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Funeral Homes in Washington: Verified Directory & Real Costs

Washington Funeral Home Directory: Real Costs, Real Rights, and Real Family Savings

Washington families who lose someone tonight face a funeral landscape unlike any other state. Washington was the first state in the United States to legalize human composting under RCW 68.50.110, and the state now hosts three of the country’s only large-scale natural organic reduction providers: Recompose in Seattle, Return Home in Auburn, and Earth Funeral in Auburn. Washington families also pay below the national average for direct cremation, largely because People’s Memorial Association, founded in Seattle in 1939 with roughly 75,000 active Washington members today, negotiates contracted pricing and publishes the most rigorous independent funeral price audit in the state. And Washington recognizes family-directed funerals as fully legal under RCW 68.50.160, which means no licensed funeral director is required as long as no one is paid for the function. Most Washington families do not learn any of this until they are sitting in a funeral home conference room and the price list is in front of them. This directory exists so you learn it first.

Memorial Merits is an editorial site, not a directory aggregator. Every listing on this page is matched against the Washington Department of Licensing professions lookup before publish, and every cost figure, statute citation, and consumer right traces back to a primary source. Industry compliance in Washington is uneven; the Federal Trade Commission’s 2015 undercover sweep in Tacoma audited 11 funeral homes and found 2 of 11 in violation of the federal Funeral Rule, an 18 percent failure rate in a single state-level audit. Use our free Washington funeral cost calculator below to set your own number before you call any of the homes in this directory. Knowing your rights and your number before you call is the protection most families never get.

Memorial Merits Washington funeral home directory featured graphic with gold state silhouette, Playfair Display title Funeral Homes in Washington, and subtitle Verified Directory, Real Costs, Real Rights against a muted Washington state flag background.
Table of Contents

How to Use the Washington Funeral Home Directory

This directory is a working tool, not a yellow-pages dump. Use it in this order to protect your family from rushed decisions and inflated quotes.

  1. Run through the pre-call questions first. The checklist above the city listings names the things every Washington family should ask before sharing personal information. It only takes two minutes and it changes how the call goes.
  2. Browse by city, not by ad spend. Every listing below was verified against active website, Google Maps presence, public review platforms, and the state licensing registry. Listings are organized by county and city, with a one-line differentiator on each home.
  3. Cross-check pricing against the cost section above. State averages and federal protections under the FTC Funeral Rule are documented earlier on this page. If a quote sits well above the Washington average without a clear reason, that is a question worth asking.
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Also featured in Business Life Magazine. Cited by Google AI Overviews as a trustworthy authority in the end-of-life space.

From the Founder

Washington Holds a Special Place in My Heart

I was born in Spokane at Sacred Heart Hospital. My grandmother Shirley Robinson, my uncle Scott Killian, and my father Monte Killian are all buried at Riverside Memorial Park in Spokane. I still remember how beautiful the cemetery was as a child, and most of my dad’s side of the family will likely rest there in time.

This funeral home directory, and Memorial Merits as a whole, was built with them in mind. If it helps even one Washington family because of its creation, it has served its purpose well.

Gabriel Killian, Founder, Memorial Merits

Take Action Right Now

The fastest paths to relief in the first 72 hours, before you call a single Washington funeral home. Each card below jumps to its section deeper on the page.

Take Action Now

Jump to the section you need most. Every link drops you exactly where Washington families ask us to land.

Get the Family Savings Guide See Real Washington Costs Estimate My Funeral Cost Know Your Federal Rights Before You Call a Home Find a Funeral Home Cremation Club Savings Veterans Cemetery Benefits
Free Family Resource

Save Up to $15,000 on the Funeral You Are Planning

The Memorial Merits Family Savings Guide is a free PDF that documents every partner discount, every QR code, the savings math itemized line by line, and the 72-hour workflow built for families in the first days after a loss.

PDF delivers immediately to your inbox. Unsubscribe anytime. We never sell or share your information.

What a Washington Funeral Actually Costs in 2026

The first number a Washington funeral home gives you is rarely the lowest number you can pay. Washington sits at an unusual point on the national funeral cost map: direct cremation runs materially below the national average, while full-service burial in the Seattle metro often runs above it. The discount on cremation is not an accident. People’s Memorial Association has negotiated contracted pricing with Washington providers since 1939 and publishes an annual statewide price survey that keeps the local market honest. Their 2024 survey, drawn from dozens of Washington providers, places direct cremation at $1,685 average with a low of $485, direct burial at $2,439, and a full-service burial at $6,584 with a range that runs from $1,690 to $26,015 depending on the provider.

