Immediate burial
Burial shortly after death with no embalming, no viewing, and no formal service at the funeral home. The burial equivalent of direct cremation.
Immediate burial is one of the lowest-cost burial options and, like direct cremation, must appear as its own line on every funeral home's General Price List under the FTC Funeral Rule. It includes basic services, transfer of the body, a simple container, and the burial itself — but skips embalming, cosmetic preparation, viewing, and a chapel ceremony.
Expect roughly $1,500–$5,000 to the funeral home, plus separate cemetery costs for the plot, opening and closing, and any required liner or vault. Families can still hold a graveside gathering or a memorial later without paying for the funeral home's full service package.
- Direct cremation— Cremation with no viewing, no embalming, and no formal service at the funeral home. The body goes from the place of death to the crematory. The family gets the ashes back later.
- Graveside service— A short ceremony held at the cemetery plot, before or during burial. Often the only service when families want something simple but in-person.
- Cemetery plot— The piece of ground you buy for a burial. Paid to the cemetery, entirely separate from funeral-home charges.
This definition is general consumer information, not legal, medical, or financial advice. Industry practices and regulations change occasionally; verify before relying on anything here for a specific decision.
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