2014 Santa Barbara County
Funeral Home Price Survey Results
The prices below have been organized by city. Please note that it
is not necessary to select a funeral home in the city you live in
or of the deceased. Most funeral homes have a service range consisting of a 30 to
45 mile radius, after which they charge an additional fee for transportation costs.
Therefore, it is important to look at surrounding cities when trying to identify the
lowest cost provider. Use the below map to locate funeral homes in
your surrounding area.
* Corporate-owned funeral homes are defined for the
purposes of this survey as those funeral homes being owned by a publicly traded
corporation. Because the original
name of a funeral home is retained after it is purchased by a corporation, ownership is being designated to assist the consumer.
name of a funeral home is retained after it is purchased by a corporation, ownership is being designated to assist the consumer.
About this Survey
While all funeral homes are required to comply with the Federal Trade Commission’s Funeral Rule of 1984 regarding disclosure of costs to protect consumers’ rights, the reality is that some price lists are more complete and understandable than others. The lack of uniformity in the format and content of General Price Lists can lead to confusion and misunderstanding for consumers.
To enable consumers to make as fair a price comparison as possible, the Funeral Consumers Alliance of Southern California conducted a price survey of funeral homes in Santa Barbara County. General Price Lists were requested from all funeral homes in Santa Barbara County. In order to make it possible for consumers to compare "apples to apples" across funeral homes, 3 categories of services were defined and evaluated. The categories included: direct cremation, immediate burial, and a full funeral service.
The results of the survey demonstrate a significant variation in price for funeral services based on individual providers:
Cremation prices in the county varied by as much as 130% and burial prices varied by as much as 71%.
- The average cost for direct cremation in the county
is $1,627 and ranges from $895 to $2,060 for essentially the same service.
The average cost for a direct cremation is down 2% when compared to 2012 price
survey results.
- The average cost for immediate burial is $1,987 and
ranges from $1,475 to $2,520. The average cost for an immediate burial is
up 7% when compared to 2012 price survey results.
- A full funeral service including embalming, viewing,
and services, averages $4,623 and ranges from $3,410 to $5,395. Note the
cost of the immediate burial and the full funeral service does not
include the cost of a casket, cemetery plot, grave liner, or grave marker.
The average cost for a full funeral is up 5% when compared to 2012 price survey
results.
- Six out of 9 funeral establishments post their full
General Price List on their website.
These survey results demonstrate the importance of conducting research prior to selecting a funeral home and paying for funeral arrangements.
We have made a good-faith effort to ensure these numbers are accurate and comparable, however we cannot guarantee that the actual price one would pay at any of these funeral homes is exactly as listed on the price survey. For example, some funeral homes offer packaged funerals at a discount from the itemized price. We did not use these packages as their components differ from business to business, making direct price comparison challenging.
This price survey shows the range of costs and will help you determine relative price differences between funeral homes. Also, keep in mind that price is not the only factor to consider when choosing a funeral home. Reputation and quality of service are very important, but are difficult to measure. Therefore, this price survey should be used as a resource and not as a substitute for conducting independent research.
This price survey is divided into 3 sections:
- A table providing prices for funeral homes in Santa Barbara County categorized by city (above).
- A description of the services we evaluated (i.e. direct cremation, immediate burial, and full funeral) and the methodology used to conduct the price survey.
- A discussion of the results of the survey including tables and graphs of average cremation and burial costs for each city.
PRICE SURVEY METHODOLOGY
Collection of General Price Lists
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), a branch of the U.S. government responsible for the promotion of consumer protection, began to regulate the funeral home industry in 1984 with the passage of the Funeral Rule. The passage of the FTC Funeral Rule was an attempt to protect consumers from deceptive practices and as such, requires funeral homes to provide a General Price List that itemizes the goods and services offered. The General Price List must be presented to anyone that asks in person.
