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Cremation cost in Pennsylvania: prices from 121 funeral homes

Direct cremation in Pennsylvania has a median price of $2,985 across the 115 funeral homes that price it, collected through September 2026. Burial costs are here too.

Direct cremation, median
$2,985

Direct cremation, median

Cremation with a memorial service, median
$3,760

Cremation with a memorial service, median

Funeral with viewing, then cremation, median
$8,055

Funeral with viewing, then cremation, median

What Pennsylvania funeral homes charge

Direct cremation115 funeral homesMedian$2,985Most charge$1,295 to $4,445
Cremation with a memorial service (services, before urn)80 funeral homesMedian$3,760Most charge$2,372 to $5,245
Funeral with viewing, then cremation (services, before urn)30 funeral homesMedian$8,055Most charge$6,558 to $9,709
Immediate burial78 funeral homesMedian$3,955Most charge$2,601 to $8,060
Traditional funeral (services, before casket and cemetery)67 funeral homesMedian$6,345Most charge$4,940 to $8,198

“Most charge” is the middle 80% of prices: one home in ten charges less, one in ten charges more.

Each price is the funeral home’s own charge, and cremation prices include the crematory fee. Government fees, such as the permit and certified copies of the death certificate, are usually added on top.

The traditional funeral figure counts the funeral home’s services only: the casket, vault and cemetery come on top, so a burial usually costs well above it. A funeral with viewing before cremation includes a rental casket and the crematory fee, which is why it can show the higher figure.

Pennsylvania has about 863 funeral home establishments (Bureau of Labor Statistics). Prices differ widely between them, so call two or three before choosing: every funeral home must give you its prices over the phone.

Direct cremation by area

Only Pennsylvania funeral homes are counted, even where a metro area crosses a state line. An area needs prices from at least 8 funeral homes to be shown.

Pittsburgh, PA26 funeral homesMedian$2,410Most charge$1,250 to $3,338
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD19 funeral homesMedian$3,800Most charge$1,075 to $4,445
Reading, PA9 funeral homesMedian$2,495Most charge$1,393 to $4,254
Rest of Pennsylvania61 funeral homesMedian$3,175Most charge$1,570 to $4,360

What to know in Pennsylvania

Cremation rules in Pennsylvania

  • A body may be cremated any time after 24 hours have passed since the death, under 49 Pa. Code 13.212. The body can be taken to the crematory sooner if the crematory gets written instructions not to cremate before the 24 hours are up.
  • If your loved one was married, the surviving spouse has sole authority over the disposition of the remains, under 20 Pa.C.S. 305(b), unless a court finds enduring estrangement, incompetence, contrary intent or a waiver proven by clear and convincing evidence.
  • With no surviving spouse, the next of kin decide, in the same order as Pennsylvania's inheritance law: children and their descendants first, then parents, then brothers and sisters and their descendants, then grandparents, then aunts and uncles (20 Pa.C.S. 305(c) and 2103). Only adults or emancipated minors count.
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  • The decision under 20 Pa.C.S. 305 is subject to a valid will, and a service member's DD Form 93 signed later than the will controls who directs the disposition.
  • If two next of kin with equal standing disagree, a court decides and gives preference to the person closest to the deceased. If more than two disagree, the majority decides, under 20 Pa.C.S. 305(d).
  • If someone files a court petition challenging who decides within 48 hours of the death, the court may order that no cremation take place until the petition is decided (20 Pa.C.S. 305(d)).
  • The county coroner must investigate every death where the body is to be cremated, under 16 Pa.C.S. 13918(a)(9), so each cremation needs the coroner's authorization.
  • In Philadelphia, a Non-Burial Disposition Permit from the Chief Medical Examiner's Office has been required for every cremation since January 1, 2024.
  • The death certificate must be filed within four business days after the death and before a disposition permit is issued, under section 501 of the Vital Statistics Law of 1953.
  • No one may dispose of a body until a local registrar or the State Registrar issues a permit, and a crematory may not cremate without that permit, under section 504 of the Vital Statistics Law.
  • The funeral director must get and keep written authorization from the family before a cremation, under 49 Pa. Code 13.201(7).
  • A body held more than 24 hours after death must be embalmed, sealed in a container, or refrigerated at 35 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit, unless that conflicts with a religious belief or a medical examination (49 Pa. Code 13.201(6)).
  • A Pennsylvania death certificate lists the crematory's name and address, which can help if you later need to trace where a cremation took place.
Sources (8)