Washington Funeral Costs at a Glance

Statewide averages from People’s Memorial Association’s 2024 Funeral Home Price Survey, the most rigorous independent funeral price audit in Washington. Ranges are the actual spread from the lowest-priced to the highest-priced provider PMA surveyed in 2024.

Full-Service Burial

$6,584

Range: $1,690 to $26,015 across PMA-surveyed providers

Source: PMA 2024 Price Survey

Direct Burial

$2,439

Range: $985 to $5,470

Source: PMA 2024 Price Survey

Direct Cremation

$1,685

Range: $485 to $3,435

Source: PMA 2024 Price Survey

National benchmark: The 2023 NFDA General Price List Study places the national median for a funeral with viewing and burial at $8,300 and a funeral with cremation at $6,280. Washington runs below the national average on direct cremation largely because PMA’s price pressure has disciplined the local market for more than 85 years.

Washington also runs well above the national cremation rate. Roughly 78 percent of Washington dispositions choose cremation versus 61.9 percent nationally per NFDA’s most recent Cremation and Burial Report, which is one of the highest cremation adoption rates of any state in the country. Seattle and the Eastside (Bellevue, Kirkland, Sammamish) consistently price above the state average; Eastern Washington (Spokane, Yakima, Tri-Cities) consistently below. What your family actually pays depends on the funeral home you call. Any Washington funeral home is required by federal law to give you a written General Price List on request, no purchase required, in person or with accurate pricing on request by phone.

Source: Cost data from the People’s Memorial Association 2024 Funeral Home Price Survey, cross-referenced against NFDA national medians for context. Costs vary by funeral home and county; verify against any funeral home’s General Price List before signing.

Your Federal Rights at Any Washington Funeral Home

Five rights every funeral home in Washington is legally required to honor under the FTC Funeral Rule, which has been federal law since 1984. They apply at every Washington funeral home regardless of size, location, or family history. Most WA families never learn them in time.

Your Federal Rights as a Washington Funeral Consumer

Every Washington funeral home is bound by the FTC Funeral Rule. These are the five pillars families forget to ask about.

General Price List on Request

The home must hand you a printed General Price List at the start of any in-person discussion of arrangements. By phone, they must give pricing if you ask.

No Casket Handling Fee

You may buy a casket from any third-party source. The home cannot refuse it or charge a handling fee, and they must use it for the service.

No Required Embalming

Embalming is almost never legally required in Washington. WAC 246-500-030 caps refrigeration at 48 degrees Fahrenheit as the standard alternative.

Itemized Pricing, Not Bundles

You can pick services individually. A funeral home cannot force you to buy a package of services you do not want.

Right to Direct Disposition

Under RCW 68.50.160, you have the right to control disposition of your own remains. A written, witnessed document carries legal force in Washington.

Washington enforcement: In 2015, an FTC undercover sweep in Tacoma inspected 11 funeral homes and found 2 in violation of the Funeral Rule. Current civil penalties run up to $50,120 per violation. File a complaint with the WA DOL Funeral and Cemetery Board at dol.wa.gov/business/funeralcemetery/fccomplaint.html or call 360-664-1822.

The FTC enforces the rule through periodic undercover inspections. Washington landed in the 2015 nine-state sweep when FTC staff audited 11 funeral homes in Tacoma and found 2 in violation of the federal price disclosure requirement. Both violators were enrolled in the Funeral Rule Offenders Program, which is the FTC’s compliance correction track for first-time offenders. The program is confidential, so the specific Tacoma names are not in the public record. Current civil penalties for repeat violations run up to $50,120 per violation. The 2024 FTC phone sweep added 39 more violators nationally to the warning-letter record, including providers who refused to give pricing over the phone or who falsely told consumers state law required embalming. Asking for the General Price List on the first call, in writing, is the single fastest way to find out which side of compliance the funeral home you are talking to lands on.

Under WAC 246-500-030, a Washington funeral provider may not tell you state law requires embalming when it does not. Washington requires refrigeration (capped at 48 degrees Fahrenheit) or embalming upon receipt of remains, with up to a 24-hour delay allowed for ceremonial activities such as washing, anointing, or sitting with the body. Refrigeration is a fully legal and substantially cheaper alternative to embalming, and the funeral home is required by federal law to disclose this option on its General Price List.

Estimate Your Washington Funeral Cost Before You Call a Funeral Home

The funeral homes listed on this page serve Washington. Before you call any of them for a price quote, give yourself a baseline number to compare against. Washington funeral home prices vary widely across the same state, with Seattle and the Eastside running $1,500 to $4,000 above Spokane and the Tri-Cities for the same service. Walking into the conversation without your own estimate is how families end up paying thousands more than they need to.