General Price Lists were obtained from each licensed funeral home in Santa Barbara County. The list of funeral homes in Santa Barbara County was obtained from the California Department of Consumer Affairs Cemetery and Funeral Bureau website (). In total, there are 12 licensed funeral homes in the county of Santa Barbara (Welch-Ryce Haider has 2 locations in Santa Barbara). Prices were obtained from either a company website, or requested by phone or email when not available on a website.
Corporate-Owned Funeral Homes
Corporate-owned funeral homes are defined for the purposes of this survey as those funeral homes being owned by a publicly traded corporation. Because the original name of a funeral home is retained after it is purchased by a corporation, ownership structure is being designated to assist the consumer.
Posting General Price Lists on Website
The Internet has made it possible for consumers to conduct research on their options and pricing before making purchasing decision. Funeral services should be no exception. In fact, having funeral service prices available online is extremely helpful to consumers for the following reasons:
Relative to other industries, the funeral industry has lagged behind in posting prices on their websites. In an attempt to level the playing field for consumers, California recently amended Business and Professions (B&P) Code Section 7685, (effective January 1, 2013). B&P Section 7685 gives a funeral establishment (who maintains an Internet Website) two choices:
1. Post on their website the list of funeral goods and services that are required to be included in the establishment’s General Price List (GPL), pursuant to federal rule, and include a statement that the GPL is available upon request. The information shall be provided by a link from the home page of the website
OR
2. Post on their website home page the words "price information" or a similar statement that includes the word "price" with a link to the establishment’s GPL.
While compliance with the Code can be met by meeting #1 above, it does not require the posting of prices and therefore does little to assist the consumer in conducting research from home. We therefore reviewed funeral home websites to determine whether or not they post their prices on their website.
In addition, we also reported whether a funeral home posted their entire GPL for consumers. We reported this information because we observed that some funeral homes fail to link to their GPL, and instead only provide some of the information required on a GPL. This is of concern because 1) this is a violation of B&P Code Section 7685 and 2) funeral homes are required to comply with the Federal Trade Commission’s Funeral Rule of 1984 regarding disclosure of costs and disclaimers to protect consumers’ rights in their GPL. If the GPL is not posted, then the consumer fails to receive the FTC required disclosures. Therefore, in the interest of the consumer, we have indicated on the price survey if a GPL is available on the funeral home’s website as well as if they post prices.
Funeral Consumers Alliance of Southern California is happy to update our price survey at anytime. If your funeral home has posted a full General Price List, please contact us at info@fcasocal.org or 888-737-9311.
Services Evaluated
To enable consumers to make as fair a price comparison as possible, we made every attempt to ensure we were comparing "apples to apples" for the three most common types of funeral arrangements: direct cremation, immediate burial, and a full funeral service.
We calculated total prices based on what was printed on each funeral home’s most recent General Price List. The definition and description of the three categories of services we compared are listed below.
Direct Cremation is the transfer of the deceased from the place of death to a funeral home, placement in a container and delivery to a crematory without formal viewing, visitation or ceremony.
Direct cremation is a practical and cost-effective method because it requires only minimal services by the funeral home. If a family wishes, they may have a memorial service wherever they would like without the involvement of a funeral home.
The services and merchandise included in our survey for a direct cremation are:
Cremated remains are generally returned in a suitable container. The families of decedents who weigh over set amounts (200, 250, 275 or 300 pounds) will usually be charged extra by the crematory for the additional fuel necessary to cremate the body.
Direct cremation prices in the survey do not include the cost of an urn (prices range from less than $50 to a few thousand dollars at some funeral homes); an urn outer burial vault (these can cost up to $1000); any rite or ceremony, embalming, family’s use of funeral home facilities, cost of obituary, or other services by staff.
There is some confusion as to whether or not the refrigeration costs for storage are covered if the cremation cannot be performed immediately after death (for example if there is a delay in obtaining a death certificate, or in the event a crematory is too busy). Be aware that in the event the body must be kept for an extended period of time by the funeral home, additional refrigeration costs may apply.
