simplyremembered

How Much Does Cremation Cost in California?

Fri, 11 Feb 2022 18:32:04 GMT

According to the NFDA Cremation & Burial Report, cremations will reach 70% by 2030. No one enjoys dealing with the passing of a loved one, but some options can make the process much easier on families. Peace of mind and dignity are important for everyone, even when dealing with death. It’s helpful to research your options, check the cost of cremation in California, and learn how to keep things manageable.

Cremation vs. Burial

More people are choosing cremation over burial for various reasons, but one of the most prominent is that it is less expensive than a burial. It's also often seen as a "greener" option than a burial.

The cost of just about everything is going up, and funeral services are no different. Given how much more cost-effective cremations are, we can see that the percentage of people who prefer cremation has gone from 40% in 2010 to 56% in 2020. However, now that cremation is becoming a more popular choice, the cost of this service is also increasing.

On the other hand, many people still prefer burial over cremation, mainly because it's viewed as more traditional. No matter which option you decide, there are ways to ensure the service is uplifting, reverent, and within budget.

Average Pricing for Cremation with Funeral

Like most things, pricing for services varies from state to state. On average, the cost of a cremation package ranges between $2,000 and $10,000, depending on the funeral home.

This breakdown comes from the national median cost of an adult funeral with cremation in 2021:

Basic service fee (non-declinable) - $2,300
Cremation fee - $368
Removal/transfer of the body to the funeral home - $350
Embalming - $775
Body preparation - $275
Use of facility for the viewing - $450
Use of facility for the funeral - $515
Service car or van - $150
Basic printed memorial materials - $183

Note, these packages often do not include an urn or casket. In 2021, the median cost of an urn was $295, and the median cost of a cremation casket was $1,310.

Burial with Funeral

Many of the service fees for burials are similar to those listed above. However, the body will be buried in a casket and not cremated. The average cost of a casket ranges between $2,000 and $5,000. The price depends on the type of materials used (and the thickness of those materials) to make the casket.

Direct Cremations

Direct cremations are a low-cost way of providing a wonderful service for your loved one. With direct cremations, you do not have a funeral service or memorial service beforehand. After the cremation, the funeral home gives the ashes to the family members. In some areas, you can work directly with a crematory instead of a funeral home, which can help save on costs.

In California, the average direct cremation costs are around $1,595 if the family provides an urn.

No-Cost Cremations

If you choose to donate your body to science, your body will be cremated for free, and the ashes will be returned to your surviving family members. However, there are some exceptions. If you have a communicable disease such as HIV, tuberculosis, hepatitis, and others, they will not accept the body. Also, they will not take bodies that have been traumatized or decomposed.

After Cremation: Scattering the Ashes

After cremation, it’s a popular wish to have ashes scattered in a place that was important to the deceased. According to California law, anyone “who has the right to control the disposition of the remains” can scatter ashes in California , as long as they do not dispose of more than ten sets of remains in one calendar year.

Most often, cremains are scattered by family members and loved ones. There are many places where you can legally scatter cremains, but some of the more popular areas in California include:

Private land
Scattering garden (designated areas in churches, cemeteries, and memorial parks)
Public land (beaches, mountains, deserts, etc.) with written permission
Federal land (national parks) with written permission
In the Pacific Ocean (as long as you're three nautical miles from the shore)
By air (dropped from an airplane, and ashes only—no urns)

Even though cremation is becoming a popular option, how and where the ashes are laid to rest is a personal decision. It's important to talk with your family members about how you want this done, as well as how much it will cost—before any decisions are made.

Talk about Your Options with Funeral Experts

There are many options for laying your loved one to rest, so it's always a good idea to talk to funeral home professionals about how much cremation or burial options cost. They can go over available plans and costs , as well as help you make the right choice for your family. Contact us to learn more about cremation pricing in California.

5 Places Where It’s Legal to Scatter Ashes in California

Tue, 08 Feb 2022 18:02:49 GMT

After your loved one departs and has been cremated, the next big questions arise: What do you do with their remains? Should you scatter them? Should you hold onto them as a keepsake? Or should you find another way to remember the departed?

If you’re interested in scattering the remains, you should first know where it is legal to scatter ashes in California. Then you can decide how to scatter the ashes and who should be there to witness the ceremony.

Where Can You Scatter Ashes in California?

State law dictates that ashes can be scattered wherever you or your loved one have chosen, provided the ceremony meets three qualifications:

No prohibition exists against scattering ashes in that particular location.
You have written permission from the owner of the property.
The cremated remains are not easily identifiable as remains after scattering.