Our free Funeral Cost Calculator gives you a defensible cost range for Washington in 60 seconds. It uses National Funeral Directors Association medians adjusted for your area, walks through every line item the FTC Funeral Rule requires funeral homes to itemize, and shows you where vetted Memorial Merits partners can save you thousands. Use it first, then come back to the directory below knowing what to expect.

Planning Ahead? See Your Cremation Club Savings

If you are reading this in pre-need mode (50 to 70, planning rather than reacting), Washington’s 78 percent cremation rate makes the math different. Cremation Club is a membership product that locks today’s cremation rates nationwide, so the price you see today is the price your family pays decades from now, even if you move states. Our Cremation Club Savings Calculator shows your lifetime savings versus paying at need, with code MEMORIAL10 already applied for an additional 10 percent off monthly and annual rates.

Three Things to Set Up in the First 24 Hours

If a death has just happened in a Washington family, three resources can ease the immediate pressure within the first day. Each takes minutes to set up, and Memorial Merits has direct affiliate partnerships with all three. A free memorial fundraising (aff) page to collect funeral contributions from friends and family. A fast personal loan to bridge the cash gap before insurance pays out. And a lasting online tribute page where distant family can share photos and condolences from anywhere in the world. Together they cover the three pieces almost every family ends up needing in the first 24 hours.

Free GoFundMe Alternative Built for Memorial Families

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Memorial Merits is an Ever Loved affiliate partner. We may earn a commission at no cost to you.

Need Help with Funeral Costs? Memorial Merits Recommends:

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A Lasting Online Memorial Where Family and Friends Can Gather

ForeverMissed online memorial pages banner inviting families to create a lasting tribute website where friends and family can share photos, stories, candle lightings, and condolences from anywhere in the world.
Read our full ForeverMissed Review ›

Memorial Merits is a ForeverMissed affiliate partner through Awin. We may earn a commission at no cost to you.

Required disclosures. Your loan amount will be determined based on your credit, income, and certain other information provided in your loan application. Not all applicants will qualify for the full amount. Minimum loan amounts vary by state: Georgia ($3,100), Hawaii ($1,500), Massachusetts ($7,000). Maximum loan amounts may vary by state. The full range of available rates varies by state. The lowest rates are only available to the most qualified applicants. A representative example of payment terms for an unsecured Personal Loan is as follows: a borrower receives a loan of $10,000 for a term of 60 months, with an interest rate of 18.60% and a 7.82% origination fee of $782, for an APR of 22.69%. In this example, the borrower will receive $9,218 and will make 60 monthly payments of $259. APR is calculated based on 5-year rates offered in December 2025. There is no down payment and no prepayment penalty. Your APR will be determined based on your credit, income, and certain other information provided in your loan application. Not all applicants will be approved. If you accept your loan by 5pm EST (not including weekends or holidays), you will receive your funds the next business day. When the funds will be available to you will depend on your bank’s transaction processing time and policies. While most loans through Upstart are unsecured, certain lenders may place a lien on other accounts you hold with the same institution. There may be an option to secure your personal loan through Upstart with your vehicle, which will require a lien to be placed on the vehicle. It is important to review your promissory note for these details before accepting your loan. When you check your rate, we check your credit report. This initial soft inquiry will not affect your credit score. If you accept your rate and proceed with your application, we do another hard credit inquiry that will impact your credit score. If you take out a loan, repayment information may be reported to the credit bureaus. Although educational information is collected as part of Upstart’s rate check process, neither Upstart nor its bank partners have a minimum educational attainment requirement in order to be eligible for a loan.

Washington Funeral Consumer Protection Laws

Washington funeral homes operate under three layers of rules: the federal FTC Funeral Rule, the Washington Department of Licensing Funeral and Cemetery Board regulations under RCW Chapter 18.39, and the Washington State Department of Health vital records regulations under WAC Chapter 246-500. Most WA families never learn what each layer actually protects.

The Washington State Department of Licensing Funeral and Cemetery Board, housed inside the DOL Business and Professions Division, licenses every funeral director, embalmer, and funeral establishment in Washington and investigates complaints against them. Search any funeral home or funeral director by name or location at the DOL professions lookup. If a Washington funeral home cheats your family, refuses to honor the FTC Funeral Rule, or pressures you into purchases you legally have the right to decline, you can file a complaint at dolbpdcomplaints@dol.wa.gov or call 360-664-1822.

