Cremation Archives

How Much Does Cremation Cost in Florida?

12.17.2021

The average cost of cremation in Florida ranges from $700 to $3000. The cremation cost can be as low as a few hundred dollars or can reach thousands of dollars depending on the type of cremation, cremation service provider, and add-on cremation services you would like to have.

Cremations that fall below the $700 price, in general, have a lot of additional fees, so in truth, their direct cremation (the cheapest cremation) prices when everything is said and done are closer to $1200.

Cremation Cost Breakdown

Cremation Cost: The cost to have your loved one cremated, which is the biggest cost.

Transportation: The cost to have your loved one picked up and brought to the crematory.

Refrigeration: In the state of Florida, there is a mandatory 48 hour waiting period before your loved one can be cremated.

Casket

Death Certificates: set by each county in Florida

Paperwork fees

Obituary: Obituaries can be a surprisingly expensive cremation add-on, which may cost close to $1000. However, at Going Home Cremations, we include a premium obituary for free.

Urn: The price may vary and it can be very expensive.

Here At Going Home Cremations, We Include An Urn For FREE In The Cost Of Our Cremation.

What Is The Cheapest Way To Be Cremated?

If you want to save, direct cremation is a good option.

With direct cremation, there is no ceremony – the body is taken from where the person died, directly to the crematory, and not prepared for viewing. This can save families thousands of dollars as well as make the cremation process faster for families in case they need death certificates for estate matters.

Cremation is becoming more and more popular compared to traditional burials.

Is it cheaper to get cremated than buried? A typical cremation costs about 25 percent of a traditional burial. This might be another reason that explains the rise in cremation’s popularity.

More Americans are choosing cremation over traditional burials. A survey was conducted by insurance firm Choice Mutual, studying 1,500 people in the U.S. on their burial preferences and practices. Results show that 44% of Americans plan on being cremated, increasing from the 1960s, while traditional burials were the second most popular choice, with 35% of Americans preferring this method.

How People Plan on Being Buried 2020 vs. 2021 — Source: Choice Mutual

Since 2015, cremation has become the top choice for families when it comes to cremations vs burials. It’s predicted that within 20 years over 80% of people will choose cremation as their final wish once they pass away. In Florida, it seems like cremation is getting close to the 80% already, due to the lower costs compared to normal funerals and the ease of arranging direct cremations in Florida. Especially areas where “snow bids” tend to migrate like St. Petersburg, Tampa and Fort Meyers, Florida. One of the biggest issues for Florida families is figuring out what’s an appropriate price to pay for cremation in Florida.

At Going Home Cremations, we offer direct cremations in St. Petersburg, Fort Meyers, Trinity, Sarasota, Bradenton, and Port Charlotte, Florida. But most importantly, we want all families searching for Florida direct cremations to understand the average cost of a cremation in Florida so they can make the best choice for their families.

For more information, Please Check Here!

Going Home Cremation: Our Selection of Urns for Cremation.

11.18.2021

At Going home cremation we offer a wide variety of cremation urns.

Not everyone will purchase an urn, but if you need an urn our prices are very affordable and our selection is quite vast. We also offer a basic urn at no cost when you arrange a cremation with us.

To see our specific urns, go to our cremation urn catalog on our website and please call Going home cremation at 941-320-1179 for pricing.

Types of Urns:

Cremation urns can range from solid marble urns to urns made out of cardboard for scattering at sea.

Scattering Urns:

Many families choose scattering urns in Florida because they do not want to put the ashes in a cemetery. Scattering urns can be made of cardboard and paper mâché so that they will disintegrate in the water.

We also have scattering urns that are made out of salt. The reason they make urns out of salt is so that it melts when it hits the water. Salt urns are not urns you want to have in storage for very long because they will disintegrate.

Wood Urns:

Many people choose wooden urns. Wooden urns come in many different colors and types of woods from Oak, Cherry, Pine and hardwoods. You can engrave wood or you can put plaques on wooden urns. A lot of people decide to use wooden urns and display them on the fireplace mantle or a bookcase.

