At-Need Decisions to Make
Level of Assistance
At one end of the spectrum, a funeral director at a mortuary can make most of the arrangements, in consultation with the family.
At the other end, the family can opt for a Family-Directed Funeral, managing all the arrangements, including moving and transporting the body, and filing all the necessary paperwork (including attending physician’s information.) To learn more about home funerals, visit our friends at the Home Funeral Alliance.
Funeral Consultants
In between the funeral home or family assuming 100% of the responsibility is a funeral managed with the help of a home funeral consultant or a willing funeral director. Here are a few local funeral consultants:
Final Passages
Marin & Sonoma Counties
Home Funeral and Green Burial Education
PO Box 1721, Sebastopol, CA 95473
Final Footprint
San Mateo, San Francisco Counties
Home Funeral Aide, Seller of Eco-caskets & Urns
Last Respects Consulting
Santa Cruz, Santa Clara Counties
Green Burial and Conservation Burial Ground Consultant
Important Choices to Make
Burial or Cremation
Choosing between burial and cremation must be done by a person who has the legal right to control the disposition of the remains.
Note: The option to donate the body is not available at this point unless previous arrangements have been made.
The choice of Cremation requires requires an additional form, California’s Cemetery and Funeral Bureau’s (CFB) printable Declaration for Disposition of Cremated Remains. See also, CFB’s Consumer Guide to Funeral and Cemetery Purchases for general information.
You can find more information on our website on the Burials and Cremation pages.
Final Resting Place
Find a Grave lists all of the cemeteries in the 9 Bay Area Counties and beyond.
The best way to find a Monument Dealer is to search on Google. There are a couple of things to keep in mind:
- According to the FTC Funeral Rule, you are entitled to use goods that you purchase elsewhere. Your funeral provider cannot refuse to handle a casket or urn that you purchased somewhere else or charge you a fee to do it. You are also not required to be at the funeral home when your items are delivered to them.
- You have the right to choose a container other than a traditional casket for cremation.
Consider Joining Bay Area Funeral Consumers Association
For non-members who wish to use Bay Area Funeral Consumers Association providers and reduced prices, please go to our Membership page and apply for membership on-line or via mail. The cost of a lifetime membership is $100.00.