Our charge for a direct cremation (without ceremony) includes: basic services of funeral director and staff; a proportionate share of overhead costs; removal of remains, refrigeration, local transportation to crematory, standard size plastic urn, necessary authorizations and cremation.

"If you want to arrange a direct cremation, you can use an alternative container. Alternative containers encase the body and can be made of materials like fiberboard or composition materials (with or without an outside covering). The container we provide are corrugated fiberboard container."

A. Direct cremation with container provided by the purchaser............................. $1,495.00

B. Direct cremation with a fiberboard container starting from...............................$1,555.00

Crematorium Fees For Oversize

Overweight Additional Cremation Fee 201 lbs To 250 lbs...........................................................................$200

Overweight Additional Cremation Fee 251 lbs To 300 lbs...........................................................................$400

Overweight Additional Cremation Fee 301 lbs To 400 lbs...........................................................................$600

Oversize Tray For Cremation (300 lbs & up)......................................................................................................$450

Overweight cremation cases over 300 lb require approval from our crematorium manager we will give price as it varies on available crematorium to hold capacity.

Mailing Fee (Death Certificates) Domestic Registered Mail......................................................................$50

Travel Charge Local (Legal Documents, Permits, Death Certificates)...................................................$50

Death Certificates (County Fee)............................................................................................................................$24

Disposition Permits/Burial Permits (County Fee).........................................................................................$12

Insurance Assignment Fee....................................................................................................................................10% of grand Total

This charge includes removal of remains, basic service of staff, necessary authorization, and embalming (if required), local transportation. This charge does

not include transportation to airport, airfare, visitation, or ceremonies prior to fowarding of body

A. With combination shipping container.....................................................................................................................$3,715

B.  In a casket and airtray (cost of a jessup 20 gauge gasketed casket selection to this price)...............$5,310

AFFINITY 20 Gauge Steel (Gasketed) White Finish White Crepe Interior 

(pc41028117) $3,095

AFFINITY 20 Gauge Steel (Gasketed) Russet Bronze Finish Rosetone Crepe Interior 

(pc71010280) $3,095

AFFINITY 20 Gauge Steel (Gasketed) London Blue Finish Silver Crepe Interior 

(pc71010279) $3,095

AFFINITY 20 Gauge Steel (Gasketed) Light Orchid Finish Pink Crepe Interior 

(pc71010288) $3,095

AFFINITY 20 Gauge Steel (Gasketed) Light Gunmetal Finish White Crepe Interior 

(pc71010287) $3,095

CFB

Department of Consumer Affairs

Cemetery & Funeral Bureau

Consumer Guide to Funeral and Cemetery Purchases

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

LEGAL REQUIREMENTS

Disposition Arrangements • Prices • Embalming • Cremation •Burial • Home Death Care • Coroner Fees • Retail Casket Sellers

DECIDING IN ADVANCE

For A Loved One • For Yourself • Check License Status • Compare Prices And Services • Prearrangement • Prepayment Options

BURIAL

Purchasing Items Elsewhere • Multiple-Depth Graves

CREMATION

Disposition Of Cremated Remains • Scattering

SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES

Death Out Of State • Death Out Of The Country • Donation For Medical Purposes GENERAL PRICE LIST REQUIREMENTS

COMPLAINTS

GLOSSARY OF TERMS

FOR MORE INFORMATION

This publication may be copied if:

• The text is not changed or misrepresented.
• Credit is given to the Department of Consumer Affairs' Cemetery and Funeral Bureau.
• All copies are distributed free of charge.

INTRODUCTION

The death of a loved one is one of the most traumatic experiences any of us will ever have. The California Department of Consumer Affairs' Cemetery and Funeral Bureau has developed this booklet to assist you in making the difficult decisions about funeral and cemetery arrangements for yourself or someone close to you. By asking the right questions, comparing prices and services, and making informed decisions, you can make arrangements that are meaningful to your family and control the costs for you and your survivors.

The Cemetery and Funeral Bureau licenses, regulates, and investigates complaints against California funeral establishments, funeral directors, embalmers, apprentice embalmers, cemetery brokers, cemetery salespersons, cemetery managers, cremated remains disposers, crematories, crematory managers and the nearly 200 fraternal and private cemeteries in the State.

