Mortuary Transport Services

I found this list, that was actually gleaned from the Funeral Consumer’s Alliance, which I worked with a few of the funeral homes in the bay area that were included on their site. It’s a mixed bag of whether going through them is the best deal, since less expensive doesn’t always translate to quality.

The first point…

Talk about funerals with family members ahead of time so they all will know your wishes and you will know theirs. If your plans are mentioned only in a will, the will may not be read until long after other arrangements have been made. If Mom had always said she wanted something “simple” and you aren’t sure what she meant, you may end up purchasing a great deal more than something truly “simple.” Or perhaps Mom told everyone what kind of funeral she wanted, but she had no idea that it would cost far more than anyone could afford.

Talking over your wishes and making sure they’re understood is a very sound idea, and should be part of everyone’s planning method. It’s amazing how many families didn’t really know what to do, even when they had months notice that their loved one was terminal. It’s easy to stay in denial, I guess.

Price shop by phone or in person. Price-shopping can save you thousands of dollars. The funeral home in your neighborhood may be three times as expensive as one across town. By law, funeral homes have to give you prices over the phone, or hand you a General Price List when you start talking about prices at the funeral home. If the GPL shows that caskets begin at $595, did you ask to see one if it was not on display?

Yes, this is all true, but I would even more so want to see what experience other clients had with that funeral home, not just deciding when a business is putting their best foot forward. You can start with price to eliminate the range you want to stay away from, but then ask for references of someone they’ve served recently. I stress recently, because sometimes, due to sometimes unknown reasons, service can decline over time, and a business may try to bank on their previous sterling reputation. I had to constantly review my transportation service quality standards, since it was easy to become complacent over time.

Only buy what you want. If you are shopping for a funeral at the time of death take a friend with you, someone who will help you be sure you buy only what you want. Don’t buy more than you intended out of guilt. People often think that how much they spend is a demonstration of how much they love someone. Don’t buy more because of fears of being “different” or “cheap” or worries about “What people will think?” Funeral sales literature today commonly refers to a “traditional” funeral package (meaning elaborate and a good profit margin for the mortician), with one funeral often looking just like the next. Enjoy making your own traditions. A unique and personalized memorial observance is what others will remember. Don’t feel obligated to put on a big “show” when the deceased has been prominent dur-ing his or her lif etime. For the cremation of the author of The American Way of Death, Jessica Mitford’s family spent just under $500. Shortly thereafter, they hosted a grand memorial gathering. It was very much in keeping with Jessica’s disdain of lavish funeral merchandise but love of a good party.

Yeah! Stay away from the used car salesman type of funeral director. I think a good demeanor is not too happy, not too sullen. It’s easy to be swayed by someone trying to talk to you about something you have no idea about. You’ll possibly regret spending more than you needed to, but you won’t regret the time you spent with your friends and family. Remember what the purpose of a funeral or memorial service is… not to think about them being dead, but how they made a difference in your life while they were alive.

Make your own or buy online. You can find caskets or kits on line for a fraction of the retail price. It is illegal for a mortuary to charge a “handling fee” for using a casket obtained elsewhere. Or, choose a “minimum container” from the mortuary and drape it with attractive material, a handmade quilt, or a flag. Most people know what’s involved in growing a head of lettuce or a few tomatoes and would think $10 each was an outrageous price; they probably would stop buying them. Few consumers realize that caskets may be marked up 300-500% or more. A casket that is listed for $1,295 at the funeral home might wholesale for only $325. That same casket is probably available from a casket retailer for $650.

Yep, you can make your own, or buy elsewhere, but the funeral directors already see that coming, since part of their profit margin comes from the sale of a casket. They just pad another fee to cover some of their loss, because they still have to pay their overhead, no matter how the customer tries to short the fees. Be careful going to a casket retailer though, because some popular brands can only be bought through a licensed funeral home or director, and the casket store is just willing to take a smaller margin since they’re hoping to make up their loss in volume. If you’re going to try to save money on a casket, be willing to do some of the labor for transportation, delivery, etc. Or, hire a mortuary transport business who’s already equipped for a casket, and have them pick up and deliver. Sometimes it’s still less than what you may pay a funeral home. I just want to say – be careful where you cut corners.

Consider the “direct burial” or “immediate cremation” packages. These plans do not necessitate buying grand caskets, embalming, cosmetic touchups, or funeral services and processions. Cemetery space for cremated remains is generally – but not always – less expensive than the space needed for a body burial. Cremated remains can be buried/scattered almost wherever you choose. Also, if you choose one of these options, you don’t need to use a local funeral home which might cost twice as much as the one in the next town.

This is, of course, a personal choice, and I’m not going to suggest what to do regarding getting cutrate services. I’ve done transportation services for private customers as far away as 10-150 miles because they wanted to use my services, so there’s opportunity everywhere.

