The figures on this page are general estimates. Laws, fees, thresholds, and prices differ by state and change often, and your own situation may change the result. Before you act, confirm the current numbers and rules for Washington with a licensed professional — an attorney, tax advisor, or licensed agent as appropriate. Reading this page does not create a professional relationship.
What cremation costs in Washington
| Option | Washington range |
|---|---|
| Direct cremation (no service) | $795 – $3,000 |
| Cremation with a memorial service | $5,000 – $9,000 |
A direct cremation in Washington typically costs $795 to $3,000, and a cremation with a memorial service runs about $5,000 to $9,000 — Seattle-area providers at the top, eastern Washington below. Washington is one of the most cremation-heavy states in the country (~78%), and cremation requires a disposition permit and, in coroner cases, the coroner's consent before it can proceed.
Seattle and the Puget Sound metro sit at the top of the range, driven by higher funeral-home overhead; eastern Washington (Spokane, Yakima, the Tri-Cities) typically runs several hundred dollars less.
The cremation rate in Washington is ~78%. Well above the US national average of ~60.5% (CANA 2023); Washington is one of the highest cremation-rate states in the country, alongside Nevada, Oregon, and Maine.
Full detail on these figures, including the state’s waiting period and authorisation rules: Average Cost of Cremation in Washington.
What burial costs — nationally
These are national medians, not Washington figures. Source: National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA), 2023 General Price List Survey.
| Type | National median |
|---|---|
| Traditional burial with viewing | $8,300 |
| Traditional burial with viewing and vault | $9,995 |
| Cremation with viewing (national, for reference) | $6,280 |
| Direct cremation (national, for reference) | $2,000 – $2,500 |
Excludes: Cemetery plot, marker, and opening/closing fees, which NFDA's survey does not include.
The arithmetic, and what it does and does not tell youSetting Washington’s own cremation range against the national burial median of $8,300 gives:
| Washington cremation option | Washington range | Against the national burial median |
|---|---|---|
| Direct cremation | $795 – $3,000 | national median is $5,300 to $7,505 higher |
| Cremation with a memorial service | $5,000 – $9,000 | ranges from $700 lower to $3,300 higher — the top of Washington’s cremation-with-service range sits above the national burial median |
This subtraction crosses two different levels of geography: a state-level figure and a national one. It is arithmetic on published numbers, not a measurement of the gap inside Washington. A state whose cremation prices sit above the national average will show a smaller difference here than a state whose prices sit below it — and that reflects the cremation side moving, not the burial side. In Washington the upper end of a full-service cremation already exceeds the national burial median, which is what that row records. In every case, none of the figures include cemetery plot, marker, or opening and closing fees.
What burial includes that cremation does not
Each line is a national range from the source named in its row.
| What you pay for | Cremation | Burial | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Casket | Not required — a combustible container runs $50–$200 | $2,000–$5,000 | NFDA 2023 General Price List Survey; FTC Funeral Rule (16 C.F.R. Part 453) on outside caskets |
| Burial vault or grave liner | Not applicable | $1,000–$5,000 | NFDA 2023 General Price List Survey. Where a vault is required it is normally the cemetery's rule, not a state statute. |
| Cemetery plot | Optional | $1,000–$10,000+ | Set by the individual cemetery; not published on a state-by-state basis |
| Opening and closing the grave | Not applicable | $1,000–$2,000 | Set by the individual cemetery; not published on a state-by-state basis |
| Headstone or marker | Optional | $1,000–$5,000 | Set by the individual cemetery and monument dealer |
| Embalming | Not required | $750–$1,200 where a viewing is held | NFDA 2023 General Price List Survey |
Cemetery plot, opening and closing, and marker costs are set by the individual cemetery. They are not published per state, and they are not included in the NFDA medians above.
The Washington rules that apply either way
Waiting period. Washington does not impose a fixed hour-based waiting period. Cremation may proceed once the death is registered and a disposition (burial-transit) permit is issued; in any death the medical examiner or coroner may investigate, no cremation may occur without the coroner's consent (RCW 68.50).
Who authorises the disposition. Under RCW 68.50.160, the deceased's own signed instructions control; otherwise the right to authorize cremation passes in order to a designated agent, then the surviving spouse or state-registered domestic partner, then a majority of adult children, then the parents, then siblings.
Scattering. RCW 68.50.130 makes disposing of remains outside a cemetery a misdemeanor but exempts scattered cremated remains: they may be scattered on private property with the owner's consent or on public land with the managing agency's approval, and scattering at sea follows federal EPA rules (at least 3 nautical miles from shore).
