Get the prices.
When you discuss arrangements or prices in person, you must be offered a General Price List to keep. Providers must also give price information over the phone.
Consumer advocacy · State-specific guides
Clear guidance.
At your own pace.
Understand your options. Honor what matters to you.
Funeral arrangements involve personal choices and real costs. We help you understand the line items, distinguish choices from requirements, and have informed conversations with providers about your needs and budget.
Find my guidanceFree guidance. No account needed.
Start with your situation
Help for the decisions in front of you.
Answer a few questions to find a starting point. You don’t need to enter a name or details about the person who died.
Know what’s required.Question what’s optional.Keep the choice yours.
02 / Understand your options
You have rights.
Even when you’re overwhelmed.
For providers covered by the FTC Funeral Rule, these protections are a starting point.
Choose the pieces.
You can generally select individual goods and services. A nondeclinable basic services fee and legally required items may still apply.
Question “required.”
Embalming is not routinely required by law. If someone says it is necessary, ask whether that comes from law, the selected service, or the provider’s policy.
Read the FTC’s Funeral Rule guidance . Specific circumstances and state requirements matter.
Ask what “required” means
A law, a policy, or a recommendation?
Understand requirements, alternatives, and prices ↗
When you’re arranging a funeral, those distinctions matter. Before agreeing to a charge or giving up an option, ask what the requirement is based on.
Required by law?
Ask the provider to identify the rule and explain why it applies to your arrangements. Check state-specific questions with the relevant regulator.
A funeral home’s policy?
Ask for the policy in writing, which services it affects, and what alternatives the provider offers. Another provider may have different policies.
A recommendation?
Ask why it is recommended, what it costs, and what happens if you decline. Explain your preferences and budget before choosing.
Told embalming is required for a viewing?
You can ask:
“Is that a legal requirement or your funeral home’s policy? If it’s required by law, can you show me the rule that applies? If it’s your policy, what viewing or visitation options are available without embalming, and what would they cost?”
Requirements can depend on the state and circumstances. This page does not determine whether a particular viewing can proceed without embalming. Ask about your specific arrangements before ruling out a visitation.
Start with the FTC Funeral Rule consumer guide and your state’s resources.
03 / Put the price list to work
Before you sign,
ask these questions.
Use this manual checklist with your GPL and written estimate. Checked boxes are reminders, not a compliance verdict.
Automated GPL checker · PlannedDocument uploads and automated analysis are not available yet.
Checklist marks are not saved after you leave or reload.
A little clarity
The questions behind the bill.
Does an expensive funeral mean someone broke the law?
No. A high price or markup alone does not establish a Funeral Rule violation. The Rule concerns disclosures and sales practices; it does not set price caps. Compare equivalent services and document what you were told.
Can this site certify a price list as compliant?
No. This release offers educational information and a manual checklist. It does not assess uploaded documents, certify compliance, or determine whether a provider violated the law.
What information does this page collect?
This page has no account system, analytics scripts, cookies, or document uploads. Onboarding selections are included in the guide URL and may appear in hosting request logs. The hosting provider may process routine request logs, and linked websites have their own privacy practices.
Why Morticians Audit exists
Experience in funeral service.
A purpose rooted in consumers.
From the founder
I’m a former North Carolina–licensed funeral director and embalmer. In my experience working in the industry, I saw sales take priority over honoring people and respecting families’ budgets. Those experiences conflicted with the reasons I entered funeral service, and they led me to leave. They inform this project; they do not describe every provider.
My guiding belief is that grief should never be treated as a sales opportunity. Families deserve room to choose, and thoughtful providers deserve recognition for helping them do that.
I created Morticians Audit to put consumers first—with clear information, practical help, and respect for their choices. Honoring someone you love should never require spending more than you can comfortably afford, or more than you choose to spend.
Useful help, without pressure.
This site’s guidance and manual checklist are free, with no account or payment required. The goal is to help you understand costs and ask informed questions at your own pace.
Trust through transparency.
Personal experience informs the questions we ask; linked official sources support the guidance. We distinguish experience from legal requirements and acknowledge where state-specific guidance is not yet available. A high price alone is not proof of wrongdoing.
Covering costs, respecting choices.
The aim is to cover the cost of keeping this resource useful and available. There is currently nothing for sale here. If optional paid tools are introduced, their prices and limits will be explained upfront, while essential rights information and basic guidance remain free.
Fair to families. Fair to providers.
Funeral homes are businesses with real operating costs: staff, facilities, vehicles, equipment, and availability when families need them. Prices need to cover those costs and allow a sustainable profit. The purchase cost of an item alone does not explain the full cost of providing a service.
Our focus is transparent pricing, accurate explanations, and meaningful choices. A higher price or profit margin alone is not evidence of exploitation. Pressure, misleading claims about requirements, and unexplained charges deserve questions. Clear answers help families and conscientious providers work together.
What we’re working toward
A consumer app that helps explain estimate line items, compare equivalent services, and prepare useful questions for a provider. These tools are planned; this release offers educational guidance, state resources, and a manual checklist. Document uploads and automated bill review are not available.
Get in touch
Questions, feedback, or a correction?
Email Jessica H, founder of Morticians Audit, with questions about this resource, suggestions for useful guidance, or something you think needs correcting.
Please keep your message general. Don’t email death certificates, medical records, financial account details, or other sensitive documents. Email is not a secure document-upload service.
You don’t have to prove love
with a bigger invoice.