Common Places to Scatter Ashes

Ideally, the location you decide to scatter cremated remains will have some sort of special meaning to your dearly departed. For example, maybe they frequented a certain beachfront or loved going on a specific hike in their favorite national park. With the right permissions in order, you can help them depart from this life in the places they loved the most.

To give you an idea of where those places might be, consider these popular places to scatter cremated remains.

1. The Pacific Ocean

Scattering remains at sea is a beautiful way to send off your loved one. To observe the Federal Clean Water Act, all scattering ceremonies must be performed at least three nautical miles away from the coast. Fortunately, there are boating services that will take you out to that distance so you and a small group of people can observe the scattering ceremony. At Simply Remembered, we offer a service where we scatter your loved one’s ashes for you and even a full-body burial at sea option.

2. In the Air (from an Airplane)

Certain private airline services will take your group into the air to scatter your loved one’s remains. This gives you easy access to breathtaking views and locations where you can say one final goodbye.

3. National Parks

Federal land, like national parks, often requires individuals to have a permit before they can scatter their loved one’s ashes on the premises. We recommend asking park officials, as they may have designated ash scattering zones for you to hold the ceremony.

4. Sports Stadiums

Was your loved one a sports fan? Many people have had their ashes scattered at their favorite sports stadiums. As long as you have permission from the arena owner, you may scatter the departed’s ashes there (usually on the grass field).

5. Mountain Peaks

Provided that it is not within a National Park, most mountain peaks in California are public land. So, if you get permission from the county office, you can climb to the top of a mountain and scatter your loved one’s ashes from there.

Where Can’t You Scatter Ashes?

As a rule of thumb, assume you can’t scatter ashes somewhere unless you have written consent from the property owner. However, three places are always off-limits: lakes, rivers, and streams . Doing so can pollute the water, resulting in a citation.

How to Scatter Ashes

Now that you have some ideas of where you can scatter your loved one’s ashes, it’s time to consider how to scatter their ashes. You may have a single person scatter the ashes. Or, you could choose to make it a ceremony for the whole group, allowing everyone to pick up and let go of the departed, both physically and metaphorically.

However many people participate in the ceremony, there are a few ways you can scatter the remains:

Casting: Casting, or letting the ashes blow away in the wind, is probably the most common form of ash scattering. The person scattering will simply pick up a handful of ashes, extend their arm, and slowly release the ashes into the wind. Be sure you’re positioned so the ashes blow away from you; cremated remains blowing into your face are both unpleasant and dangerous due to the small, sharp bone fragments.
Burying (Trenching): Trenching ashes is essentially like a traditional burial ceremony. The only difference is that you will be burying ashes, not a casket. The trench should be shallow, and you may wish to mark it with flowers or other biodegradable decor.
Raking: With raking, cremated remains are scattered on top of loose soil and then raked until they are well-incorporated with the earth. This soil may be part of a flower garden, a forest, or a beautiful grassy knoll.

Alternatives to Scattering Ashes

We’ve gone over some alternatives of how to spread ashes, like by plane or at sea, but there are a few other options to consider :

Memorial Jewelry: Memorial jewelry might take the shape of rings, necklaces, and any other accessory that’s made from your loved one’s cremated remains. The possibilities are endless—the final piece can be any shape, style, and color you want it to be. There are other kinds of memorial jewelry that include fillable vessels for your loved one’s remains.
Tree Urns: Some companies create biodegradable urns with tree seeds embedded. Your loved one’s remains provide nourishment for the seed to grow into a flourishing tree. You can have a living memory of your loved one as long as that tree stands.
Memorial Fireworks: Memorial services should be a celebration—both of the life your loved one lived and of the memories every guest shared with them. And what better way to end the celebration than to set off fireworks? Some companies will put your loved one’s ashes into a firework so they can be a part of the celebration.

Depending on the best way to remember your loved one, the memorial can be costly. That’s why finding an affordable cremation service helps you open up your scattering options.

What to Say When Scattering Ashes

Now for what is perhaps the most difficult part of any scattering ceremony: what you will say during it.

There are a few routes you can take with this. You may assign one person to give a eulogy on behalf of the deceased. Or you could open it to all guests, allowing anyone who wants to share a memory or their love and admiration for the departed.

Whatever you or anyone else says during the service, just make sure it is said in appreciation. This isn’t an opportunity to air grievances but rather celebrate the good memories the person left behind.

Honor Your Loved One

If you are still unsure of where to scatter your loved one’s ashes in California, we hope Simply Remembered can be of service to you.

Please give us a call to help you determine the best way to honor your loved one. Or, if you need to plan a cremation service, we’d love to answer any questions you have about that as well.