Regulator. Washington State Department of Licensing, Funeral and Cemetery Board.
Your rights under the FTC Funeral Rule
The FTC Funeral Rule, 16 C.F.R. Part 453, applies in Washington as it does in every state. As documented by the FTC, it requires a funeral provider to give an itemised General Price List on request, to quote prices over the telephone, and to accept a casket or urn bought elsewhere without charging a handling fee. It also prohibits requiring a casket for a direct cremation.
What the record shows
Cremation in Washington runs $795 to $3,000 for a direct cremation and $5,000 to $9,000 with a memorial service, and the state’s cremation rate is ~78%. No per-state burial figure is published for Washington; the national medians reported by National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA), 2023 General Price List Survey are $8,300 for a traditional burial with viewing and $9,995 with a vault, both excluding cemetery plot, marker and opening/closing fees. The components that appear on a burial bill and not a cremation bill — casket, vault, plot, opening and closing, marker — are published only as national ranges or are set by individual cemeteries.
Compare other states
- Cremation vs. Burial Cost in California
- Cremation vs. Burial Cost in Texas
- Cremation vs. Burial Cost in Florida
- Cremation vs. Burial Cost in New York
- Cremation vs. Burial Cost in Pennsylvania
- Cremation vs. Burial Cost in Illinois
- Cremation vs. Burial Cost in Ohio
- Cremation vs. Burial Cost in Georgia
- Cremation vs. Burial Cost in North Carolina
- Cremation vs. Burial Cost in Michigan
- Cremation vs. Burial Cost in Alabama
- Cremation vs. Burial Cost in Alaska
- Cremation vs. Burial Cost in Arizona
- Cremation vs. Burial Cost in Arkansas
- Cremation vs. Burial Cost in Colorado
- Cremation vs. Burial Cost in Connecticut
- Cremation vs. Burial Cost in Delaware
- Cremation vs. Burial Cost in Hawaii
- Cremation vs. Burial Cost in Idaho
- Cremation vs. Burial Cost in Indiana
- Cremation vs. Burial Cost in Iowa
- Cremation vs. Burial Cost in Kansas
- Cremation vs. Burial Cost in Kentucky
- Cremation vs. Burial Cost in Louisiana
- Cremation vs. Burial Cost in Maine
- Cremation vs. Burial Cost in Maryland
- Cremation vs. Burial Cost in Massachusetts
- Cremation vs. Burial Cost in Minnesota
- Cremation vs. Burial Cost in Mississippi
- Cremation vs. Burial Cost in Missouri
- Cremation vs. Burial Cost in Montana
- Cremation vs. Burial Cost in Nebraska
- Cremation vs. Burial Cost in Nevada
- Cremation vs. Burial Cost in New Hampshire
- Cremation vs. Burial Cost in New Jersey
- Cremation vs. Burial Cost in New Mexico
- Cremation vs. Burial Cost in North Dakota
- Cremation vs. Burial Cost in Oklahoma
- Cremation vs. Burial Cost in Oregon
- Cremation vs. Burial Cost in Rhode Island
- Cremation vs. Burial Cost in South Carolina
- Cremation vs. Burial Cost in South Dakota
- Cremation vs. Burial Cost in Tennessee
- Cremation vs. Burial Cost in Utah
- Cremation vs. Burial Cost in Vermont
- Cremation vs. Burial Cost in Virginia
- Cremation vs. Burial Cost in West Virginia
- Cremation vs. Burial Cost in Wisconsin
- Cremation vs. Burial Cost in Wyoming
Related reading
- Average Cost of Cremation in Washington — the state’s cremation figures in full, with statutes.
- Cremation vs. Burial Cost: The National Picture — the national comparison and what drives the gap.
- How Much Does a Funeral Cost? — the broader US funeral cost picture.
- What to Do When Someone Dies: A Step-by-Step Checklist
Educational information only — not legal, financial, or funeral planning advice. Prices, statutes, and regulator practices change. Confirm current figures with licensed Washington providers before relying on this page. Cremation figures are Washington-specific; burial figures are national medians and are labelled as such throughout. Sources: National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA), 2023 General Price List Survey (national medians, effective 2023, last verified 2026-08-15); Cremation Association of North America (CANA) 2023 Annual Statistics Report; Federal Trade Commission Funeral Rule, 16 C.F.R. Part 453; Washington State Department of Licensing, Funeral and Cemetery Board; RCW 68.50.160, RCW 68.50.130, RCW 68.50 (human remains / cremation), RCW 18.39 (funeral directors and embalmers).