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Cremation cost in Texas: prices from 169 funeral homes

Direct cremation in Texas has a median price of $2,220 across the 157 funeral homes that price it, collected through September 2026. Burial costs are here too.

Direct cremation, median
$2,220

Direct cremation, median

Cremation with a memorial service, median
$3,348

Cremation with a memorial service, median

Funeral with viewing, then cremation, median
$7,955

Funeral with viewing, then cremation, median

What Texas funeral homes charge

Direct cremation157 funeral homesMedian$2,220Most charge$995 to $3,815
Cremation with a memorial service (services, before urn)112 funeral homesMedian$3,348Most charge$1,890 to $5,430
Funeral with viewing, then cremation (services, before urn)45 funeral homesMedian$7,955Most charge$6,040 to $10,260
Immediate burial122 funeral homesMedian$4,715Most charge$2,655 to $7,140
Traditional funeral (services, before casket and cemetery)94 funeral homesMedian$6,308Most charge$5,271 to $9,060

“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.

Texas has about 991 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 Texas 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.

Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX42 funeral homesMedian$2,693Most charge$895 to $4,312
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX40 funeral homesMedian$1,653Most charge$795 to $3,540
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX13 funeral homesMedian$1,695Most charge$1,287 to $1,955
San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX10 funeral homesMedian$2,625Most charge$1,644 to $3,363
Waco, TX8 funeral homesMedian$2,595Most charge$1,802 to $2,855
Rest of Texas44 funeral homesMedian$2,643Most charge$1,588 to $4,504

What to know in Texas

Cremation rules in Texas

  • A Texas crematory may not cremate within 48 hours of the time of death shown on the death certificate (Health and Safety Code 716.004).
  • Only a justice of the peace or medical examiner of the county where the death occurred, or a court order, can waive the 48-hour wait in writing.
  • Each justice of the peace or medical examiner office that can grant a waiver must have a written policy for requesting one, including after hours, on weekends, and on holidays.
Read more
  • The right to authorize a cremation follows this order: a person named in a signed written appointment, the surviving spouse, any adult child, either parent, any adult sibling, the executor or administrator, then the next of kin by inheritance (Health and Safety Code 711.002).
  • If the person with that right does not make arrangements within 6 days of learning of the death or 10 days after the death, whichever comes first, the right passes to the next person in line.
  • A crematory needs a cremation authorization form signed by the authorizing agent and a death certificate or death record showing the body may be cremated (Health and Safety Code 716.051).
  • In a county with a medical examiner, the crematory must receive a certificate from the medical examiner stating that an autopsy was done or was not necessary (Code of Criminal Procedure art. 49.25, sec. 10).
  • In deaths a justice of the peace must investigate, cremation needs a signed certificate from the justice of the peace (Code of Criminal Procedure art. 49.09).
  • The death certificate must be filed with the local registrar within 10 days after the death (Health and Safety Code 193.003).
  • If the death happened in another state, that state's burial-transit permit lets the body travel in Texas, and a Texas crematory must accept it (Health and Safety Code 193.008).
Sources (4)

Fees you will pay in Texas

  • The Texas Department of State Health Services charges $20 for the first certified death certificate and $3 for each additional copy ordered at the same time.
  • State vital records fees are non-refundable, even if the record is not found.
  • Expedited processing at the state office costs $25, and the application must arrive by overnight mail.
Read more
  • Bexar County's medical examiner charges $25 for each cremation permit, which it says is required by law for all cremations of deaths in Bexar County.
  • Travis County's medical examiner charges $25 for a cremation approval.
  • Tarrant County's medical examiner lists a $35 cremation permit in its fee schedule for October 1, 2026 to September 30, 2027, covering deaths in Tarrant, Denton, Parker, and Johnson counties.
  • Cremation review fees are set by each county, so the amount depends on where the death occurred.
Sources (6)

Help paying for a cremation

  • Every Texas county's commissioners court must provide for the disposition of a person who dies without the means to pay, and must consider information from the family, including religious affiliation (Health and Safety Code 694.002).
  • If no one has the legal duty to handle the remains and no inquest is held, the county where the death occurred must do so (Health and Safety Code 711.002).
  • Bexar County's medical examiner tells families without the means to pay for a funeral, burial, or cremation to call the Bexar County Community Resource Office at 210-335-0757.
Read more
  • Travis County's indigent funeral policy provides burials and cremations for eligible Travis County residents or people who die in the county, with written county approval required first (Travis County Code ch. 273).
  • Dallas County does not give money toward funeral costs, but next of kin can sign paperwork for a county cremation; the ashes are not returned and are interred at a vendor cemetery.
  • Harris County's Bereavement Program helps ensure a dignified funeral service and burial; call 713-696-1952.
  • The Texas Attorney General's Crime Victims' Compensation Program pays up to $6,500 for funeral and burial costs for crimes after July 14, 2016, and must be used after other sources such as burial insurance.
  • Texas State Veterans Cemeteries in Abilene, Corpus Christi, Killeen, and Mission charge nothing to inter veterans, spouses, and eligible dependents, including ashes in a columbarium, in the ground, or in a scattering garden.
  • The veterans cemetery benefit does not cover funeral home charges such as the cremation itself, and eligibility matches VA national cemeteries.
Sources (9)

