FacebookFuneral Cost
The average cost for funeral services in the province of Quebec is $5,500. At Kane & Fetterly our average is fairly close to that figure. But keep in mind that this is only the average... what families choose to pay can vary dramatically.
Some families will choose to hold a very private funeral and pay just a few thousand dollars while some families choose to hold a very unique, and sometimes elaborate, funeral and pay much more than the average figure. It all comes down to the choices you and your family make when planning the funeral.
When it comes to price, a funeral is very similar to a wedding. Some couples choose to have a very private ceremony in front of a justice of the peace and pay a very small fee. Other couples will surround themselves with family and friends, hold the ceremony in a beautiful location, and have a large reception. Their total cost will be much higher. Last year the average cost of a wedding in Canada last year was $28,000
The total price of a funeral has four main elements.
First there is the service fee that you pay the funeral home. This fee is intended to cover the services that the funeral home provides for the deceased and the services the funeral home provides for the family of the deceased.
Service fees can vary dramatically between funeral homes. Some of the influencing factors include the style of funeral they are prepared to offer a family, the quality of the facility, the training level of the staff, the support provided after the funeral, and the expenses involved in having staff available 24 hours a day 365 days a year.
The second element of a funeral's price is the merchandise. This typically consists of a casket, cremation unit or urn, sometimes a vault. Prices can vary dramatically and once again it really depends upon the families personal preferences.
In a wedding, some couples choose very modest rings and other couples choose very elaborate expensive settings. For a funeral there is a similar range of merchandise available for you to choose from. For example, most funeral homes will offer an inexpensive casket for under $1,000 but they can also special order a gold-plated bronze casket for $30,000. It all depends upon what the family desires.
The third element of a funeral's total cost consists of the incidental items such as newspaper obituaries, celebrant honorarium, and flowers. These items total about $850 to $1,500 and are typically the same no matter which funeral home you choose.
The fourth element of a funeral's total cost is the cemetery fees. These fees can vary a lot here in the Montreal area since each cemetery controls its own price list. The choice of ground burial for a casket or urn versus entombment in a mausoleum for a casket or urn can vary in price dramatically.
The four elements of a funeral's total price again are service fee, merchandise, incidental items, and cemetery fees.
It is very important for you to focus on the total price instead of the individual elements. Families are often surprised when a funeral home advertises a low service fee but will inflate their merchandise prices to make the total cost higher than the family expected or wanted.
Although the total cost of the funeral is important. The most important thing to focus on is the value you receive for the money you have spent.
- Will the funeral... honour the wishes of your loved one but keep in mind the emotional needs of the family and friends?
- Will the funeral... help you to remember and celebrate the life they lived?
- Will the funeral... be a unique reflection of the unique life they lived?
- Will the funeral... welcome the children and grandchildren instead of excluding them from this important family event?
- Will the funeral... be held in a comfortable place so that you can relax with a reception and food?
- Will the funeral... be financially responsible and will the funeral home staff help you to administer the loose ends?
- Will the funeral... be held at a location that supports the emotional, spiritual, and practical needs of your family??
It is important for you to know that at Kane & Fetterly whether you spend $2,000 with us or $10,000 our mission is to help your family create a unique and loving farewell for your loved one.
Kane & Fetterly - All rights reserved