When someone we love dies, we face many hard choices. One big choice is picking between a coffin and a casket. Many people think these words mean the same thing, but they don’t. The cost can be very different too.
What’s the Difference?
A coffin has six sides and looks like a diamond shape. It’s wider at the shoulders and gets smaller at the feet. People have used coffins for hundreds of years. A casket has four sides and looks like a rectangle. It’s the same width all around.
Sarah from Texas learned this the hard way. When her dad died, she thought all burial boxes cost the same. The funeral home showed her coffins for $800 and caskets for $2,500. She was shocked by the big price gap.
Basic Cost Facts
Here are the real numbers from the National Funeral Directors Assoc. (NFDA):
- Simple wood coffins: $600-$1,200
- Basic metal caskets: $1,500-$3,000
- Fancy wood caskets: $2,000-$8,000
- Premium metal caskets: $3,000-$15,000
The average American family spends about $2,300 on a burial container. But smart shoppers can find good options for much less.
Why Caskets Cost More
Caskets cost more for several reasons. They use more materials because of their shape. The funeral industry also markets caskets as “premium” products. Mike Johnson, who owns three funeral homes in Ohio, says casket companies spend millions on advertising to families.
Caskets also have more fancy features. Some have special linings, handles, and decorations. A basic steel casket might have simple fabric inside. An expensive one could have silk or velvet with gold trim.
Real Family Stories
The Williams family from Florida chose a simple pine coffin for grandma. It cost $750 instead of the $4,000 casket the funeral home first showed them. “Grandma would have laughed at us for spending so much,” said daughter Lisa Williams.
But the Chen family picked a $6,000 mahogany casket for their son who died in a car accident. “We wanted something beautiful for him,” his mother explained. “Money didn’t matter then.”
Money-Saving Tips
You don’t have to break the bank. Here are ways to save:
The Fed. Trade Commission (FTC) says you can buy your own coffin or casket. Costco sells caskets online for $900-$2,500. That’s often half what funeral homes charge.
Some families build their own coffins. This is legal in most states. Jim Miller from Oregon built his wife’s coffin from oak wood. It took him two weeks and cost $300 in materials.
Religious groups often help families find cheap options. Many churches keep simple wood coffins for members who can’t afford expensive ones.
What Funeral Directors Won’t Tell You
Funeral directors make big profits on caskets. The markup can be 300-500%. A casket that costs them $800 might sell for $4,000. The Funeral Consumers Alliance says this is one of the industry’s biggest profit centers.
You also don’t need the most expensive casket for cremation. Some funeral homes try to sell fancy caskets even when the body will be cremated. A simple cardboard container works fine and costs under $200.
Making the Right Choice
Think about what your loved one would want. Some people care about having a beautiful casket. Others would prefer you save the money for something else.
Consider your budget too. Funerals already cost a lot. The average funeral costs $7,500-$10,000. Don’t let salespeople pressure you into spending more than you can afford.
Remember that the container doesn’t change how much you loved the person. A $800 coffin shows just as much respect as a $8,000 casket.
The Bottom Line
Coffins usually cost less than caskets. The average coffin costs $600-$1,500. The average casket costs $1,500-$4,000. But you can find good options at both ends of the price range.
Take time to shop around. Get prices from different funeral homes. Look online too. And remember that the most important thing is saying goodbye to your loved one, not how much you spend on the burial container.