Polystyrene Urns:

Another very popular urn is made out of man-made polystyrene. Those urns will go in the ground and will not disintegrate. A lot of times the man-made urns will resemble marble and can come in single and double urns are and are extremely durable.

Metal Urns:

Metal urns are a great long lasting durable option for urns. Metal urns tend to be some of the most ornate type of urns you can purchase as well.

Going Home Cremation’s most popular urns are found on page one and are our metal urns in the shape of a vase and have many different flowers, scenes, and designs.

Keepsake Urns:

Going home cremation also offers a large variety of keepsake urns and keepsake necklaces and jewelry. Many people want to put a tiny bit of the ashes in a necklace to wear. We have necklaces that are made of stainless steel that are very affordable at $89. We also have a large variety of sterling silver and solid gold necklace urns which can run into the hundreds of dollars.

Keepsake urns are a great option if multiple people in your family want ashes. You can have keepsake urns that match the larger main urn or each keepsake can be different than the other.

If you purchase an urn at Going Home Cremation you can take $100 off any of our urns in our catalog if you were also selecting to do your cremation services for your loved one with our company.

Please call Going Home Cremation for any questions you may have on any type of cremation urns.

Important Questions to Ask Hospice Facilities in Florida

10.30.2021

At Going Home Cremation, we work directly with hospice care centers. If you call us, we can let you know which care centers are in your vicinity. They are a wonderful organization and will help you during this time of need. If your love one is ready for hospice here are a few questions you will want to ask hospice providers:

Are staff nurses and doctors available 24 hours a day?

You will need that emergency staffing, especially as your loved one enters the final days of life.

Is your medical director board certified?

This is not a requirement, but the extra step of certification is another assurance of their training.

How many years has the organization been in operation?

Many of US hospice programs trace their beginnings to the 1980’s.

How many patients does the hospice Care Center have?

Smaller hospices may provide more personalized care, but those serving at least 65-100 patients have many more resources. Sometimes it is better to utilize one of the smaller care centers. It may be a little more intimate care and services

What is the caseload for your hospice Doctors or nurses?

Ideally, nurses should manage no more than 10-12 patients at a time, since They do not see all patients daily. The nurses will also rotate and you may see different nurses weekly.

Can they meet your needs for a good care plan?

Have an idea of what you and your loved one want and if that is within the scope of the hospice’s care, they will be able to help you.

What is expected in terms of help from the family?

This is especially important if much of the previous caregiving has been with other family members and or long distance.

What are the options for inpatient care?

Sometimes staying in a hospice facility is temporary and can be used to stabilize Seriously ill patients until they can return home.

Inquire as to what you can expect in the last few days.

Often this is a very trying time for families and it is best if you get an idea of what you are in for So you can be prepared.

What are the protocols around COVID

During Covid times you want to make sure if you’re hospice care center will take your love one in if they have Covid. If your care center will except a Covid patient then you will need to find out what the requirements are to visit. Many hospices do not take Covid patients.

Feel free to call and visit your hospice care center near you. Ask as many questions as you need. They are usually very wonderful and helpful to families. Call us at Going Home Cremation Services in Tierre Verde Florida to give you the phone numbers for hospices is near you.

Can You Have a Cremation Without a Service in Florida?

10.02.2021

At Going Home Cremations there are common questions we get from families when they are arranging a cremation. One of the most common ones is if they have to “have a cremation without a service” or “a cremation without a funeral” or a “cremation without a ceremony”. We wanted to answer this common cremation question for families when unfortunately, the time comes and they need to finalize cremation arrangements for their loved one.

The answer: No, you do not have to have a service when you cremate your loved one.

In Florida, you can have a cremation without any type of service or ceremony. This type of cremation is called a direct cremation, and is different than they type of cremations you get at a funeral home.

Direct cremations are cremations where your loved one will be cremated in Florida and there will be no viewing or service associated with the cremation. This type of cremation, a direct cremation, is being coming more popular for families in Florida. The popularity is for a few reasons, but the main reason is that direct cremations are much lower in price compared to a cremation with a formalized funeral service. For example, a cremation with a service can easily be $4,000-$5,000 whereas a direct cremation will be closer to $1500-$2000. The cost difference is due to not having a service and also you do not need to embalm your loved one if there is no service or viewing.

