Everything specific to Texas 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.
Texas at a glance
| Certified death certificate (state fee) | $20 first copy, $3 each additional |
|---|---|
| Decides the funeral if nobody was named in advance | Surviving spouse |
| Can you name someone in advance? | Yes |
| The law | Tex. Health & Safety Code § 711.002 |
Funeral cost calculator for Texas
Pick the kind of arrangement and what it includes, and the estimate updates line by line, using Texas funeral homes’ own prices where we have them. Every line shows its source.
Funeral costs in Texas
These are medians from 11 Texas funeral homes’ own published General Price Lists (9 cities, dated 2025-02 to 2026-08), 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) | $2,095 | 11 |
| Immediate burial (lowest listed option) | $3,495 | 11 |
| Basic services fee | $1,900 | 11 |
| Embalming | $850 | 11 |
| Transfer of remains to the funeral home | $500 | 11 |
| Viewing (facilities and staff) | $495 | 11 |
| Funeral ceremony (facilities and staff) | $500 | 11 |
| Hearse | $495 | 11 |
The 11 price lists behind these figures
- Ebensberger Fisher Funeral Home, Boerne, 2025-05-01
- Golden Gate Funeral Home, Dallas, 2025-11-13
- Peaceful Rest Funeral Home, Dallas, 2025-10-01
- All Faiths Funeral Services, Austin, 2026-01-05
- Bill DeBerry Funeral Directors, Denton, 2026-04-15
- Beresford Funeral Service, Houston, 2025-02-15
- Thompson & Son Cremation & Funeral Service, Fort Worth, 2025-02-01
- Wilkirson-Hatch-Bailey Funerals & Cremation, Waco, 2025-10-01
- Advantage Funeral & Cremation Services, Houston, 2026-08-18
- Martin Funeral Home, El Paso, 2026-04-04
- Resthaven Funeral Home & Cemetery, Lubbock, 2026-01-22
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 Texas
Certified copies come from Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS), Vital Statistics Section. VS-142: walk-in 'Same day service in most cases'; online orders 'mailed 20-25 business days after receipt'; mail 'Processed and mailed 6 – 8 weeks after receipt'; expedited 'Processed and mailed 4 weeks after receipt'. Full guide: getting a death certificate in Texas.
Who decides the funeral in Texas
Texas law sets the order. The first people in line are: DD Form 93 designee (death in military service); Person designated in a signed, acknowledged written instrument; Surviving spouse; Any one surviving adult child. The full order, ties, deadlines and disputes.
Help paying for a funeral in Texas
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 Texas 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.