Funeral costs in California
Built from 9 real, itemized General Price Lists we've collected from the Los Angeles–Orange County area, each with a source link and a collection date.
At a glance
| Scenario | Typical range | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Direct cremation only | $995 – $1,875 | $1,207 |
| Cremation with viewing & ceremony | $2,092 – $3,926 | $2,755 |
| Immediate burial only | $2,172 – $3,579 | $2,894 |
| Traditional funeral with burial | $3,269 – $5,630 | $4,442 |
Want a figure built around your own choices? Use the full calculator for California.
The traditional funeral, itemized
A viewing, a funeral ceremony, and burial with the least expensive casket each price list discloses — line by line.
| Item | Typical range | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Basic services of funeral director and staff9 price lists in California | $995 – $1,680 | $1,275 |
| Transfer of remains to the funeral home7 price lists in California | $315 – $450 | $395 |
| Embalming6 price lists in California | $413 – $699 | $648 |
| Viewing or visitation8 price lists in California | $288 – $521 | $425 |
| Funeral ceremony6 price lists in California | $396 – $831 | $475 |
| Hearse7 price lists in California | $363 – $525 | $425 |
| Casket — the least expensive one offered8 price lists in California | $499 – $924 | $799 |
| Total | $3,269 – $5,630 | $4,442 |
Real price lists we’ve collected in California
Every row is a named funeral home’s own published General Price List, not an estimate. Follow the source link to read the original document.
| Funeral home | Direct cremation | Basic services fee | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| After Cremation CA1 IncLadera Ranch, CA · effective July 31, 2026 | $1,403 | $995 | View price list |
| Clarity Funerals & CremationLos Angeles, CA · effective June 1, 2023 | $995 | $500 | View price list |
| HILGENFELD MORTUARYAnaheim, CA · effective May 1, 2026 | $2,015 | $2,050 | View price list |
| Hollywood ForeverHollywood, CA · effective January 1, 2023 | $2,975 | $1,500 | View price list |
| JMJ Cremations CorporationRiverside, CA | $1,207 | $947 | View price list |
| Los Angeles Funeral Service, Inc.Inglewood, CA · effective January 2, 2025 | $1,875 | $2,000 | View price list |
| sout LOS ANGELES MORTUARY, INC.Los Angeles, CA · effective October 1, 2022 | $1,078 | $1,680 | View price list |
| WHITE DIAMOND FUNERAL SERVICES fd#2096Beverly Hills, CA · effective January 1, 2017 | $895 | $1,275 | View price list |
Frequently asked questions
How much does a cremation cost in California?
A direct cremation with no viewing or ceremony, based on funeral homes in California, typically runs $995 to $1,875, with a median of $1,207. Adding a viewing and a funeral ceremony brings the median to $2,755.
How much does a funeral with burial cost in California?
An immediate burial with no viewing or ceremony has a median of $2,894 (typically $2,172 to $3,579), based on funeral homes in California. A traditional funeral that adds a viewing, a ceremony, and the least expensive casket on each price list has a median of $4,442.
What's the cheapest price you've found in California?
WHITE DIAMOND FUNERAL SERVICES fd#2096 in Beverly Hills, CA lists direct cremation at $895, on a price list effective January 1, 2017. This is simply the lowest figure in our data, not a recommendation — we have never spoken to this funeral home.
Is California more or less expensive than the national average?
Across our full dataset of 35 price lists nationwide, direct cremation has a median of $1,920 and a traditional funeral with burial has a median of $5,616. In California, those medians are $1,207 and $4,442. For a broader benchmark, the National Funeral Directors Association's most recent survey puts the median cost of a funeral with cremation at $6,280 and with viewing and burial at $8,300 (2023 NFDA General Price List Study) — a different bundle of items than our itemized figures, so they won't match exactly.
Do funeral homes in California have to give me a written price list?
Yes. The FTC Funeral Rule requires every funeral home in the United States, including California, to give you an itemized General Price List and to quote prices over the phone. It's illegal for them to refuse, and you don't have to give a deposit or make any arrangement first. The price lists behind this page are exactly those documents.