Immediate Burial is the transfer of the deceased from the place of death to a funeral home, and placement in a casket and transportation to the cemetery or other burial site without formal viewing, visitation, or ceremony. The cost of an immediate burial shown on our list does not include the cost of a casket. Instead, we have listed the least expensive casket offered by the funeral home separately because consumers are not obligated to purchase a casket from the funeral home and may choose to select a casket from a vendor of their choice.
Immediate burial is a practical and cost-effective method if burial is desired because it requires only minimal services by the funeral home. If a family wishes, they may have a memorial service wherever they would like without the involvement of a funeral home.
The services and merchandise included in our survey for an immediate burial are:
Immediate burial prices do not include any rite or ceremony, embalming, family’s use of the funeral home, facilities, cost of obituary, or other services of staff.
To determine the total cost for a burial, families need to include the cost of the burial space/plot, the charge to open and close the grave, a grave liner (which is not required by law but is almost always required by cemeteries to keep the ground from sinking in and simplifying grounds maintenance), and a grave marker. Prices vary greatly on these items, depending on the location of the gravesite and the materials used for the grave liner and the marker. Veterans and their spouses should remember to obtain information about veteran burial benefits. The charges for these additional costs must be added to the cost of the funeral to get a true understanding of the total cost of an immediate burial.
Full Funeral Service is a hypothetical funeral that includes 9 select goods and services. The cost of a full funeral service that is shown on our list does not include the cost of a casket. Instead, we have listed the least expensive casket offered by the funeral home separately because consumers are not obligated to purchase a casket from the funeral home and may choose to select a casket from a vendor of their choice.
The hypothetical full funeral service includes the following:
The hypothetical full funeral service does not include a casket, a grave space or plot, opening and closing a grave, a grave liner (which is not required by law but is almost always required by cemeteries to keep the ground from sinking in and simplifying grounds maintenance), an obituary, flowers, services of clergy, organist, vocalist, or other musicians, a police escort, or any other service or product not described above. The charges for these additional costs must be added to the cost of the funeral to get a true understanding of the total cost of a full funeral service and burial.
Extra costs may be incurred at some funeral homes for making arrangements for a service at a location other than the funeral home, for picking up a body beyond certain distances from some funeral homes, and for processing insurance policies.
Least Expensive Casket
Casket prices can vary from a few hundred dollars to several thousand dollars. The casket price listed on the survey is for the least expensive casket offered by the funeral home as listed in their casket price range provided on their General Price List.
The cost of the casket was not included in the price of the burial services because consumers are not obligated to purchase a casket from the funeral home and may choose to select a casket from a vendor of their choice, which may result in a cost savings.
Price List Issues
Funeral homes are required to comply with the Federal Trade Commission’s Funeral Rule of 1984 regarding disclosure of costs and disclaimers to protect consumers’ rights. In the interest of the consumer, we have indicated on the price survey when a General Price List was non-compliant with the Federal Trade Commission’s Funeral Rule or when there were issues that could make it difficult for a consumer to understand a General Price List.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), a branch of the U.S. government responsible for the promotion of consumer protection, began to regulate the funeral home industry in 1984 with the passage of the Funeral Rule. The passage of the FTC Funeral Rule was an attempt to protect consumers from deceptive practices and as such, requires funeral homes to provide a General Price List that itemizes the goods and services offered. The General Price List must be presented to anyone that asks in person.
General Price Lists were obtained from each licensed funeral home in Santa Barbara County. The list of funeral homes in Santa Barbara County was obtained from the California Department of Consumer Affairs Cemetery and Funeral Bureau website (). In total, there are 12 licensed funeral homes in the county of Santa Barbara (Welch-Ryce Haider has 2 locations in Santa Barbara). Prices were obtained from either a company website, or requested by phone or email when not available on a website.
Corporate-Owned Funeral Homes
Corporate-owned funeral homes are defined for the purposes of this survey as those funeral homes being owned by a publicly traded corporation. Because the original name of a funeral home is retained after it is purchased by a corporation, ownership structure is being designated to assist the consumer.
