Everything specific to Massachusetts in one place: what a death certificate costs and how to get one, who has the legal right to arrange the funeral, and where to find official help. Each section links to a full guide with its sources.
Massachusetts at a glance
| Certified death certificate (state fee) | $20 |
|---|---|
| Decides the funeral if nobody was named in advance | Surviving spouse |
| Can you name someone in advance? | No separate form |
| The law | No statute; 239 Code Mass. Regs. § 3.09 (Board of Registration in Embalming and Funeral Directing) |
Funeral cost calculator for Massachusetts
Pick the kind of arrangement and what it includes, and the estimate updates line by line, using Massachusetts funeral homes’ own prices where we have them. Every line shows its source.
Funeral costs in Massachusetts
These are medians from 10 Massachusetts funeral homes’ own published General Price Lists (9 cities, dated 2024-10 to 2026-07), collected in September 2026. Each figure counts only the price lists that show that item. Direct cremation and immediate burial are the lowest option each home lists; some include a basic container or the crematory fee and some do not. Your funeral home’s own price list is the only figure that counts for your bill.
| Item | Median | Price lists |
|---|---|---|
| Direct cremation (lowest listed option) | $2,882.50 | 10 |
| Basic services fee | $2,825 | 10 |
| Embalming | $745 | 10 |
| Transfer of remains to the funeral home | $572.50 | 10 |
| Viewing (facilities and staff) | $600 | 10 |
| Funeral ceremony (facilities and staff) | $785 | 10 |
| Hearse | $525 | 10 |
The 10 price lists behind these figures
- Rice Funeral Home, Worcester, 2026-05-09
- Casper Funeral & Cremation Services, Boston, 2026-03-03
- Kfoury Keefe Funeral Home, West Roxbury (Boston), 2026-04-01
- Mercadante Funeral Home & Chapel, Worcester, 2024-10-01
- O'Brien Family Funeral Home, South Hadley, 2025-06-01
- Curran-Jones Funeral Homes, West Springfield (Springfield metro), 2025-05-01
- Miles Funeral Home, Holden (Worcester County), 2026-03-18
- Lombard Funeral Home, Inc., Monson, 2025-01-01
- Methuen Family Funeral Home, Methuen, 2026-07-01
- New England Funeral & Cremation Center, Springfield, 2025-02-21
Under the FTC Funeral Rule every funeral home must give you its prices over the phone, so calling two or three is the fastest way to a real number. How much a funeral costs, line by line.
Death certificates in Massachusetts
Certified copies come from Registry of Vital Records and Statistics (RVRS), Massachusetts Department of Public Health. RVRS fee page: in person "Processed immediately (in most cases)"; standard mail "Processed and shipped within 15-20 business days"; expedited mail within 10 business days; VitalChek standard within 10 business days, expedited next business day. The how-to page separately says mail orders are processed within 30 business days. Full guide: getting a death certificate in Massachusetts.
Who decides the funeral in Massachusetts
Massachusetts law sets the order. The first people in line are: Decedent's pre-need contract or valid written instructions; Surviving spouse; Adult children; Parents. The full order, ties, deadlines and disputes.
Help paying for a funeral in Massachusetts
Federal help is the same in every state: Social Security’s one-time $255 payment to an eligible spouse or child, VA burial benefits for eligible veterans, and FEMA help only after a declared disaster. What each pays and how to apply.
Some Massachusetts counties and cities also help low-income families with burial or cremation costs. Ask the social services office in the county where the person died.
More official links for every state: funeral resources · all states.