Another benefit of direct cremations are they tend to occur faster than normal cremations with a service. You do not need to wait to have your loved one embalmed or wait for the service. Furthermore, your loved one can go direct to being cremated, which will help you receive your loved ones ashes in a much more timely manner.

Especially during the time of COVID, it can be even more difficult than normal to have a formalized viewing or service when arranging a cremation. The issue with social distancing is another reason why direct cremation is becoming so popular in Florida. Furthermore, as a family you can have a direct cremation of your loved one and then hold a service yourself once COVID is no longer a major concern or even hold a virtual service. Both of these options, where as a family, you do the service without funeral professionals, you can save considerable money and ensure your close friends and families safety.

If you arrange a cremation at a funeral home, they tend to be very pushy about services. So please be aware, in Florida, you do not need to have a service or a funeral for a loved one if you do not want to. If a funeral home is pushing you to have a service, we would suggest to possibly seek another facility to help you have a direct cremation of your loved one.

At Going Home Cremations, we offer direct cremations in South West Florida.

The Difference Between a Cheap Cremation And An Affordable Cremation In Florida

09.26.2021

Arranging a cremation for your passed loved one can be daunting, especially trying to disseminate why the prices of a cremation can vary widely. Today, we will explain why cheapest is not always the best when it comes to arranging a cremation after your loved one has passed. Even when it comes to the funeral industry, there’s an old saying, you get what you pay for. This is true in all aspects of life and it can be especially important to understand when arranging a cremation for your loved one.

There are cremation service companies in the Florida that advertise cheap cremations that out the door are $495. However, if you start asking questions to these cremation companies you find out some facts you really need to think on before sending your loved one there. When you start to investigate, these are companies that are cremating your love ones in storage facilities in storage units.

Before the cremation, they are refrigerating your loved one and keeping the bodies in a 12 x 24 storage unit in a refrigeration box. If you take a look at their website or their marketing materials, you will not easily be able to find out those details. This is where it is VERY important when you are trying to find where to arrange your loved one’s cremation, you ask questions and look at their reviews. If you have been speaking to a facility that does cremate your loved one in a storage facility you need to ask yourself is this what you want for your loved one?

On the other side, some cremations are done at your local Florida funeral home. Those cremations usually tend to run $3000 to $4000. However, you will be comforted knowing that your loved one will be cremated at a funeral home and not a storage unit. But in that comfort, you will be paying huge markups for the cremation and funeral homes have a tendency to upsell products pretty aggressively.

You might be thinking then what is the solution to arranging a cremation for my loved one where I know they are cremated respectfully but you won’t be dealing with significant markups? This is where direct cremation facilities come into play. Now the tricky part, is you still need to verify with every facility where their cremations occur. But a great way to tell, is generally a more respectful cremation facility will have their cremation costs be between $1000- $2000. These direct cremation facilities are usually companies that are working out of a nicer facility as well. They have numerous staff members, and positive reviews on line. These type of cremation facilities can do an Honorable and dignified cremation for your family.

At Going Home Cremations our cremation prices are lower than about 80% of the funeral homes and cremation providers out there. We have all five-star reviews and a very good, long-standing reputation. We go above and beyond to help your family through this very difficult time. We are an alternative to high priced cremations through funeral homes and very cheap cremations through a storage unit in Florida. Feel free to call Going Home Cremations so we can answer any questions for you.

What To Do Once You Have Picked Cremation for Your Loved One

09.11.2021

When your loved one passes away there are many things you need to do to deal with their death. Generally, one of the first things you need to do is decide between a funeral or cremation for them. In Florida, cremation has become the number one choice for families when their loved one has passed away in Florida.

Once you have decided to cremate your loved one in Florida, that is really just when the decision making begins. There are many things you must do once you have chosen to cremate them and below, we will walk you through some of the common next steps.

