The cremation trend is changing the way we think about arranging a funeral. And opting for a simple, direct cremation is allowing families to save thousands of dollars on funeral costs, whilst also giving them back more control over the funeral and memorial process.
How funeral care is changing and economic reasons for choosing cremation
Deciding whether to bury or cremate is a personal choice. For some families, the decision is dictated by the budget they have for a funeral and a cremation service will cost less than a traditional burial funeral. On average a cremation service is going to save you at least 40% on the cost of a burial, sometimes you can save as much as 60% on the cost of a burial service. More families are choosing cremation as it does offer greater flexibility. The funeral service does not have to go ahead immediately. Instead, a cremation can be performed and the immediate disposition of the body dealt with, and then a service held at a later date convenient to the family.
The economy has definitely impacted how we are changing our approach to death care today. Many families simply cannot, or do not, want to spend unnecessarily on funeral costs. A cremation provides a simple, efficient, and economical means to conduct a disposition.
How much does a funeral cost in Las Vegas?
This is not a simple question to answer as funeral costs can range significantly depending on the type of services and products selected, and the funeral services provider used. The average cost of a funeral in Las Vegas is $6,641*, but the lowest cost is $4,050.
How much does a cremation cost in Las Vegas?
A cremation WILL save you on funeral costs. There is no requirement for a casket, cemetery plot, or burial vault, which alone saves thousands of dollars. Generally, embalming is not required when a cremation is performed, so all-in-all you can save on many funeral expenses, meaning that a cremation will cost at least half, if not less, than the full cost of a burial funeral.
It is important to state that cremation prices in Las Vegas DO vary considerably between funeral homes, and depending on what type of cremation service you opt for. Not all funeral homes have their own crematory but will use the services of a local crematory. The average cost of a cremation memorial is $3,651*, however, it is possible to find much lower-priced cremation services in Las Vegas.
How much is a direct cremation in Las Vegas, NV?
A basic cremation can be conducted in Vegas for as little as $595. This is what is known as a “direct cremation”. No services are performed, the deceased is collected, transported to the funeral facility, prepared for cremation and the cremation is conducted. The cremated remains are returned to the family in a temporary plastic urn. This low-price is available when applying discounts for hospice patients and/or veterans.
What type of cremation services are available?
You can select from a range of cremation services and packages. These will start with a basic cremation without any additional services, which is the cheapest type of cremation package. You can have a full-service funeral that is followed by the cremation, a cremation followed by a memorial service, or just a viewing followed by a cremation. Cremation does offer versatility in what options you have, and when and where any services can be held.
How to compare cremation costs in Las Vegas,
As mentioned the cost of a cremation can vary enormously – for the exact same service – but from different cremation service providers. Ensure that you compare like-for-like services. Some cremation service providers include crematory fees and cremation container costs in a direct cremation package, and others do not always include these fees. Death certificate fees and cremation permits are often additional ‘cash advance’ items.
How do I know that the cremated remains I get back are my loved one’s remains?
This is probably the most common cremation question we are asked. Strict laws govern the cremation of human remains and identity checks have to be made along the way. The cremation retort has to be completely cleared following a cremation and only one cremation can be performed at a time.
The remains are cleared into a machine that filters out any metal parts (tooth fillings, hip replacements, etc) and then ground into the fine ‘dust’ that is returned as cremation ashes.
Understanding the legal requirements for cremation in Nevada
As mentioned above, there are laws in place regarding the cremation of human remains. A cremation cannot be performed until the death certificate has been issued by the county and a cremation permit is issued by the medical examiner’s office. The legal next of kin must sign a Cremation Authorization Form.
It is not necessary to embalm a body for cremation and refrigerated storage is used to preserve the body until the cremation is performed. The funeral home will generally store the body for up to 5 days in refrigerated storage at no extra charge. If the cremation does not go ahead within 5 days, an additional fee for storage may be incurred.
What can we do with the cremated remains?
Cremation offers some greater flexibility in what you can do with the cremated remains once you have them returned. You can, of course, inter them in a grave plot or niche. However, you can choose to store them in an urn at home or scatter the cremated remains. There are also options such as having cremation artifacts made from cremated remains such as cremation diamonds, glass jewelry, birdbaths, and paintings.
