Why Funeral Home Services Cost More Than Cremation

Funeral homes in Mohnton, PA offer a variety of services so they can serve families with many different needs. Most funeral homes today offer both funeral homes and cremation services. One of the biggest differences between the two is the cost element. Cremation costs much less than a traditional funeral. Since they are equal when it comes to dignity and honor, why does the funeral option cost so much more? In general, it’s because there are more products and services involved with a funeral. Here are some of those things.

The Cemetery Plot

When you go for a funeral, the only final resting place is a cemetery. You will need to choose a cemetery and a plot within that cemetery. You have to buy that plot and pay for the burial of your loved one. You might also have to pay maintenance fees, for permits, and other such things. Those costs add up fast and make a funeral rise in cost over cremation right away.

The Casket

Your loved one will have to be in a casket for the burial process and, beyond that, there is usually a burial vault in the ground that surrounds that. While some caskets are simple and cost-effective, they rise in price from there and can be quite costly as well. Either way, they are larger than an urn and are going to cost more in the materials alone, which raises the funeral cost over cremation again.

The Traditional Services

Cremation services can be whatever you want them to be. You can have something in a family home or park for free. But funeral services are traditional and can only be held in certain locations. You will have to have a funeral home or church for the funeral and you might add a visitation service and reception around those services, too. Those locations are going to cost, as are the services themselves. While you can do similar things for a cremation, you don’t have to and that lowers the initial costs a great deal.

The Embalming

You never have to embalm your loved one if you don’t want to, but most people do go that direction when they decide to have a funeral for them. Embalming preserves your loved one so they are able to look nice for the funeral and visitation process. You don’t need that for cremation and it’s an expensive process that uses chemicals and takes professional application. That’s another cost that can be taken out for cremation services that you have to consider when going for a funeral.

There’s nothing wrong with going all out and having traditional services with funeral homes in Mohnton, PA, but you have to know that the costs are higher and you need to be able to figure out how to cover those costs. Funerals have a lot of products and services that are necessary, but the professionals at Bean Funeral Homes & Cremation Services, Inc. are here to help you with those decisions.