(NOTE: The State does not license cemeteries operated by religious organizations; cities, counties, or cemetery districts; the military; Native American tribal organizations; or other groups. If you don’t know who regulates the cemetery you’re interested in, ask the cemetery manager.)

If you need help with a cemetery or funeral issue, visit the Bureau's Web site at www.cfb.ca.gov or call the Department of Consumer Affairs’ Consumer Information Center at (800) 952-5210 or the Bureau at (916) 574-7870.

LEGAL REQUIREMENTS

Disposition Arrangements

California law lists those who have the right, duty, and responsibility to make decisions about disposition arrangements after a person's death. They are, in order, as listed in the law:

• A person, prior to his or her death.
• The Person Authorized to Direct Disposition (PADD) on a U.S. Department of Defense Record of Emergency Data (DD Form 93) as that form existed on December 31, 2011, or its successor form.
• An agent under a California power of attorney for health care.
• The surviving competent spouse or registered domestic partner.
• The surviving competent adult child or the majority of the surviving competent adult children.
• The surviving competent parent or parents.
• The surviving competent adult sibling or the majority of the surviving competent adult siblings.
• The surviving competent adult or the majority of the surviving competent adults in the next degree of kinship.
• A conservator of the person appointed under Part 3 (commencing with Section 1800) of Division 4 of the Probate Code when the decedent has sufficient assets.
• A conservator of the estate appointed under Part 3 (commencing with Section 1800) of Division 4 of the Probate Code when the decedent has sufficient assets.
• The public administrator when the decedent has sufficient assets.

Details: A person may direct in writing the disposition of his or her remains and specify the funeral goods and services desired. Unless there is a written statement to the contrary that is signed and dated by the person, these directions may not be changed in any material way except as required by law.

The law protects a person's choices after death, providing that:

1. The written directions are clear and complete; and
2. Arrangements for payment of final services via trusts, insurance, commitments by others, or any other means have been made which precludes the payment of money by the survivors(s) who might otherwise have the right to control disposition
• Instead of giving written instructions, a person may give the right and duty of disposition to a PADD (if an active duty member of the U.S. Armed Forces) or to an agent under a power of attorney for health care or an advance health care directive. This agent will have the full right to act and control the decedent's disposition unless the power of attorney or an advance health care directive limits or removes that right or ceases upon death.
• In the absence of written instructions, a PADD, an advance health care directive, or power of attorney for health care, the right and duty of disposition moves next to a surviving competent spouse or registered domestic partner. To be considered a registered domestic partner in California, a person must have filed a Declaration of Domestic Partnership with the Secretary of State under Family Law Code section 297.
• In the absence of the above documents and people, the right and duty of disposition would fall to the surviving competent adult child or the majority of the surviving competent adult children, then the competent parent or parents, then the competent adult sibling or the majority of the surviving competent adult siblings, and then the competent adult or the majority of the surviving competent adults in the next degree of kinship, followed by conservator of person, conservator of estate, or public administrator.

In addition, the law governs issues such as the time in which family members must act, what happens if all members cannot be found or cannot agree on what to do, and who is responsible for the costs of disposition. Be sure to review and understand all the provisions of law when you are considering these choices. The applicable laws and regulations can be found on the Bureau's Web site at www.cfb.ca.gov.

(NOTE: Exceptions may apply in certain situations. You have the right to select a different person to make the decisions about your arrangements, if you wish. You may wish to consult with an attorney about including such instructions in your will or in another written document, such as a power of attorney for health care. Be sure to provide copies of your instructions to family members and keep your own copy in a place that can be easily accessed.)

Prices

Federal law requires funeral establishments to quote prices over the phone and to give you a General Price List (GPL) and a Casket Price List (CPL) when you ask in person about arrangements and prices. If the funeral establishment sells outer burial containers, it must also provide you prices for those containers, either as part of the GPL or on a separate price list. If the funeral establishment has a Web site, it must post the list of funeral goods and services that are required to be included in their GPL, pursuant to federal rule, and include a statement that the GPL is available upon request via a link from the home page, OR include the words "price information" or a similar statement that includes the word "price" with a link to the GPL.