Pick a cremation facility: Normally you know if you want to cremate your loved one before you even know where your loved one will have their cremation. But once you have made this decision you need to decide on what cremation facility you will use. We suggest to make sure to pick a cremation facility that has good google reviews and has a website that looks very up to date. Generally, those facilities are run better and more transparent. We also suggest you shop around if the prices start to sound too high, generally over $2000 for a cremation tends to be at the higher end of things. Finally, make sure to clarify where they do the cremation, some lower cost cremation facilities will do cremations in storage facilities.
Decide what to do with the ashes: Now that your loved one has been cremated and you have the ashes, you need to figure out what to do with their ashes.
1. Urns: Most people decided to put their loved one’s ashes in an urn or possibly multiple urns so many family members have a part of their loved one.
2. Cremation Jewelry: You can also choose to commemorate your loved one with cremation jewelry or different types of glassworks that include your loved one’s ashes.
3. Spreading Ashes: You can also decide to spread your loved one’s ashes at sea or even in certain areas of Florida. Just make sure to consult with your cremation facility about local regulations around spreading ashes. At Going Home Cremation, we can even help guide you on renting your own boat to scatter ashes for your loved one if you would like.
Memorialize your loved one: There are many ways families are memorializing their loved one after their cremation, including a normal type of memorial service to even a Zoom type memorial service. Most cremation facilities do not help with memorials, however most of the time you can save a lot of money arranging one yourself.
1. Write an obituary: Writing an obituary is something family members have been doing since there were newspapers. In writing an obituary you can memorialize your family member in written word. At Going Home Cremation, we offer free premium obituaries. We also offer a custom social media post to coincide with the obituary.

Different Types Of Urns And Cremation Jewelry

08.12.2021

At Going Home Cremation we have many different types of cremation urns.

Families seek out ways to remember their loved ones after our cremation has been done. Using a unique urn after a cremation is a way to capture aspects of your loved one’s personality for years to come. There are many different options when it comes to urns after cremation and below, we explain some of the options.

Going Home Cremation Has Cremation Urns and Cremation Jewelry.

Choosing a cremation urn is not something you do every day. There are many choices available. It can be difficult knowing where to start. Going home cremation has a complete catalog of cremation urns and jewelry. You also can call us so we can guide you through helping you find an urn of your choice.

Most cremation urns are a box shape or a vase type of container that is specially crafted to hold ashes. Cremation urns are made from a wide variety of materials such as wood, metal, and marble. They can range from very basic to very decorative and ornate. The more ornate urns are meant to be a work of art and displayed in the home.

There are many different styles and types of cremation urns.

There are single large urns and smaller urns where you can divide the ashes. At Going home cremation we have both.

The large individual urns usually hold 200 to 300 Cubic inches. Basically, I like to describe the average size of ashes similar to a 5-pound bag of sugar. A full-size urn is usually 9- 12 inches tall and usually about 6 to 8 inches wide.This type of cremation urn is enough for one person.

There is also a companion urn that is made to hold two family members. The ashes can either be separate or commingled. These urns are much larger. Usually about 12 inches tall and about 12 inches wide. These are the types of urns to use if you had parents that wanted to stay together or something along those lines. However, when it comes to these urns, you need to be ensured if they are separate or commingled in case you ever wanted to separate the ashes at a later date.

Going Home Cremation also has a wide variety of scattering urns. Scattering urns are very popular in Florida for a cremation. These type of urns allow you to cremate your family member in Florida and either spread or place your loved one in the ocean. However, make sure to always follow local and state laws when it comes to scattering cremated remains. These are urns that are biodegradable so the ashes can be scattered from the urn directly or you can put the urn in the water and it will biodegrade.

Keepsake cremation urns are meant to keep only some of the ashes and give the family members. Keepsake urns are meant to hold a tiny bit of ashes up to about a cup of ashes. There are cremation keepsake necklaces and jewelry.

At Going Home Cremation we have very unique cremation keepsake urns where we can mix ashes in with glass and have it made into different shapes. The wide variety of materials that keepsake urns come in are crafted from versatile options for different family members.

Going Home Cremation also has the ability to personalize some of our urns. The wood urns can have engravings on them, the metal earns can usually have engravings and or photos.