Fees you will pay in Pennsylvania

  • A certified death certificate from the Pennsylvania Department of Health costs $20 each, no matter how many copies you order.
  • Ordering death certificates online through VitalChek, the state's only approved vendor, adds a $10 service fee.
  • The $20 death certificate fee is waived, for up to 10 copies per applicant per calendar year, when the person who died or their spouse served in the U.S. Armed Forces and was not dishonorably discharged. The spouse, a dependent child's applicant, the estate's representative or the funeral director may apply, and the waiver does not cover the online service fee.
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  • State law sets the coroner's fee for a cremation or disposition authorization at $50 in counties covered by 16 Pa.C.S. 13952.
  • Philadelphia charges $50 for its Non-Burial Disposition Permit, effective January 1, 2024, plus any costs of a Medical Examiner investigation that applies to the case.
  • Montgomery County charges $50 for a cremation permit, plus a separate $2 credit card fee.
  • Delaware County lists its cremation permit at $50.
  • Lancaster County charges $60 for a cremation approval, and Carbon County charges $75 for each cremation permit.
  • In Montgomery and Delaware counties, the cremation permit is requested by the funeral home or crematory rather than by the family.
Sources (8)

Help paying for a cremation

  • The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services pays toward burial or cremation for people who were receiving SSI, TANF, General Assistance, State Blind Pension or State Supplementary Payment at the time of death (55 Pa. Code 283.4).
  • The DHS payment is at most $750. If other resources toward the funeral total $1,500 or more, DHS pays nothing, and if they are between $750 and $1,500, DHS pays $1,500 minus those resources (55 Pa. Code 283.21).
  • Clothing, transportation for the funeral party, obituaries, flowers and religious services do not count against the DHS payment (55 Pa. Code 283.22).
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  • DHS pays the funeral director, who must be enrolled with DHS, and the request is due within 30 days of the death in most cases (55 Pa. Code 283.7). The local county assistance office decides eligibility.
  • If the death resulted from a crime, Pennsylvania's Victims Compensation Assistance Program can reimburse up to $6,500 per victim for funeral and burial costs, including cremation. Call (800) 233-2339.
  • Many Pennsylvania counties pay a small burial allowance for honorably discharged wartime veterans who lived in the county, and for their widows or widowers. Bucks and Cumberland counties pay $100 and Berks County pays $75.
  • County veterans burial allowances must be applied for within one year of the death, and the funeral director usually helps with the application.
  • Pennsylvania's only state cemetery, the Soldiers' and Sailors' Cemetery in Erie, is limited to veterans who lived at the Pennsylvania Soldiers' and Sailors' Home at the time of death.
  • Eligible veterans can be buried at one of Pennsylvania's three national cemeteries: Indiantown Gap, the National Cemetery of the Alleghenies and Washington Crossing, with a gravesite, government headstone and flag provided. Your County Director of Veterans Affairs can help.
  • If a Pennsylvania funeral home has held a veteran's ashes for more than 120 days and has no instructions from the family, it may give them to a veterans' service organization for burial in a national cemetery, under section 506.2 of the Vital Statistics Law.
Sources (9)

Price lists and your rights

  • When you visit, the funeral home must give you a General Price List to keep, and a funeral home that offers cremation must tell you about alternative containers and make them available.
  • Pennsylvania treats a funeral director's failure to follow the FTC Funeral Rule as unprofessional conduct, under 49 Pa. Code 13.202(16), so the State Board of Funeral Directors can act on it.
  • Before the cremation takes place, the funeral director must give you a signed written agreement on a Board approved form that lists each service and item, each cash advance, and the total cost (49 Pa. Code 13.204).
Read more
  • The funeral director must keep a copy of that signed agreement with the records of the arrangement for 6 years (49 Pa. Code 13.204(f)).
  • A funeral director may not refuse to release your loved one's remains until you pay, under 49 Pa. Code 13.202(15).
  • A funeral director may not keep money beyond the value of the goods and services actually provided, based on the General Price List in effect at the time, under 49 Pa. Code 13.202(13).
  • Advertised prices may not suggest they include services or merchandise the funeral director does not intend to supply (49 Pa. Code 13.195).
  • Pennsylvania rules say a funeral director should counsel the family on choices with both their wishes and their financial limits in mind (49 Pa. Code 13.201(2)).
  • To report a funeral director, file a Statement of Complaint with the Pennsylvania Department of State, online through PALS or on the paper form. The complaint hotline is 1-800-822-2113 from within Pennsylvania or 717-783-4849.
Sources (7)