Posting General Price Lists on Website
The Internet has made it possible for consumers to conduct research on their options and pricing before making purchasing decision. Funeral services should be no exception. In fact, having funeral service prices available online is extremely helpful to consumers for the following reasons:
- Having to physically travel to funeral homes or make phone calls to obtain information on options and pricing at the time of a death can be difficult for families.
- Most of us will only plan a funeral 1 or 2 times in
our lives and we are therefore generally unfamiliar with the available options
and associated costs.
- Funeral expenses can vary widely and can be very
expensive depending on the options selected.
- The person responsible for making funeral
arrangements may be a home-bound elder or distant relative.
Relative to other industries, the funeral industry has lagged behind in posting prices on their websites. In an attempt to level the playing field for consumers, California recently amended Business and Professions (B&P) Code Section 7685, (effective January 1, 2013). B&P Section 7685 gives a funeral establishment (who maintains an Internet Website) two choices:
1. Post on their website the list of funeral goods and services that are required to be included in the establishment’s General Price List (GPL), pursuant to federal rule, and include a statement that the GPL is available upon request. The information shall be provided by a link from the home page of the website
OR
2. Post on their website home page the words "price information" or a similar statement that includes the word "price" with a link to the establishment’s GPL.
While compliance with the Code can be met by meeting #1 above, it does not require the posting of prices and therefore does little to assist the consumer in conducting research from home. We therefore reviewed funeral home websites to determine whether or not they post their prices on their website.
In addition, we also reported whether a funeral home posted their entire GPL for consumers. We reported this information because we observed that some funeral homes fail to link to their GPL, and instead only provide some of the information required on a GPL. This is of concern because 1) this is a violation of B&P Code Section 7685 and 2) funeral homes are required to comply with the Federal Trade Commission’s Funeral Rule of 1984 regarding disclosure of costs and disclaimers to protect consumers’ rights in their GPL. If the GPL is not posted, then the consumer fails to receive the FTC required disclosures. Therefore, in the interest of the consumer, we have indicated on the price survey if a GPL is available on the funeral home’s website as well as if they post prices.
Funeral Consumers Alliance of Southern California is happy to update our price survey at anytime. If your funeral home has posted a full General Price List, please contact us at info@fcasocal.org or 888-737-9311.
Services Evaluated
To enable consumers to make as fair a price comparison as possible, we made every attempt to ensure we were comparing "apples to apples" for the three most common types of funeral arrangements: direct cremation, immediate burial, and a full funeral service.
We calculated total prices based on what was printed on each funeral home’s most recent General Price List. The definition and description of the three categories of services we compared are listed below.
Direct Cremation is the transfer of the deceased from the place of death to a funeral home, placement in a container and delivery to a crematory without formal viewing, visitation or ceremony.
Direct cremation is a practical and cost-effective method because it requires only minimal services by the funeral home. If a family wishes, they may have a memorial service wherever they would like without the involvement of a funeral home.
The services and merchandise included in our survey for a direct cremation are:
- The basic service fee for the funeral director and staff, including overhead costs (also referred to as the non-declinable fee)
- Transport of the deceased from the place of death
- Appropriate care of the remains (usually refrigeration)
- Securing necessary permits and authorization for the cremation
- Provision of an alternative container to encase the body during cremation ("alternative container" refers to a heavy-duty cardboard [or cardboard/wood combination], or an unadorned cremation casket made of fiberboard)
-
Transportation of the body to the crematory
-
Crematory fee
-
Return of the cremated remains in a secure container to the family
directly or making the cremated remains available for pickup at the funeral home
Cremated remains are generally returned in a suitable container. The families of decedents who weigh over set amounts (200, 250, 275 or 300 pounds) will usually be charged extra by the crematory for the additional fuel necessary to cremate the body.