Feel free to call us at Going Home Cremations if you need any help in selecting a cremation urn. We are located in Sarasota, Fort Myers, Punta Gorda and Saint Petersburg.

We are here for you.

Frequently Asked Questions About Cremation Services in Florida

06.09.2021

At Going Home Cremation we have spent many years helping families through this very difficult situation. After many years of speaking with families we find these to be our most common questions:

WHAT IS THE PRICE OF CREMATION?
- Once you have made your decision that cremation is what you want to do you should be able to have a cremation for your love one between $1200-$1600. At Going Home Cremation we start at $795 for the cremation which includes: Picking up your love one, the casket to be cremated in, the urn and a beautiful life tribute obituary. We also charge $395 to acquire all of the necessary paperwork to fulfill a death certificate, and acquire a permit for the medical examiners. Paperwork consumes 4 to 8 hours for any cremation service. A lot of families do not think that their loved one needs to pay for a medical examiner fee but all United States counties require that the medical examiner reviews the death certificate that the doctor has filed. They review the death certificate to make sure that they do not want to investigate the cause of death. For example, the medical examiner in Sarasota approves a cremation and the county that you were in has different fees for that. If the medical examiner thinks that there was a suspicious death, they will not approve the cremation and they will require us to return the body to them so they can do an autopsy and/or an investigation. There will be additional fees to acquire death certificates. Going Home Cremation charges $18 per death certificate. The family is also allowed to go to the health department to buy the death certificates direct. If you go in yourself, you can usually do everything for about $10 each Death certificate

HOW LONG WILL THE CREMATION PROCESS TAKE?
- Cremation services usually take approximately two weeks to complete. Between taking your love one into our care, acquiring all the necessary paperwork from the family, filing for the death certificates, having the doctor sign it, getting the death certificate to the medical examiner for approval, and then finally the cremation process itself, will take about two weeks before the ashes are ready for pick up.

3. DO I HAVE TO BUY AN URN?

- We provide a free basic black polystyrene urn. If you would like to purchase a different urn, Going Home Cremation will give you $100 credit toward the purchase of any full size cremation urn on our website. The average price of an urn is between $280-$500. We have many urns available at Going home cremation for $200. So, if you get $100 credit the urn is actually only costing you $100.

WHAT SHOULD I DO WITH THE ASHESYou have many choices when it comes to what you can do with the ashes. Many families choose to scatter the ashes in the Gulf of Mexico. At Going Home Cremation we have an option to scatter in the Gulf of Mexico for $295. This cremation is an unattended service. Another option for a family is to charter a boat for 3 to 4 hours. You will go out 3 miles with the captain to scatter the ashes and then come back. Another option is to inurn the ashes in a cemetery. Or you can scatter the ashes in your favorite park or vacation spot. Make sure you check with local permit requirements before doing that.

At Going Home Cremation Services, we understand that families have a lot of questions. Please feel free to call us if you have any questions regarding the cremation process and what to do for your loved one. WE ARE HERE FOR YOU

Step by Step Guide to A Basic Cremation in Florida

04.29.2021

If your family has recently passed away or is close to passing away, you might start looking into cremation arrangements for them. You will quickly see there are many options to choose from but the lowest cost and most environmentally friendly option for cremation is a basic cremation.

What is a basic cremation?

A basic cremation is a simple cremation where there is no viewing of the body. When you look into cremations in Florida, there are two cremation options: cremation with a viewing and cremation with no viewing. If you choose to not have a viewing you can save thousands of dollars on the costs and the whole cremation process with also occur much faster.

What are the costs of a basic cremation?

A basic cremation cost can vary in Florida, however most around between $700-$2000. Some of variables to this cost is where the cremation will take place, and the additional fees that can be added onto the cremation like the Medical Examiner fees, death certificates and paperwork fees.

How do I find a basic cremation facility near me?

The best way to find a basic cremation facility near you is by googling basic cremation near me. This will show you the basic cremation facilities near you and if you start looking a little deeper, you will also be able to see the prices of the cremation and the reviews of the cremation facilities.

