Choosing a Casket, from Price to Finish

Purchasing a casket or coffin is an important part of arranging a funeral. As everyone learns, it’s also one of the highest-priced funeral costs. Prices start at around $1,000 for a simple metal casket. However, most people spend in the $2,500 to $3,500 range on a casket.

As with many other parts of arranging a funeral, caskets or coffins are often purchased when a loved one is grieving and emotional – decision-making is difficult. It’s important to know what to expect, and plan ahead for a funeral, if possible.

Casket Types

Caskets types come in 2 general materials: metal and wood.

The biggest difference is the lid. Most metal caskets use a rubber gasket that is wrapped around the perimeter of the casket shell. Once the lid is closed, a “sealing key” is used to ensure it’s closed securely. Wood caskets, on the other hand, don’t need a “sealing key” to be closed securely, and many people feel the seal for the metal caskets is not necessary. Be sure to weigh your options.

Wood Caskets

Wood caskets are available in just about any wood type you can think of, with finishes that range from highly polished to a more natural satin finish. Types of casket wood include:

  • Walnut
  • Oak
  • Cherry
  • Mahogany
  • Pine

It should be no surprise that mahogany and cherry are usually higher-end casket models that offer exquisite finishes and other enhancements and designs.

More economical casket choices include pine or poplar, or using an interesting wood veneer. These caskets also come in a wide variety of finishes and colors, and can look as elegant as their premier-priced competitors.

Metal Caskets

The biggest concern about metal caskets is rusting – but there’s no need to worry. Metal caskets are generally made from one of these metals:

  • Bronze
  • Copper
  • Stainless steel
  • Carbon (or standard) steel

Metal caskets that are made from bronze and copper use non-rusting materials that have been used for hundreds and hundreds of years in monuments and art works like sculptures. In other words – they stand well against the test of time. These types of caskets are high-end and cost more than other metal caskets.

Everyone knows stainless steel, and knows how trusty it is when it comes to cookware, watches and even jewelry. Stainless steel caskets have rust-resistant properties and are a good value when you compare their cost to bronze and copper caskets.

If you’re looking simply for the most economical metal casket, those made from carbon (or standard) steel are your best choice. The metal is strong and durable, and good enough to be used in construction and automobiles.

Where to Buy Caskets

Many people think they have to buy a casket from a funeral home, but that’s simply not the case anymore – in most states. Just a few years go, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)’s Funeral Rule gave e-commerce casket retailers a break and ruled that caskets do not have to be purchased from funeral homes.

The Funeral Rules states that funeral homes must use a funeral casket that consumers buy elsewhere – and cannot charge you for the expense. Now, there are many companies online and many with new showrooms in localities all around the country.

Today’s Casket-Buying Options

 

Online Caskets

You can buy nearly anything online these days, and that includes caskets. The web is actually a great place to start comparing casket pricing and features when you’re calculating the cost of a funeral. You can purchase caskets online, or use it as “window shopping” to be more informed when you go to a brick-and-mortar showroom.

Casket Showrooms

Since The Funeral Rule went into effect, funeral casket showrooms have been popping up in towns and cities all across the country. Instead of having to go to the funeral home – which is also an option – you can shop an independent retailer who doesn’t mark-up inventory as much as funeral homes might.

Buying a Casket from a Funeral Home

It used to be the only option – now it’s just one, and it comes with some rules. The funeral home must give you a Casket Price List (CPL) before showing you a single casket. This way they can’t use sales tactics on you during a very delicate time when your emotions can cloud your judgment.

Another benefit of having more choices now, is that funeral homes are finding they have to lower their casket prices to even compete – so the playing field is being leveled, and the consumer benefits the most.

Note: Wooden cremation caskets can be used as burial caskets, for a much smaller price.

 

Casket or Coffin?

There’s no huge difference between a casket and a coffin, and the terms are interchangeable. Historically, a coffin is a wooden box with 6 or 8 sides, while a casket is a simple, 4-sided box. People in the U.S. generally use the word casket, while coffin is usually used abroad.