More and more Texans are accepting cremation as a simple and much more affordable option than burial.  You can arrange a direct cremation in San Antonio for as little as $795. If you want to understand a little more about cremation prices and options, read on.

San Antonio is one of the fastest-growing cities in the U.S.  A modern hub of growth and modernity, where a simple direct cremation service is one of the cheapest in the country.

A direct cremation can be conducted in San Antonio for as little as $795 complete.

Why is the direct cremation price so low in San Antonio?

Overall the average price for a direct cremation in Texas, (and in most major cities) will range between $795 – $1,1195. So, San Antonio stands out as a “cheaper place to die”.  Demand has driven the shift to cremation, with some resistance by the industry.

There are certainly a few local funeral businesses that embraced the demand for affordable death care alternatives.  Several of these local businesses positioned themselves at the ‘right time’ to capture the simple cremation service market.  Opening their own crematories when many funeral homes were still lamenting the decline in the traditional death care market.

Texas is a state of big business and opportunity, and it seems there have been sufficient entrepreneurial death care experts who decided to invest in the potential for cremation early on.

What does a direct cremation in San Antonio include?

A direct cremation is the industry term for a simple, no-ceremony cremation.  This is the service that offers families an exceptionally affordable option at $795.  The deceased is collected and transported to the funeral home/crematory, the legal paperwork completed and obtained, the cremation performed, and then the cremation ashes returned to the family in a simple, temporary urn.

This effectively takes care of the immediate need to conduct a disposition.  Families have sometimes already decided they want to scatter the ashes.  Or, they are opting to host their own memorial service at a later date.

What extra costs are there?

Death certificates are a fixed state fee of $21.00 for the initial certificate and additional copies priced at $4.00 each.  You only need to have at least one copy of the death certificate, and that is included in the cremation service package at $795.  But many families find that 3-5 copies make it easier to manage closing down the deceased’s estate.

Cremation permits are issued by the Bexar County Medical examiner’s office within 24 hours of a request received from a funeral home.  Bexar county charges $25.00 for issuing a cremation permit.

If the deceased is a ME case, this can expedite the process of obtaining a cremation permit.  The MEO office is at  7337 Louis Pasteur Drive, San Antonio, Texas 78229

Can you pre-plan a cheap direct cremation?

You can pre-plan a cremation service.  But the $795 price is for an immediate (or at-need) service.  Pre-planning usually involves putting funds into a state trust or insurance plan that will cover the costs at a future date.  For this reason, pre-arranging a cremation will generally cost in the region of $1,000 -$1,500.  It will depend on the individual circumstances of how, and for who, the provision is being made, and over what terms it is pre-paid.  The Neptune Society (operated by Service Corporation International) has a location in San Antonio.  They tend to focus on selling direct cremation packages, and especially pre-arrangement services. They do not publish cremation prices on their website.  But they do reference cremation costs as being “The total cost of cremation can range up to several thousands of dollars depending on those choices”. 

This useful article from US Funerals Online explains in detail how you can pre-plan, without pre-paying, and benefit from low pricing with a Payable on Death (POD) bank account.

Another handy resource is this article on cremation laws and a comprehensive funeral guide for the state of Texas.