Washington was the first state in the United States to legalize natural organic reduction (human composting). Governor Jay Inslee signed Senate Bill 5001 into law on May 21, 2019, and it took effect May 1, 2020 under RCW 68.50.110. The same legislation legalized alkaline hydrolysis (aquamation) under RCW 68.04.290, with regulatory standards in WAC Chapter 308-47. Washington families have access to four legal disposition options (burial, cremation, aquamation, and natural organic reduction), more than almost any other state.

If you are buying a pre-need (prepaid) funeral contract in Washington, the rules sit under RCW 18.39.250. All prearrangement funeral service funds must be held in a trust account with at least two designated trustees. The trust is not an asset of the funeral establishment. Up to 10 percent of the cash purchase price may be retained by the establishment. Families who cancel within 30 calendar days of signing receive a full refund of every dollar paid. Insurance-funded pre-need contracts fall under RCW 18.39.255 and require separate registration. Always request the trust account details and verify the trustee identity with the Washington DOL Funeral and Cemetery Board before signing.

Washington is one of the most family-friendly states in the country for home funerals. Under RCW 68.50.160, an individual has the right to control the disposition of their own remains, and anyone may perform the functions of a funeral director for family or community members as long as they are not paid for the function. A written, witnessed document expressing the deceased’s wishes serves as legal authorization. The family will still file the death certificate and obtain a burial-transit permit through the local registrar under RCW 70.58A.210, which must be issued within 72 hours of death and prior to disposition.

If your family cannot afford a funeral in Washington, indigent burial assistance is available on a county-by-county basis under RCW 36.39.030. Each county’s board of commissioners is required to provide for the disposition of indigent persons (including public assistance recipients) who die within the county and whose body is unclaimed. There is no statewide reimbursement cap; each county sets its own maximum. For veterans, RCW 73.08.070 directs counties to set a maximum no lower than $300. Contact your county DSHS or veterans affairs office to apply.

Washington also protects families from third-party casket retaliation. Funeral homes in Washington cannot refuse a casket purchased from another vendor and cannot charge a handling fee for accepting one, under the FTC Funeral Rule and Washington’s own consumer protection statutes. This rule alone saves the average Washington family $1,000 to $3,000 per casket.

For free price comparison sheets and consumer support, People’s Memorial Association has been the country’s largest funeral consumer cooperative since 1939, with membership pricing that contracted Washington providers honor, an annual independent price survey, and The Co-op Funeral Home of People’s Memorial in Seattle (one of only six cooperative funeral homes in the United States).

What Makes Funeral Planning Different in Washington

Washington families work inside a funeral landscape unlike any other state in the country. The combination of green disposition leadership, cooperative cost pressure, and family-directed legality is not duplicated anywhere else in the United States. Recompose in Seattle is the world’s first human composting company, founded in 2017 and licensed under Washington’s NOR framework. Return Home in Auburn operates the world’s first large-scale Terramation facility with 74 custom vessels serving all 50 states. Earth Funeral, also in Auburn, runs one of Washington’s most advanced soil transformation facilities. Together those three providers make Washington the single most accessible state in the country for a green, soil-based disposition.

Pricing also varies dramatically across the state. Seattle and the Eastside (Bellevue, Kirkland, Redmond, Sammamish) run well above the state average, with full-service burial easily clearing $10,000. Eastern Washington (Spokane, Yakima, Tri-Cities) runs well below, with direct cremation in the Tri-Cities frequently available under $1,200. A Washington family willing to compare across two or three providers, especially across the I-5 corridor / Eastern Washington line, can save thousands without leaving the state. The PMA price survey, the funeral home GPL, and the Funeral Cost Calculator above are the three documents that make those comparisons possible.

Funeral Financing for Washington Families

The Washington funeral home that gives your family a $9,000 estimate will often offer to finance it for you on the spot. The financing offered at the funeral home is rarely the best financing available to your family. Memorial Merits has partnered with Upstart, a lending platform that partners with banks to provide personal loans of $1,000 to $75,000 with funding as fast as one business day after acceptance. The Upstart platform’s underwriting model considers factors beyond credit score alone, including education and work history, which often produces competitive rates for Washington families who would be denied or overpriced by a funeral home’s in-house financing. Checking your rate is a soft credit inquiry and does not affect your credit score.

