After a loss
Transportation and mileage charges: what to ask before you sign
Getting from one place to another can add up quietly.
Several lines on a funeral bill are about moving the person or the family: from the place of death, to a service, to the cemetery or crematory. These charges are easy to miss until the final bill.
Charges that often appear
- Transfer of remains: bringing the person from a home, hospital or care facility to the funeral home
- Hearse: transport to the service and to the cemetery
- Service car or van: carrying flowers, paperwork or equipment
- Family limousine: optional cars for the family
- Mileage: an extra charge per mile beyond a set distance
- Out-of-state transport: shipping or driving the person to another state for burial
Questions families often ask
- Is transfer of remains included in a package, or listed separately?
- How many miles are included before mileage charges start, and what's the rate?
- Is there an after-hours or weekend fee for the first transfer?
- If the person died out of state, can a local funeral home there handle the transfer, and is that cheaper?
- Are any of these optional?
Under the federal Funeral Rule, transfer of remains and the hearse each have to be listed with a price on the funeral home's General Price List, so the numbers can be compared before anything is signed.
Good to know
When someone dies far from home, families sometimes use two funeral homes: one near the place of death to handle the transfer, and one at home for the service. Asking both for prices can show which arrangement costs less.