Funeral costs in Louisiana
We don’t yet hold real price lists from Louisiana funeral homes, so the cost figures below are our nationwide numbers, not local ones. What is specific to Louisiana: two real facts about your rights, and how many funeral homes the state has.
What’s specific to Louisiana
Who can handle your funeral
Louisiana is one of nine states that legally requires a licensed funeral director to file the death certificate, transport the body, and attend burials and cremations.
Source: La. Rev. Stat. § 37:848, cited by Funeral Consumers Alliance.
Naming someone to decide for you
Louisiana honors a deceased person's written, notarized wishes, and provides a simple form for naming an agent to carry out cremation and other disposition decisions.
Source: La. Rev. Stat. § 37:876, cited by Funeral Consumers Alliance.
Funeral homes in Louisiana
252 funeral home establishments, per the U.S. Census Bureau’s County Business Patterns — more options can mean more room to compare prices.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns (2022), accessed 2026-08-03.
The national picture
These are our full nationwide figures, not numbers specific to Louisiana — we’d rather say that plainly than dress up a national average as a local one.
| Scenario | Typical range | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Direct cremation only | $1,037 – $2,420 | $1,920 |
| Traditional funeral with burial | $4,208 – $7,224 | $5,616 |
Want a figure built around your own choices? Use the full calculator.
Frequently asked questions
Does Louisiana require me to use a funeral home?
Louisiana is one of nine states that legally requires a licensed funeral director to file the death certificate, transport the body, and attend burials and cremations. (La. Rev. Stat. § 37:848, as cited by Funeral Consumers Alliance.)
Can I name someone in Louisiana to handle my funeral arrangements?
Louisiana honors a deceased person's written, notarized wishes, and provides a simple form for naming an agent to carry out cremation and other disposition decisions. (La. Rev. Stat. § 37:876, as cited by Funeral Consumers Alliance.)
How many funeral homes are there in Louisiana?
The U.S. Census Bureau's County Business Patterns counted 252 funeral home establishments in Louisiana in its most recent survey.
How much does a funeral cost in Louisiana?
We don't yet hold real price lists from Louisiana funeral homes, so we can't give a local figure. Nationwide, across 35 price lists we've collected, a direct cremation has a median of $1,920 and a traditional funeral with burial has a median of $5,616. Treat these as national numbers, not a Louisiana quote.
Do funeral homes in Louisiana have to give me a written price list?
Yes. The FTC Funeral Rule requires every funeral home in the United States, including Louisiana, 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.