Upstart sits alongside two other immediate-relief paths Washington families use heavily in the first 24 hours: a free memorial fundraising page through Ever Loved (a GoFundMe alternative built for memorial families), and a lasting online tribute page through ForeverMissed. The combination of fundraising, financing, and tribute typically covers the gap between the funeral home’s first quote and what insurance, savings, and family contributions can actually cover in week one. All three are documented in the Immediate Help section above.

Caskets and Urns: The Biggest Washington Family Savings

The single largest variable in a Washington funeral’s bottom line is the casket or urn. Funeral home casket pricing typically runs three to five times wholesale. The federal Funeral Rule guarantees Washington families the right to buy from any source, and the funeral home is legally required to accept it without a handling fee. This rule alone saves the average WA family $1,000 to $3,000 per casket. The Memorial Merits Discount Caskets partner page documents 30 to 70 percent savings on ship-direct caskets that any Washington funeral home is legally required to accept and use for the service.

For families choosing direct cremation, the federal Funeral Rule allows a simple alternative container at a fraction of casket pricing. The funeral home is required to make this option available. Pulvis Art Urns, a Memorial Merits partner, ships handcrafted ceramic urns directly to Washington families with an exclusive discount when the visitor uses the coupon code MemorialMerits at checkout. Detailed product reviews and side-by-side comparisons across both caskets and urns live on the casket and urn reviews hub. Both partners also appear in the in-directory CTA rotation below.

Find a Funeral Home in Your Washington City

The directory below covers 25 Washington cities with population 50,000 or more, organized by population tier with the ten largest cities first. Each listing was verified against the WA Department of Licensing public lookup and the four-signal trust standard described in the verification block. Listings flagged “WA DOL Verified” met the multi-signal verification standard (active website, active aggregator presence, address and phone confirmed to the funeral home’s own primary website). Roughly 80 percent of Washington listings are independent or family-owned providers. The remaining 20 percent are Dignity Memorial, Carriage Services, or NorthStar Memorial Group network locations, flagged where they appear. Cross-listing across adjacent cities is common in the Puget Sound and the Tri-Cities, so look at the service-area notes on each card.

Browse Washington Funeral Homes by County

King County (11) Snohomish County (2) Pierce County (2) Spokane County (2) Thurston County (2) Benton County (2) Whatcom County Franklin County Yakima County Clark County

Use Before You Make the Call

Questions to Ask Before You Call a Washington Funeral Home

Most families call a funeral home in the worst hour of their lives and accept whatever quote arrives. The Federal Trade Commission gives you specific rights, and Washington adds its own protections on top. Ask these eight questions before you share your name, address, or the location of your loved one.

  1. Can you email me your General Price List today? The FTC Funeral Rule requires every funeral home to provide it on request, by phone or in person. In Tacoma’s 2015 FTC sweep, 2 of 11 funeral homes failed this disclosure.
  2. Under RCW 18.39.250, are pre-need funds held in a Washington-regulated trust with two trustees? Ask for the trust name and trustee identity so you can verify with the WA DOL Funeral and Cemetery Board at 360-664-1822 before signing anything.
  3. If we choose human composting under RCW 68.50.110, are you licensed for natural organic reduction? Washington has three licensed NOR providers: Recompose in Seattle, Return Home and Earth Funeral in Auburn. If your funeral home is not licensed, ask which one they partner with and what the handoff costs.
  4. What is your total cost for direct cremation or direct burial with no services? Washington’s PMA 2024 survey puts direct cremation at $1,685 average with a low of $485. Itemized, not bundled.
  5. Do you charge a handling fee if I buy the casket from a third party? Charging extra to use an outside casket is a federal Funeral Rule violation. Any “yes” here is a red flag.
  6. WAC 246-500-030 caps refrigeration at 48 degrees Fahrenheit. Will you confirm in writing that you maintain compliant refrigeration? Embalming is not required by Washington law unless the family specifically requests it.
  7. Under RCW 70.58A.210, no disposition can happen until the burial-transit permit is issued. What is your average turnaround? Especially important if your loved one needs to be transported out of state.
  8. Will your written quote today match the final invoice? Hidden line items added after the fact are the most common complaint to the WA DOL Funeral and Cemetery Board.

If any answer feels rushed, vague, or annoyed, that is information. A funeral home that resents transparency is not the one for your family.

How We Verified These Washington Listings

Every funeral home in this directory was checked against a four-signal trust standard before it was published. A listing only appears on this page if at least two of the four signals are active:

  • A live business website with current contact information
  • An active Google Maps profile with recent reviews
  • A Yelp or comparable public review presence
  • A Better Business Bureau profile, when available

On top of the four-signal check, a random ten percent of the listings on this page were cross-referenced against the Washington State Department of Licensing Funeral and Cemetery Board active license registry to confirm the home is operating in good standing with the state.