Make sure to do your due diligence when it comes to looking at reviews for the basic cremation. Try and pick a facility with 5-star reviews that has been in business for a long time. If you loved one is in a Hospice or Hospital, the facility should not recommend a basic cremation facility. Instead, if you ask, they will provide a list of local cremation facilities for you to look into.

A huge red flag is if the hospice, nursing home or hospital recommended one facility in particular. An even larger red flag is if the facility tries to get their chose of cremation facility to pick up your loved one. We recently have been hearing issues of nursing homes trying to force families to use the cremation facility they picked. Please understand, you have every right to choose the facility you want and no one should pressure you at all to pick a facility. Even if your loved one dies at home and is picked up by a local funeral home that works with the police, you do not have to go with that funeral home or cremation facility. In general, these facilities are more expensive than the norm and you should shop around.

What are the steps in a basic cremation?

When you decide on a basic cremation facility, you will give the facility where your loved one passed away or is close to passing the information of the basic cremation facility. When they do pass, the facility your loved one is at will call the cremation provider. The cremation facility will they go to pick up your loved one to be brought to the crematory. You will then be sent many forms including a cremation authorization form. This form must be filled out before the cremation can occur. In general, it can take 10 to 14 business day for a cremation to be fully completed.

At Going Home Cremations, we offer basic cremations in all of Southwest Florida.

Finding an Affordable Cremation Service Near You In Florida

04.09.2021

When a loved one passes away in Florida one of the first things you will do is look into arranging an affordable cremation in your area of Florida. But this can be a daunting task, you don’t know what an average price of cremation in Florida is and you aren’t sure which cremation service facility you should choose. At Going Home Cremation, we wanted to write a how to guide on how to find an affordable cremation service near you.

The first thing you need to decide is if you are going to want a viewing or not with the cremation you are arranging. A viewing can add thousands of dollars to your price and make the affordable cremation much less affordable. If you choose to arrange a cremation without service, then you are looking at a direct cremation. A direct cremation is a cremation where there is no viewing of the body and the body goes directly to the Florida crematory. The average price for cremation with viewing in Florida is close to $3500, whereas a Florida direct cremation the price can range from $1200- $2000. There is a significant difference between the two prices, saving you a lot of money. If you do choose a Florida direct cremation, the first thing you need to do is look up local direct cremation facilities near you. For example, if you live in Sarasota you would look up “affordable direct cremation services in Sarasota” or “affordable direct cremation near me.”

Once you have performed your initial search of affordable cremation facilities in your local Florida area, you should pick two to three to call. However, we have some tips on figuring out which Florida cremation service facilities near you that you should call.

Look up their Google reviews. We advise making sure any facility you choose or even call, should have close to all 5-star Google reviews.
Look for their General Price list on their website. Their general price list will show you the range of prices you could pay in arranging a cremation service near you. There are additional fees like the Medical Examiner fees and death certificate fees that you need to be aware of.
Get a feel for their website. As the world is evolving, it is important that business’ keep up. You want to pick a Florida cremation facility that has an updated website that is easy to navigate. If you think you want to have an obituary for your loved one, check that their website has an obituary option. Also, if you plan on celebrating the life of your loved one of social media, make sure they have a Facebook presence where you can share your loved one’s obituary.

Now that you have your list of facilities to speak to about arranging a cremation service near you, we suggest asking some specific questions to each facility.

Ask them for the total price of their affordable direct cremation and what it includes. For example, is an urn included in their price? Or is an obituary? At Going Home Cremations, we include both an urn and an obituary at no additional cost. Make sure to ask the facility to itemize every fee and for them to let you know exactly what each fee entails.
Ask them how long it will take for them to pick up your loved one and how long their average cremation takes. Some facilities take much longer than others.
Get a feel for who you are speaking to when arranging an affordable cremation near you. Do they seem emphatic or do they seem like they want to get off the phone? Make sure to pick a facility that emphasizes you and that you can tell they’d go above a beyond for you if needed.

The final step is choosing the cremation service facility that is near you is finding a facility that is a combination of an affordable cremation price and great customer service. At Going Home Cremation, we pride ourselves on providing affordable cremation services where we lead with our emphatic service.

Category: Cremation