Water cremation and composting

  • House Bill 722 would add a definition of cremation to Pennsylvania's general statutory definitions (1 Pa.C.S. 1991) that includes alkaline hydrolysis, also called water cremation.
  • The Pennsylvania House passed House Bill 722 by 152 to 51 on October 1, 2025, and it was referred to the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee on October 3, 2025, where it has not been reported out.
  • A 2023 to 2024 bill to make natural organic reduction, often called human composting, an option in Pennsylvania (House Bill 919) was never reported out of committee.
Sources (3)

Checked against these sources in September 2026.

Pennsylvania cremation questions

How soon after death can a cremation happen in Pennsylvania?

Not until 24 hours after the time of death, under 49 Pa. Code 13.212. The coroner or medical examiner must also authorize the cremation and a disposition permit must be issued first.

Who has the legal right to decide on cremation in Pennsylvania?

The surviving spouse, unless a court finds estrangement or another exception. With no spouse, the next of kin decide in inheritance order: children, then parents, then siblings, and so on (20 Pa.C.S. 305).

How much does a death certificate cost in PA?

$20 per certified copy from the Department of Health, with no discount for ordering several. Online orders through VitalChek add a $10 service fee, and veterans' families may qualify for a fee waiver.

What does the coroner charge to approve a cremation in Pennsylvania?

It depends on the county. Philadelphia, Montgomery and Delaware counties charge $50, Lancaster County charges $60, and Carbon County charges $75.

Will the state help with cremation costs for someone on SSI in Pennsylvania?

Yes. DHS pays up to $750 toward burial or cremation for people who were on SSI or state cash assistance, reduced when other resources exceed $750. The funeral director must be enrolled with DHS and submit the request within 30 days of the death.

Do Pennsylvania counties give a burial allowance for veterans?

Many do, for honorably discharged wartime veterans who lived in the county. Bucks and Cumberland counties pay $100, Berks County pays $75, and you must apply within one year of the death.

What happens to a veteran's unclaimed ashes in Pennsylvania?

If a Pennsylvania funeral home has held a veteran's ashes for more than 120 days without instructions from the family, it may give them to a veterans' service organization for burial in a national cemetery, under section 506.2 of the Vital Statistics Law.

Can a Pennsylvania funeral home hold the body until the bill is paid?

No. Pennsylvania rules make it unprofessional conduct to refuse to release remains until payment has been made (49 Pa. Code 13.202(15)).

Where do I report a funeral home in Pennsylvania?

File a Statement of Complaint with the Department of State, which handles complaints for the State Board of Funeral Directors. You can file online through PALS or call 1-800-822-2113 from within Pennsylvania to have a form mailed.

Is aquamation available in Pennsylvania yet?

No, not yet. A bill to include alkaline hydrolysis in the definition of cremation, House Bill 722, passed the House on October 1, 2025, but it has sat in a Senate committee since October 3, 2025.

Can you choose human composting in Pennsylvania?

No. Pennsylvania has not passed a law for it, and the 2023 to 2024 bill to establish natural organic reduction, House Bill 919, never left committee.

Where these prices come from

Every funeral home must give an itemized General Price List to anyone who asks. Some post it on their website. We have the price lists of 121 Pennsylvania funeral homes, where a business with several locations often uses one list for all of them, and computed each service’s price from its line items, the same way for every home.

Homes that post prices online may charge less than homes that do not, so treat these figures as a guide and ask for the price list of any home you are considering.

Run a funeral home here and something has changed? Email support@lovekept.co and we will update or remove your listing. Download these figures (CSV), free to reuse with credit to Lovekept.

By the Lovekept editorial team. Prices last updated September 2026.

See all 121 funeral homes

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