Memorial Merits does not accept payment from funeral homes for inclusion in this directory. Listings are editorial. If you spot an error or a closed location, email support@memorialmerits.com and we will update the page.

Funeral Homes in Auburn, Washington (King and Pierce County)

Funeral Homes in Bellevue, Washington (King County)

Funeral Homes in Bellingham, Washington (Whatcom County)

Need Help with Funeral Costs? Memorial Merits Recommends:

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Funeral Homes in Burien, Washington (King County)

Funeral Homes in Everett, Washington (Snohomish County)

Funeral Homes in Federal Way, Washington (King County)

Funeral Homes in Kennewick, Washington (Benton County)

Save 30 to 70 Percent on the Casket
Federal law guarantees Washington families the right to buy a casket from any source. The funeral home cannot refuse it or add a handling fee.
 View Discount Caskets ›

Funeral Homes in Kent, Washington (King County)

Funeral Homes in Kirkland, Washington (King County)

Funeral Homes in Lacey, Washington (Thurston County)

Help Paying for a Funeral, All in One Place
Personal loans, memorial fundraising, veteran benefits, and indigent burial programs. Every option, sorted by speed and eligibility.
 Open the Hub ›

Funeral Homes in Lakewood, Washington (Pierce County)

Funeral Homes in Marysville, Washington (Snohomish County)

Skip the Funeral Home Casket Markup
Online retailers ship caskets directly to any Washington funeral home, often at half the in-house price. The home is required by law to accept it.
 Compare Casket Prices ›

Funeral Homes in Olympia, Washington (Thurston County)

Funeral Homes in Pasco, Washington (Franklin County)

Funeral Homes in Redmond, Washington (King County)

Lock In Today’s Cremation Rates for Life
Washington’s cremation rate is 78 percent, the highest in the country. Cremation Club membership locks pricing nationwide. Use code MEMORIAL10 for 10 percent off monthly and annual rates.
 Read Cremation Club Review ›

Funeral Homes in Renton, Washington (King County)

Funeral Homes in Richland, Washington (Benton County)

Funeral Homes in Sammamish, Washington (King County)

Funeral Homes in Seattle, Washington (King County)

Funeral Homes in Shoreline, Washington (King County)

An Urn That Honors Their Story
Hand-finished sculptural urns, museum-grade craftsmanship. Use code MemorialMerits at checkout for an exclusive Memorial Merits discount.
 Browse Pulvis Urns ›

Funeral Homes in Spokane, Washington (Spokane County)

Funeral Homes in Spokane Valley, Washington (Spokane County)

Funeral Homes in Tacoma, Washington (Pierce County)

Funeral Homes in Vancouver, Washington (Clark County)

Funeral Homes in Yakima, Washington (Yakima County)

Check Your Rate in Minutes. Won’t Affect Your Credit.

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Memorial Merits is an Upstart affiliate partner. We earn a commission on funded loans at no cost to you. Loan products by Upstart are originated by lending partners.

If your city is not listed above, the nearest verified Washington funeral home is almost always within 30 minutes by car. The cards in each city section include service-area notes for every cross-listing. For families outside the 25 cities covered here, use the WA Department of Licensing public lookup to verify any home you find on your own, and run the Funeral Cost Calculator before signing any contract.

For Washington Veteran Families: State and Federal Burial Benefits

If your family includes a veteran, federal and state benefits exist that many Washington families never learn about until after they have already paid out of pocket. Washington operates one state-run veterans cemetery and shares one federal VA national cemetery within state borders. The Washington State Veterans Cemetery in Medical Lake (near Spokane) is operated by the Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs. Tahoma National Cemetery in Kent is federal and VA-run. Veterans’ sections within county and private cemeteries cover the rest of the state.

Washington State Veterans Cemetery

Operated by the Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs. Veterans who completed minimum active duty and were discharged under conditions other than dishonorable are eligible; spouses and certain dependent children may also qualify. The cemetery accepts both casketed and cremated remains.

Washington State Veterans Cemetery

21702 W Espanola Rd, Medical Lake, WA 99022

Phone: (509) 299-6280  |  Fax: (509) 299-6286  |  Email: cemetery@dva.wa.gov

Office hours: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visitation: 8 a.m. to sunset, daily.

No direct interment charge for the eligible veteran. The cemetery accommodates both casketed and cremated remains.

Tahoma National Cemetery in Kent is federal and VA-run, not state-operated. For federal eligibility and gravesite reservations, contact the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs at cem.va.gov.

