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Guide

Burial costs

Burial is usually the more expensive route, mainly because of cemetery fees rather than the funeral director's charges.

What you are paying for

A burial bill normally has several separate parts.

  • The exclusive right of burial (buying the grave space for a set period)
  • The interment fee (digging and preparing the grave)
  • Permission and fees for a headstone or memorial
  • Higher fees where the person did not live in the council area

Memorials

Cemeteries usually require a settling period of several months before a headstone can be placed, and they set rules on size and material. There is no need to decide on a memorial quickly.

This is general information for the UK, not legal, medical or financial advice. Rules differ between England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and can change.