Direct cremation prices in the survey do not include the cost of an urn (prices range from less than $50 to a few thousand dollars at some funeral homes); an urn outer burial vault (these can cost up to $1000); any rite or ceremony, embalming, family’s use of funeral home facilities, cost of obituary, or other services by staff.
There is some confusion as to whether or not the refrigeration costs for storage are covered if the cremation cannot be performed immediately after death (for example if there is a delay in obtaining a death certificate, or in the event a crematory is too busy). Be aware that in the event the body must be kept for an extended period of time by the funeral home, additional refrigeration costs may apply.
Immediate Burial is the transfer of the deceased from the place of death to a funeral home, and placement in a casket and transportation to the cemetery or other burial site without formal viewing, visitation, or ceremony. The cost of an immediate burial shown on our list does not include the cost of a casket. Instead, we have listed the least expensive casket offered by the funeral home separately because consumers are not obligated to purchase a casket from the funeral home and may choose to select a casket from a vendor of their choice.
Immediate burial is a practical and cost-effective method if burial is desired because it requires only minimal services by the funeral home. If a family wishes, they may have a memorial service wherever they would like without the involvement of a funeral home.
The services and merchandise included in our survey for an immediate burial are:
- The basic service fee for the funeral director and staff, including overhead costs (also referred to as the non-declinable fee)
-
Transport of the deceased from the place of death
-
Appropriate care of the remains (usually refrigeration)
-
Transportation of the body to the cemetery
Immediate burial prices do not include any rite or ceremony, embalming, family’s use of the funeral home, facilities, cost of obituary, or other services of staff.
To determine the total cost for a burial, families need to include the cost of the burial space/plot, the charge to open and close the grave, a grave liner (which is not required by law but is almost always required by cemeteries to keep the ground from sinking in and simplifying grounds maintenance), and a grave marker. Prices vary greatly on these items, depending on the location of the gravesite and the materials used for the grave liner and the marker. Veterans and their spouses should remember to obtain information about veteran burial benefits. The charges for these additional costs must be added to the cost of the funeral to get a true understanding of the total cost of an immediate burial.
Full Funeral Service is a hypothetical funeral that includes 9 select goods and services. The cost of a full funeral service that is shown on our list does not include the cost of a casket. Instead, we have listed the least expensive casket offered by the funeral home separately because consumers are not obligated to purchase a casket from the funeral home and may choose to select a casket from a vendor of their choice.
The hypothetical full funeral service includes the following:
- The basic service fee for the funeral director and staff, including overhead costs (also referred to as the non-declinable fee)
- Transport of the deceased from the place of death
- Embalming
- Other preparation of the body, such as dressing, casketing, cosmetology
- Use of facilities and staff for viewing for at least 4 hours
- Use of facilities and staff for chapel service at funeral home
- Accompaniment of casketed remains to a local cemetery and supervision of graveside ceremony
- Hearse to transport the body to the cemetery
- Handling of flowers (service vehicle)
The hypothetical full funeral service does not include a casket, a grave space or plot, opening and closing a grave, a grave liner (which is not required by law but is almost always required by cemeteries to keep the ground from sinking in and simplifying grounds maintenance), an obituary, flowers, services of clergy, organist, vocalist, or other musicians, a police escort, or any other service or product not described above. The charges for these additional costs must be added to the cost of the funeral to get a true understanding of the total cost of a full funeral service and burial.
Extra costs may be incurred at some funeral homes for making arrangements for a service at a location other than the funeral home, for picking up a body beyond certain distances from some funeral homes, and for processing insurance policies.
Least Expensive Casket
Casket prices can vary from a few hundred dollars to several thousand dollars. The casket price listed on the survey is for the least expensive casket offered by the funeral home as listed in their casket price range provided on their General Price List.
The cost of the casket was not included in the price of the burial services because consumers are not obligated to purchase a casket from the funeral home and may choose to select a casket from a vendor of their choice, which may result in a cost savings.
