in the country.

What South Carolina law requires

• 24-hour minimum: A cremation cannot take place until at least 24 hours after death (S.C. Code § 32-8-340). In practice, the death certificate and permit usually take a few days.
• Death certificate: The attending physician, coroner or medical examiner must sign the death certificate before the cremation can go ahead.
• Who signs the authorization: State law sets the order (S.C. Code § 32-8-320). A person the deceased named in writing comes first, then the spouse, then adult children, then parents, then adult siblings. If family members with equal rights disagree, the probate court decides.
• Pacemakers: A pacemaker must be removed before cremation (S.C. Code § 32-8-355). Your provider handles this.
• No embalming or casket needed: Neither is required for a direct cremation.

Veterans: Fort Jackson National Cemetery

Fort Jackson National Cemetery in northeast Columbia accepts the cremated remains of eligible veterans. The VA provides the burial space, the opening and closing, and a government headstone or marker at no cost to the family. A spouse or dependent may also qualify. A direct cremation followed by burial at Fort Jackson is one of the lowest-cost ways to give a veteran a dignified, permanent resting place. Your provider can help you request the burial through the VA National Cemetery Scheduling Office.

Holding a memorial after the cremation

Many Columbia families choose cremation first and a memorial later, on their own schedule. Popular settings include a church, a family home, a spot on Lake Murray, or the riverfront along the Congaree, Saluda and Broad Rivers. South Carolina has no state law against scattering ashes. On private land you need the owner’s permission, and for public land or water, check with the agency that manages the site first. See our guide to planning a memorial after cremation.

More help for Columbia families

For a fuller planning guide, including funeral costs, body donation through the USC School of Medicine and help for low-income families, read Arranging a Funeral or Cremation in Columbia, SC on US Funerals Online.

Compare nearby areas: Richland County | Lexington County | South Carolina

To arrange a direct cremation in Columbia, or to plan ahead, call (803) 380-8807.