(For more information, see General Price List Requirements.)

When you contract for services with a funeral establishment, the law requires it to give you an itemized statement of your choices, including estimates of any costs that are unknown at the time. The statement must also include charges for outside vendor services arranged by the funeral establishment such as flowers, clergy honoraria, newspaper notices, music, etc. Make sure the statement includes only those items you have selected. If you have chosen a funeral package, the statement should describe all the goods and services that are included. Be sure you have the total dollar amount in writing before you sign the contract.

The law allows a funeral establishment to set a fee for professional services, such as the funeral director's time spent:

• Helping you plan the funeral;
• Making arrangements with a cemetery or crematory (or the funeral establishment if the body will be shipped out of the area);
• Obtaining the death certificate and other required permits;
• Submitting the obituary and "unallocated overhead," which includes taxes, insurance, advertising, and other business expenses.

The funeral establishment may require you to pay this fee in addition to the specific funeral goods and services you select.

(NOTE: It is illegal for a funeral establishment to charge a handling fee if you wish to use a family-built casket or a casket you purchased elsewhere. However, the casket must meet the cemetery's or crematory's standards and must take into consideration the size of the body. It is also illegal for the funeral establishment to make false claims about the preservative qualities of a casket or to charge contagious disease fees or fees for protective clothing for staff.)

Embalming

The law does not require embalming. However, the person with the right to control disposition must accept or decline embalming by signing a specific form prescribed by the Bureau. Additionally, a funeral establishment must refrigerate an unembalmed body in its possession if burial or cremation does not take place within 24 hours. (See exception under Home Death Care.) As a practical matter, however, you may wish to authorize embalming if there will be a delay before a public viewing. Keep in mind that embalming does not prevent decomposition of a body.

(NOTE: A coroner may require embalming in certain circumstances.)

Cremation

The law does not require the purchase of a casket before cremation.

(A combustible cremation container, typically referred to as an alternative container, is required. See Cremation.)

Burial

The law does not require outer burial containers, commonly known as vaults or grave liners, but cemeteries may require them because they keep the ground from settling after burial. Typically, vaults completely surround the casket in concrete or other material. Grave liners cover only the top and sides. Neither container will prevent the eventual decomposition of human remains.

Natural burial, also referred to as green or eco-friendly burial, is a way of caring for the dead with minimal environmental impact, often without a casket or burial container. The body is typically not embalmed and may be encased in biodegradable materials for burial. Talk to cemetery staff if you’re interested in this option.

Home Death Care

The use of a funeral establishment and funeral director is not required by law when preparing a body for disposition. You can arrange for your body, or that of a loved one, to be cared for and prepared for disposition by family and friends at home. If you choose home death care, you must:

• File a properly completed Certificate of Death, signed by the attending physician or coroner, with the local registrar of births and deaths.
• Obtain a Permit for Disposition from the local registrar of births and deaths.
• Provide a casket or other suitable container.
• Make arrangements directly with the cemetery or crematory.

Your local county health department may be able to help you file a Certificate of Death and/or a Permit for Disposition.

(NOTE: Human remains may be kept at home without embalming or refrigeration until disposition. Generally, decomposition will proceed more rapidly without refrigeration or embalming.)

Coroner Fees

California law permits coroners to charge for certain services. Fees vary by county.

Retail Casket Sellers

California law requires retail casket sellers, when beginning any discussion of prices, to give customers a written price list of all caskets, alternative containers, and outer burial containers normally offered for sale and the price for each. In addition, if customers ask for the list in person or by phone, the retail casket seller must give them a written statement identifying caskets or containers by price, thickness of metal, type of wood or other construction, and by interior and color. Price, thickness, construction, and color information must also be included on a tag conspicuously attached to each casket. Prior to a sale, the seller must provide the buyer an itemized statement of all costs involved.

Retail casket sellers are not allowed to arrange funerals or cremations or perform any other functions requiring a license as a funeral establishment. Before doing business with any retail casket seller, you may wish to check the company's business practices with your local Better Business Bureau.

(NOTE: Retail casket sellers are not bound b