Preplanning an affordable cremation service
If you wish to preplan a simple cremation you can lock in a low-cost cremation price. This may depend upon your age at the time of setting up a prepaid cremation plan. A cremation plan can be set up using an insurance policy where the funds are put into a trust. You can also opt to preplan your cremation service without prepaying. This ensures that your surviving family can proceed with arrangements at the time of need, without having to worry about completing the paperwork or making difficult decisions. The money to pay for the cremation can be put aside in a POD account (Payable on Death) which your beneficiary can draw out upon death immediately without probate.
The deceased had no life insurance – is there any help with cremation costs?
It is sadly a reality that more folks are passing without leaving the means to pay for their funeral. If you are faced with this situation, you need to explore what help may be available to you. Social Security payout a $255 lump sum death benefit (if you qualify) and your funeral director can assist you with this.
The support for indigent burials differs so much by state and county. Some counties do offer some financial assistance to low-income families, whereas in other counties only county indigent dispositions are conducted. To find out what may be available you should contact Clark County Social Services Department at:
500 S. Grand Central Pkwy, Las Vegas, NY 89155 Phone: (702) 455-0000
The deceased is at the Medical Examiner’s Office. What do I do?
If the deceased was the victim of a crime, or there were unusual circumstances surrounding the death, the deceased’s body may be taken into the care of the coroner for an examination to determine the cause of death. You will need to employ the services of a funeral director as soon as possible to coordinate the release of your loved one from the ME’s office.
A deceased person can only be released into the care of a licensed funeral director. Many funeral homes are familiar with the process to liaise with the ME to have the body released as quickly as possible. You may also find that a simple, direct cremation can be arranged at a very low cost when the deceased is in the Coroner’s morgue as all the paperwork can be expedited quickly and the process to transfer the deceased to the funeral facility is simplified.
Address of county coroner’s office: Clark County Medical Examiner 1704 Pinto Lane, Las Vegas, NV, 89106
We hope this short guide has helped answer some of your immediate questions and provided some help to understanding how you can arrange an affordable funeral or cremation service in Las Vegas, NV. If you need to research more information on funeral-planning, please visit the Library section on US Funerals Online.
*Funeral prices obtained from Parting funeral price comparison survey 2019
Direct cremation in Boston
You can inter cremated remains in an existing grave plot or a cremation niche, or choose to scatter in a designated memorial garden. However, there will still be a charge for interment or scattering in a designated cemetery. You can keep the cremated remains at home in a cremation urn or you can choose to conduct your own ash scattering ceremony. If you choose to scatter on private land you need the landowners consent. You can scatter cremated remains on public land but you do need to observe some ‘common-sense’ ash scattering guidelines. You may need to check whether a permit is required for municipal or state owned public spaces. Of course, you can scatter of the coast into the Gulf of Mexico if you wish and there are numerous boat charters in the Southwest Florida area that offer this service.
Can I pre-arrange a simple cremation plan?
This is a key question many families use the Internet to try and find out. It is not always easy checking and comparing cremation prices online, as not every funeral home has a website, or better still, puts their cremation prices on it. So we have put together what information we can to assist you compare cremation costs from providers in Columbus and understand how to arrange a low cost and dignified cremation service.
It can be mind-blowing deciding which funeral home to select. Just these few cremation companies I have outlined here demonstrate the choices put before families. We are moving away from ‘tradition’ and the notion of just choosing the nearest funeral home to conduct services. Several funeral companies in Columbus now offer basic cremation services throughout the whole state of Ohio – so the whole notion of the local is not once it was! It is important to have a clear idea of what you want from a cremation provider. If price is king, then check you are dealing with a reputable company. Several funeral providers in Columbus that offer low cost cremations are actually long established local funeral homes that offer a budget cremation arm.
There are a number of cremation providers offering direct cremation in Arlington and North Virginia. The cost of a direct cremation can vary by thousands of dollars, so it is important to check around and compare some prices before committing yourself. Generally a direct cremation should include everything to collect the deceased, prepare the paperwork, a cremation container, the crematory fee and returning the cremated remains in a temporary urn. Cash advances such as the death certificate and permits are not always included in a quoted direct cremation price – so be sure to check this!
Firstly, a cremation WILL save you on funeral costs. There is no requirement for a casket, cemetery plot or burial vault, which alone saves thousands of dollars. Generally embalming is not required when a cremation is performed, so all-in-all you can save on many funeral expenses, meaning that a cremation will cost at least half, if not less, than the full cost of a burial funeral.
Preplanning an affordable cremation service