Types of Caskets

The casket you purchase will be the most expensive item you pay for in a traditional full-service funeral. Caskets are available in many styles, colors, materials and with many different options. These are generally sold based on the aesthetic appeal they have. Most are made from fiberboard, fiberglass, plastic, metals or woods. The average casket costs a little more than $2,000 while there are options such as bronze and copper caskets that will see prices closer to $9,000 and above.

Any time you shop for a casket at a funeral home, the Funeral Rule states that the funeral director give you a list to see of all the caskets that their company sells along with prices and descriptions before you enter the showroom. In prior years, caskets were only sold by funeral homes, but now major retail chains are offering them as well at major price differences. The Funeral Rule also states that a funeral home cannot refuse to use a casket you bought from somewhere else, or charge a fee for using that casket.

There are no caskets made that will under any circumstances preserve a body indefinitely. Many metal caskets are called gasketed or sealer caskets. This means that there is a gasket made of rubber that is made to help deter water from getting into the casket and causing it to rust. The Funeral Rule states that it is wrong for a funeral home to tell a consumer that these features will keep the remains inside for an extended period of time, because there are no facts to back up this claim. Metal caskets are made from rolled steel in most cases, and the lower the gauge of steel, the thicker it is. Wood caskets are normally made with no gaskets or seals like metal caskets. Wood such as pine is less expensive to purchase, and for this reason many funeral homes do not have them in a showroom.

Regardless of the type of casket you choose, it is important to remember that the whole purpose of having a casket is to give a dignified way of moving a body prior to burials or the cremation. No funeral home can force you to buy something you do not want, so be specific about the choices you make.

For more information on the types of caskets visit Funeral Home Resource.com