Price lists and your rights

  • The Texas Funeral Service Commission's Facts About Funerals brochure says funeral homes must give current retail prices over the phone or at the funeral home when you ask.
  • Texas funeral homes must give you a General Price List to keep before discussing arrangements, and a casket, outer burial container, and urn price list if those prices are not on it.
  • Texas crematories must also keep a retail price list with their name, address, phone number, and the date the prices took effect (Occupations Code 651.4055).
Read more
  • A Texas funeral home must display at least two full-size adult caskets, and one must be the lowest priced casket it sells (22 Tex. Admin. Code 203.25).
  • When funeral services are discussed, the funeral home must hand you the state's "Facts About Funerals" brochure (Occupations Code 651.404).
  • Your purchase agreement must list the Texas Funeral Service Commission's name, address, and phone number and state that complaints may go to the commission (Occupations Code 651.406).
  • A funeral home must accept a casket or urn you bought elsewhere without an extra charge.
  • To complain about a licensed funeral home or crematory, send a completed complaint form to the Texas Funeral Service Commission within two years of the event.
  • The commission can be reached at 512-936-2474, toll free at 1-888-667-4881, or info@tfsc.texas.gov.
Sources (4)

Scattering ashes in Texas

  • Texas allows ashes to be placed in a cemetery crypt, niche, grave, or scattering area, scattered over uninhabited public land, the sea, or other public waterways, or placed on private property (Health and Safety Code 716.302).
  • Scattering on private land requires the property owner's consent, and the statute calls for that consent in writing.
  • Ashes must be taken out of their container before scattering unless the container is biodegradable (Health and Safety Code 716.304).
Read more
  • The Texas Funeral Service Commission lists keeping the ashes at home as one of the ways a family may keep cremated remains.
  • Once the crematory releases the ashes, the authorizing agent may carry them anywhere in Texas without a permit (Health and Safety Code 716.301).
  • Ashes may not be mixed with another person's remains without written permission, except when scattered by air over a scattering area or at sea (Health and Safety Code 716.303).
  • If ashes are not claimed, the crematory may dispose of them no earlier than the 121st day after cremation, and the authorizing agent pays the reasonable costs.
Sources (2)

Water cremation and composting

  • Texas law defines cremation as reducing remains to bone fragments through direct flame, extreme heat, and evaporation (Health and Safety Code 716.001).
  • In a March 14, 2025 notice, the Texas Funeral Service Commission stated that alkaline hydrolysis, also called water cremation, is categorically banned in Texas.
  • A 2025 bill to allow cremation by alkaline hydrolysis, SB 1327, was referred to a Senate committee and saw no further action.
Read more
  • A 2025 bill to allow natural organic reduction, often called human composting, HB 2200, failed to pass the Texas House on May 12, 2025.
  • Texas has no law that authorizes human composting.
  • The Texas Funeral Service Commission lists burial, entombment, and cremation as the available methods of disposition.
Sources (5)

Checked against these sources in September 2026.

Texas cremation questions

Do you have to wait 48 hours to cremate in Texas?

Yes. Texas law bars cremation within 48 hours of the time of death on the death certificate. A justice of the peace or medical examiner in the county of death, or a court, can waive the wait in writing.

Who can authorize a cremation in Texas?

A person the deceased named in a signed written appointment comes first, then the surviving spouse, an adult child, a parent, an adult sibling, the executor or administrator, and then the next of kin. If that person does not act within 6 days of learning of the death or 10 days after it, the right passes to the next in line.

How much is a death certificate in Texas?

From the state vital statistics office, the first certified copy is $20 and each extra copy ordered at the same time is $3. Ordering several copies at once saves money.

Is there a medical examiner fee for cremation in Texas?

In many counties, yes, because the medical examiner must sign off before cremation. Bexar and Travis counties charge $25, and Tarrant County lists $35.

Does Texas pay for cremation if you can't afford it?

Texas law requires each county to provide for the disposition of people who die without means, and programs differ by county. Travis County offers cremation to eligible families, Bexar County's medical examiner refers families to the county's Community Resource Office, and a Dallas County cremation does not return the ashes to the family.

Can a veteran be buried in a Texas State Veterans Cemetery for free?

Yes. There is no charge to inter eligible veterans, spouses, and dependents, including cremated remains. Funeral home costs such as the cremation are not covered.

Do Texas funeral homes have to give prices over the phone?

Yes. The Texas Funeral Service Commission says funeral homes must give current retail prices over the phone or at the funeral home when you ask.

How do I file a complaint against a funeral home in Texas?

Send a completed complaint form to the Texas Funeral Service Commission within two years of what happened, with copies of any documents you received. You can reach the commission at 1-888-667-4881.

Can you scatter ashes in Texas?

Yes. Texas law allows scattering over uninhabited public land, public waterways, or the sea, and on private land with the owner's written consent. Take the ashes out of the container first unless it is biodegradable.

Can you keep ashes at home in Texas?

Yes. The Texas Funeral Service Commission lists keeping cremated remains at home as one of the options open to families.

Is water cremation legal in Texas?

No. The Texas Funeral Service Commission has stated that alkaline hydrolysis is banned in Texas, and bills to allow it have not passed.

Is human composting legal in Texas?

No. A 2025 bill to allow natural organic reduction failed in the Texas House, and no Texas law authorizes it.

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 169 Texas 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 169 funeral homes

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