Price List Issues
Funeral homes are required to comply with the Federal Trade Commission’s Funeral Rule of 1984 regarding disclosure of costs and disclaimers to protect consumers’ rights. In the interest of the consumer, we have indicated on the price survey when a General Price List was non-compliant with the Federal Trade Commission’s Funeral Rule or when there were issues that could make it difficult for a consumer to understand a General Price List.
Results
Prices obtained from the 12 funeral homes in Santa Barbara County were
compared. Cremation prices in the county varied by as much as 130% and burial prices
varied by as much as 71%. The average cost for direct cremation in the county is
$1,627 and ranges from $895 to $2,060 for essentially the same service. The average
cost for immediate burial is $1,987 and ranges from $1,475 to $2,520. A full funeral
service including embalming, viewing, and services, averages $4,623 and ranges from $3,410
to $5,395. Note the cost of the immediate burial and the full funeral service does
not include the cost of a casket, cemetery plot, grave liner, or
grave marker.
The average cost for a direct cremation in Santa Barbara County is down 2% when compared to 2012 price survey results, while the average cost of an immediate burial and a full funeral are up 7% and 5%, respectively, when compared to 2012 price survey results.
The distribution of the 12 funeral homes in Santa Barbara County are as follows: Santa Barbara = 6, Santa Maria = 4, Lompoc = 1, and Solvang = 1. Notably, there is only one funeral home, Neptune Society, owned by a publicly traded corporation.
Nine of the 12 funeral homes in the county post some type of pricing on their website. However, only 6 out of those 9 post their full General Price List.
The price results for Santa Barbara, Santa Maria, Lompoc, and Solvang are presented below by city.
City of Santa Barbara (2014)
Prices for direct cremation range from $895 to $2,060 (Figure 1). Full funeral services are provided by 4 funeral homes in Santa Barbara (the others provide cremation services only) with prices ranging from $4,180 to $5,335 (see Figure 2).
The average cost for a direct cremation in Santa Barbara County is down 2% when compared to 2012 price survey results, while the average cost of an immediate burial and a full funeral are up 7% and 5%, respectively, when compared to 2012 price survey results.
The distribution of the 12 funeral homes in Santa Barbara County are as follows: Santa Barbara = 6, Santa Maria = 4, Lompoc = 1, and Solvang = 1. Notably, there is only one funeral home, Neptune Society, owned by a publicly traded corporation.
Nine of the 12 funeral homes in the county post some type of pricing on their website. However, only 6 out of those 9 post their full General Price List.
The price results for Santa Barbara, Santa Maria, Lompoc, and Solvang are presented below by city.
City of Santa Barbara (2014)
Prices for direct cremation range from $895 to $2,060 (Figure 1). Full funeral services are provided by 4 funeral homes in Santa Barbara (the others provide cremation services only) with prices ranging from $4,180 to $5,335 (see Figure 2).
City of Santa Maria (2014)
Prices for direct cremation prices range from $1075 to $1,720 (Figure 3) and a full funeral service, as defined in our survey, ranges from $3,410 to10 $5,395 (Figure 4).
Lompoc and Solvang
Lompoc and Solvang each have 1 funeral home in their city. The prices for direct cremation in Lompoc and Solvang are $1,866 and $1,800, respectively. A full funeral service, as defined in this survey, is $4,105 in Lompoc and $3,870 in Solvang.
The results of this survey demonstrate the importance of conducting research prior to selecting a funeral home and paying for funeral arrangements. This price survey is designed to be a resource and not a substitute for conducting independent research.
Lompoc and Solvang each have 1 funeral home in their city. The prices for direct cremation in Lompoc and Solvang are $1,866 and $1,800, respectively. A full funeral service, as defined in this survey, is $4,105 in Lompoc and $3,870 in Solvang.
The results of this survey demonstrate the importance of conducting research prior to selecting a funeral home and paying for funeral arrangements. This price survey is designed to be a resource and not a substitute for conducting independent research.