Plan a memorial service without the body present. In that case, there would be no need for embalming, a fancy casket, or expensive transporting of the body back and forth. Private family visitation and “goodbyes” can occur in the hospital or home, before you call a funeral director. Use a church, park, or community center for the memorial service without attending funeral home staff. Again, with this option, you do not have to use a local funeral home.

But you do need to refrigerate the body! Not to be too gross, but just consider what would happen if you a pork loin roast sitting in a room unrefrigerated for 3-5 days. It would be intolerable! Now multiply that by 50-100 times in weight, and you don’t want your loved one around much anymore! Check with local code for what you can do, but the conservator, next of kin or power-of-attorney has the right to do what they want with the body of their loved one. There are some services that just have to be provided by a funeral director, but a lot of procedures you can do yourself with a little research and study.

Skip embalming. Embalming is not routinely required by law. Some circumstances may precipitate the need for embalming, but in no state is it necessary when burial or cremation is planned within a day or so.

Again, refrigerate if it’s going to be more than a couple days. A cool room, below 60-70°, and you can buy yourself a couple more days, but a lot of flowers, a few candles, maybe some incense will make the visitation a lot more tolerable. Try to remember that the body may look somewhat normal on the outside, but the interal temperature was in the 90s when they passed away, and that’s warm enough for the internal organs to start decomposing pretty quick.

Consider body donation to a medical school. In some areas, there may be no cost to the family whatsoever. In other circumstances, the cost of transporting the body may be the only cost. Generally cremated remains are returned to the family within a year or two.

Now this has always been a great option for people who have been ‘certified’ by a doctor to be disease free, but you need to make the arrangements months ahead of time, to allow for all the other procedures to be put in place. I had one funeral home who had the contract with Stanford for all their body donations, so we did a lot of removals for the university. Their remains went straight to the university, then the funeral home did all the necessary paperwork with the county. They would then have any left over parts cremated when the students were done with the cadavers. In this case, the university paid for all costs, including transportation.

Some cemeteries may require a grave liner or vault, but not all. There is no state law that does. If you prefer body burial, ask for a “grave liner” rather than a “coffin vault” at a fraction of the price. And again, be sure to shop around. The “outer burial container” is a way for morticians to increase their income and is an added burden on your funeral finances. With prices as much or more than caskets, remember that it is just a boxforthebox which gets quickly covered by the cemetery lawn.

You can be fairly sure that your local cemetery is going to want a vault used, since they help keep the ground from sinking above the casket. There are some cemeterys that don’t require vaults, and even don’t require a casket! See my previous story on alternative cemeteries.

Consider handling all arrangements without using a mortuary. Most people also don’t know that in the majority of states a family or church group may handle a death without the use of a funeral home and many families have found it loving and therapeutic. The book, Caring for the Dead: Your Final Act of Love (see below), gives a great deal of state specific practical information, and the PBS documentary, A Family Undertaking follows the stories of several families. Both are invaluable resources for anyone choosing this meaningful way to say goodbye.

 I’ve assisted in a few non-funeral home burials, by providing transportation and death certificate services. Usually the family or extended group of friends confer amongst themselves and with the future decedent on how their life will be celebrated. Many times they just want to have some extra time with them, then get them to the cemetery or crematory and move on with their lives with varying degrees of lingering among family and friends. That’s where it’s good for the family to understand what all needs to be done to satisfy the state. There has to be a doctor who will sign the death certificate, and then depending on whether you go with cremation, burial or both, most of the time you can’t just bury them anywhere you want, so you need to research local and state codes if you’re looking to vary from the mainstream disposition approach.

And, a bonus tip: Join your local Funeral Consumers Alliance. Some have contracts with local funeral homes for services at a reduced price for members. Some have done a price survey and have done the priceshopping for you already. Most will refer you to an ethical funeral home. There are reciprocal benefits if you move to or die in another state. Supporting an Alliance will help to keep this consumer information available for future generations, and the membership contribution is modest.

I mentioned earlier that you want to be careful about what you get for your reduced price. I did housecalls for a few “repeat customers” - families who had more than one person die in a 1-2 year period – who related the poor service they received because they were paying such a low price. There were some options that families took for granted that weren’t included in some low price packages, like viewing times, which require a staff person present.

You can pay “too much” in some cases, but that can be avoided by doing proper research beforehand, and talking to friends and family members who have dealt with the death of a loved one recently. It really helps with processing grief to put energy into helping someone else that is going through something you just faced, so don’t hesitate to request the input of someone who’s walked your road ahead of you. They can always say no, and naturally, you’d allow them their space in that case.

Remember: Funeral directors are business people who deserve to be paid for what they do. However, it is your job, as a funeral consumer, to be well educated about your funeral choices, to determine the kind of funeral or memorial service that meets the needs of your family, and to locate an ethically priced facility that will honor your choices with caring and dignity.

Feel free to add any comments you may have that might make it easier for others reading this article.

 

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