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Funeral Planning Checklist

Everything to do after a death, in the order it happens, from the first phone calls to the thank-you notes. Tick things off as you go, or print it.

Burial or cremation?

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  1. 1.The first 24 hours

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    Only a few things have to happen today. Everything else can wait until you sit down with the funeral director.

  2. 2.Days 2–3: the arrangements meeting

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    Make the funeral programWrite the obituary free

    Most decisions are made in one meeting with the funeral director. Bring someone to help you think and take notes.

    • Write it with the free obituary writer ›
    • Military funeral honors ›

  3. 3.The week before the service

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    This is the part most people mean by planning a funeral. If the service is only days away, do what you can and let the rest go.

  4. A funeral program in the Watercolor Roses design, cover, inside and backA funeral program in the Ocean Sunset design, cover, inside and back

    Make the funeral program

    Add their photo, the order of service, the obituary and a poem, and download a print-ready program, or have it printed and shipped.

    Make the funeral programMatching prayer cards

  5. 4.The day of the service

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    Today your job is to be there. Hand these jobs to other people the day before.

  6. 5.The weeks after

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    None of this has to happen in the first week. Do a little each day, and let other people make some of the calls.

    • Write them with the free thank-you note writer ›

Your rights at the funeral home

The FTC Funeral Rule applies at every US funeral home:

  • They must give you prices over the phone, and a written General Price List when you visit.
  • You can buy only the goods and services you want, instead of a package.
  • You can buy a casket or urn elsewhere, and they can’t refuse it or charge a fee to handle it.
  • A funeral home that offers cremation must offer a simple alternative container, so you don’t need a casket.

Who to notify after a death

USA.gov keeps the official list of agencies to notify when someone dies. The main ones:

  • Social Security. The funeral home usually reports the death, and Social Security tells Medicare. Any payment for the month of death has to be returned. Ask about survivors benefits and the one-time $255 payment for a surviving spouse or child.
  • Veterans Affairs. Ask about burial benefits, such as burial in a national cemetery, a headstone or marker and a burial flag.
  • The IRS. Their final income tax return includes income up to the date of death.
  • State and local offices. Cancel the driver’s license and transfer any vehicle, return the passport so it can be cancelled, cancel the voter registration, and stop state benefits such as SNAP or Medicaid.
  • Banks, cards and credit bureaus. Tell each one, and send a copy of the death certificate to Equifax, Experian and TransUnion to help prevent identity theft.

Settling the estate is the executor’s job, and the rules depend on the state.

Planning your own funeral ahead of time

If you are planning ahead for yourself or a parent, write these down on one page and give copies to family. A will is often read after the funeral, so it shouldn’t hold the only copy.

  • Burial, cremation or body donation, and where you want to rest
  • The kind of service, the place, and who should lead it
  • Readings, music, and who you would like to speak
  • The clothes and the photo you would like used
  • A charity for donations
  • Where to find your will, insurance policies and DD-214
  • Who you want to make the decisions

Questions families ask

What is the first thing to do when someone dies?

Get a legal pronouncement of death. In a hospital or nursing home the staff do it; at home under hospice care, call the hospice; if someone dies suddenly at home, call 911. Then call a funeral home and tell close family.

How soon after a death is the funeral?

A funeral is usually held within a week or two, once family can travel and the officiant, venue and cemetery are free. Jewish and Muslim burials often happen within a day. After a cremation, a memorial service can be held weeks or months later.

What does the funeral home take care of?

In the US the funeral home usually files the death certificate, orders certified copies, reports the death to Social Security, and handles the transport, the burial or cremation and the logistics of the service. Family and friends usually take on the obituary, the readings and music, the eulogy, the program and the reception.

How much does a funeral cost?

It depends on the funeral home, the region and what you choose. In the National Funeral Directors Association’s 2023 price study, the national median was $8,300 for a funeral with a viewing and burial and $6,280 for one with a viewing and cremation, not counting the cemetery, the headstone or extras such as flowers and obituaries. Compare the General Price Lists of two or three funeral homes.

Does Social Security help pay for a funeral?

Not directly. Social Security pays a one-time $255 to a surviving spouse, or to a child if there is no spouse, when they qualify. Veterans may qualify for VA burial benefits, and some states and counties help families who can’t pay; the funeral director will know what is available locally.

Is there a printable funeral planning checklist?

Yes. Press Print the checklist on this page to print it or save it as a PDF, with every item and a box to tick. Your ticks are saved in this browser, so you can come back to the list on the same device.

Guides for families