Everything specific to Wisconsin 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.
Wisconsin at a glance
| Certified death certificate (state fee) | $20 first copy, $3 each additional |
|---|---|
| Decides the funeral if nobody was named in advance | Representative named in an authorization for final disposition |
| Can you name someone in advance? | Yes |
| The law | Wis. Stat. § 154.30 |
Funeral cost calculator for Wisconsin
Pick the kind of arrangement and what it includes, and the estimate updates line by line, using Wisconsin funeral homes’ own prices where we have them. Every line shows its source.
Funeral costs in Wisconsin
These are medians from 10 Wisconsin funeral homes’ own published General Price Lists (9 cities, dated 2024-11 to 2026-09), 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Basic services fee | $3,060 | 10 |
| Embalming | $787.50 | 10 |
| Transfer of remains to the funeral home | $462.50 | 10 |
The 10 price lists behind these figures
- John J. Buettgen Funeral Home, Wisconsin Rapids, 2025-03-01
- Harder Funeral Home, Brookfield, 2025-03-15
- Preferred Care, Milwaukee, 2024-11-10
- Cress Funeral & Cremation Service, Madison, 2025-10-01
- Cremation Society of Madison, Madison, 2026-02-13
- Newcomer Green Bay, Green Bay, 2026-09-11
- Bakken-Young Funeral Home, River Falls, 2025-06-01
- Kenosha Funeral Services & Crematory, Kenosha, 2026-08-01
- First Wisconsin Cremation, Beloit, 2025-10-08
- Wichmann Funeral Homes & Crematories, Appleton, 2025-08-01
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 Wisconsin
Certified copies come from Wisconsin Department of Health Services, Wisconsin Vital Records Office. DHS: online (VitalChek) orders 'completed in about five business days'; mail 'about 10 business days to complete' (not counting mail time). The death application says requests 'may take up to 2 weeks plus mail time.'. Full guide: getting a death certificate in Wisconsin.
Who decides the funeral in Wisconsin
Wisconsin law sets the order. The first people in line are: Representative named in an authorization for final disposition; Surviving spouse; Children (majority); Parents. The full order, ties, deadlines and disputes.
Help paying for a funeral in Wisconsin
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 Wisconsin 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.