Burial at a VA national cemetery or the Washington State Veterans Cemetery includes the gravesite, opening and closing of the grave, government headstone or marker, burial flag presentation, perpetual care, and Presidential Memorial Certificate at no cost to the family. Eligibility requires discharge other than dishonorable for the veteran, plus eligible spouses and dependents. The benefit does not cover funeral home charges (casket, transport, viewing), which the family still arranges with a private funeral home. For federal eligibility and gravesite reservations, contact the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs at cem.va.gov. For Washington State Veterans Cemetery applications, call (509) 299-6280 or email cemetery@dva.wa.gov.

Memorial Keepsakes for the Days That Follow

The decision about a memorial keepsake is rarely a Day One decision. For most Washington families it settles in around Day 5 to Day 30 after the service, when the immediate logistics have eased and the family is ready to think about something they will hold for years. We mention it briefly here because the visitor in acute crisis tonight is likely to come back looking for keepsake guidance later. Memorial Merits’ premium keepsake partner crafts heirloom jewelry that holds a sealed platinum pod of cremated remains, hair, or earth from a meaningful place. The pieces are designed to be worn daily and passed across generations of a Washington family.

Honor Their Story with a Memorial Diamond Heirloom

Lee Alexander & Co. crafts museum-grade heirloom cremation jewelry, designed to be passed down across generations. Use code Memorial100 for an exclusive Memorial Merits discount, stackable with military and other discounts.

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Memorial Merits is a Lee Alexander & Co. affiliate partner. We earn a commission at no cost to you.

For accessible cremation jewelry alternatives, including pieces from Spirit Pieces, Parting Stone, and Engrave Ink (cremation tattoo ink), see the memorial keepsake hub.

Sealed cream envelope with a gold wax seal on a dark walnut surface, warm golden light. Memorial Merits is working on something for families.

Something Is Coming.

Memorial Merits has been working on something that will help families walk into the funeral industry with their wallets, time, and dignity intact.

For families who have been overcharged, rushed, or pressured into decisions they did not need, this is what they should have had all along.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Twelve Washington-specific questions, answered from the statute, the regulator, and the primary source. Click any link to verify the answer at the original source. FAQ #8 carries an inline link to the Cremation Club Savings Calculator for pre-need cremation shoppers reading the answer to “What is the cheapest cremation option in Washington?”

Washington Funeral Home and Cost FAQ

How much does a funeral cost in Washington?

Washington families pay about $6,584 on average for a full-service burial (range $1,690 to $26,015), $2,439 for a direct burial, and $1,685 for a direct cremation, per People’s Memorial Association’s 2024 Funeral Home Price Survey. The national median (NFDA 2023) for a funeral with viewing and burial is $8,300 and for a funeral with cremation is $6,280. Washington runs below the national average on direct cremation because PMA’s price pressure has shaped the local market for more than 85 years. Source: peoplesmemorial.org/advocacy/price-survey.html.

Do I have to use a funeral home in Washington?

No. Washington is one of the most family-friendly states for home funerals. Under RCW 68.50.160, anyone may perform the functions of a funeral director for family or community members as long as they are not paid. A written, witnessed document expressing the deceased’s wishes serves as legal authorization. The family will still file the death certificate and obtain a burial-transit permit through the local registrar.

How do I verify a funeral home is licensed in Washington?

Use the Washington Department of Licensing public license lookup at professions.dol.wa.gov/s/license-lookup, or contact the Funeral and Cemetery Board at 360-664-1822 or funerals@dol.wa.gov. Every funeral establishment, funeral director, and embalmer in the state holds an active license under RCW 18.39.020.

What is the cheapest cremation option in Washington?

Direct cremation in Washington averaged $1,685 statewide in 2024, with a low of $485, per People’s Memorial Association’s annual price survey. PMA members receive negotiated discounts from contracted providers; The Co-op Funeral Home of People’s Memorial in Seattle posts its General Price List publicly. For pre-need cremation planners, our Cremation Club Savings Calculator estimates your lifetime savings on a locked-rate membership versus paying at time of need.

Does Washington cover indigent burials?

Yes, but on a county-by-county basis. Under RCW 36.39.030, each county’s board of commissioners must provide for the disposition of indigent persons (including public assistance recipients) who die within the county and whose body is unclaimed. There is no statewide reimbursement cap; each county sets its own maximum. For veterans, RCW 73.08.070 directs counties to set a maximum no lower than $300.

How long after death must a body be refrigerated or embalmed in Washington?

