Everything specific to Pennsylvania 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.
Pennsylvania at a glance
| Certified death certificate (state fee) | $20 |
|---|---|
| Decides the funeral if nobody was named in advance | Surviving spouse (sole authority) |
| Can you name someone in advance? | No separate form |
| The law | 20 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 305 |
Funeral cost calculator for Pennsylvania
Pick the kind of arrangement and what it includes, and the estimate updates line by line, using Pennsylvania funeral homes’ own prices where we have them. Every line shows its source.
Funeral costs in Pennsylvania
These are medians from 10 Pennsylvania funeral homes’ own published General Price Lists (9 cities, dated 2024-10 to 2026-05), 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) | $3,472.50 | 10 |
| Immediate burial (lowest listed option) | $3,525 | 10 |
| Basic services fee | $2,597.50 | 10 |
| Funeral ceremony (facilities and staff) | $725 | 10 |
| Hearse | $437.50 | 10 |
The 10 price lists behind these figures
- Wolfe Memorial, LLC, Forest Hills (Pittsburgh), 2026-01-01
- Pittsburgh Cremation & Funeral Care, McMurray / McKees Rocks (Pittsburgh metro), 2026-01-01
- Jefferson Memorial Funeral Home, Pleasant Hills (Pittsburgh metro), 2026-05-12
- Thomas L. Geisel Funeral Home, Chambersburg, 2025-06-01
- Richard H. Searer Funeral Home, Inc., Tyrone, 2025-01-15
- Mitchum-Wilson Funeral Home, Inc., Philadelphia
- E. Franklin Griffiths Funeral Home & Cremation Services, Inc., Tamaqua, 2024-10-01
- DelVal Cremation (Delaware Valley Cremation Center), Philadelphia, 2026-01-01
- The Donohue Funeral Homes (Newtown Square, West Chester, Upper Darby), Newtown Square / Upper Darby / West Chester (Philadelphia suburbs), 2024-11-01
- Harris Funeral Home, Inc. (with Laurel Highlands Crematory), Johnstown, 2025-11-10
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 Pennsylvania
Certified copies come from Pennsylvania Department of Health, Division of Vital Records. PA processing times page: death certificate online orders 'Approximately 3 weeks'; paper applications by mail 'Approximately 3 weeks'. Fastest is in person at one of six Vital Records offices. Full guide: getting a death certificate in Pennsylvania.
Who decides the funeral in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania law sets the order. The first people in line are: Directions in a valid will (or later DD Form 93); Surviving spouse (sole authority); Next of kin (sole authority, in order defined in § 305(e)). The full order, ties, deadlines and disputes.
Help paying for a funeral in Pennsylvania
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 Pennsylvania 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.