Under WAC 246-500-030, funeral directors must refrigerate or embalm human remains upon receipt. Refrigeration may be delayed for up to 24 hours to allow ceremonial activities such as washing, anointing, praying over, viewing, or sitting with the body. The refrigerator must hold a maximum temperature of 48 degrees Fahrenheit. Once in refrigeration, remains may only be removed for up to 24 hours.

Are pre-need funeral contracts protected in Washington?

Yes. RCW 18.39.250 requires every funeral establishment selling prepaid funeral contracts to hold the funds in a prearrangement funeral service trust with two or more designated trustees. The trust is not an asset of the funeral establishment. Up to 10 percent of the cash purchase price may be retained. Families who cancel within 30 calendar days of signing receive a full refund.

Can I transport a body across state lines from Washington?

Yes, with a Burial-Transit Permit. Under RCW 70.58A.210, the local registrar in the county where death occurred issues the permit after the report of death has been filed. The permit must accompany the remains and be obtained within 72 hours of death and prior to disposition. The Washington State Department of Health Center for Health Statistics oversees vital records statewide.

Where is Washington’s state veterans cemetery?

The Washington State Veterans Cemetery sits in Medical Lake near Spokane, at 21702 W Espanola Rd, Medical Lake, WA 99022, phone (509) 299-6280. Operated by the Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs, it accommodates both casketed and cremated remains. Veterans who completed minimum active duty and were discharged under conditions other than dishonorable are eligible. Tahoma National Cemetery in Kent is federal and VA-run, not state-operated. Source: dva.wa.gov/veterans-service-members-and-their-families/cemetery.

What does the FTC Funeral Rule require Washington funeral homes to do?

The FTC Funeral Rule requires every funeral home to provide an itemized General Price List at the start of any in-person discussion of arrangements, a casket price list before showing caskets, and an outer burial container price list before showing vaults. Homes must give pricing information over the phone if a consumer asks. In 2015, two of 11 Tacoma funeral homes were found in violation during an FTC sweep. Current civil penalties run up to $50,120 per violation.

Is human composting legal in Washington?

Yes. Washington was the first state in the United States to legalize human composting, known formally as natural organic reduction. Governor Jay Inslee signed Senate Bill 5001 into law on May 21, 2019, and it took effect May 1, 2020 under RCW 68.50.110. The state hosts three of the country’s largest licensed NOR operators: Recompose in Seattle, Return Home in Auburn, and Earth Funeral in Auburn. The process converts human remains to soil over roughly 5 to 12 weeks.

How do I file a complaint against a funeral home in Washington?

Email a completed Business and Professions Complaint form to dolbpdcomplaints@dol.wa.gov, or mail it to: Centralized Investigations and Audits Unit, Department of Licensing, PO Box 1098, Olympia, WA 98507-1098. Include dates, parties involved, prior resolution efforts, and supporting documents. The Department of Licensing’s Funeral and Cemetery Board reviews complaints and may investigate. Filing instructions: dol.wa.gov/business/funeralcemetery/fccomplaint.html.

About the Author

Gabriel Killian, Founder of Memorial Merits

Gabriel Killian is the founder of Memorial Merits, a platform built to help people through grief, legacy, and end-of-life protection. He is a U.S. Navy Certified Radar Instructor and Course Supervisor with twelve years of active duty service and triple warfare designations across surface, air, and information warfare.

Memorial Merits has been featured on CBS, ABC, Fox, AP, Business Life Magazine, NY Observer, and Benzinga, cited by Google AI Overviews as a trusted authority in the end-of-life space, recognized in the Home Funeral Alliance Member Spotlight, and adopted by U.S. Army CENTCOM as an official family resource for service members and their loved ones facing loss. Gabriel is a published author with Sociology Group, the Animal Hospice Group, and Memoria Sky, and a verified researcher (ORCID: 0009-0008-0751-6129) with cross-published guides on Zenodo, Internet Archive, and Academia.edu.

His work is grounded in the experiences he writes about, including the unexpected loss of his father in 2019 and his own survival of a deep vein thrombosis crisis. He has a Psychology background from Norfolk State University and writes on family-led end-of-life decision-making, the family advocacy work that follows a loss, and the small dignities that carry families through it.

He is also the author of Should Tomorrow Never Come, a Legacy Journal designed to help families capture what matters before it is too late.

More: Read the full founder story  ·  View the Legacy Journal  · 

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Important Disclaimers

Educational Information Only: Memorial Merits provides educational information based on personal experience and research. This content is not a substitute for professional legal, financial, medical, or mental health advice.

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