Direct Cremation

What is included in our direct cremation fee of $995?

In a word: EVERYTHING except government fees*, which may not apply equally to everyone.

• Our basic services and overhead as defined and mandated by the Federal Trade Commission.
• Transfer of the deceased into our custody.
• Unlimited sheltering of the deceased under refrigeration.
• Gather information for the death certificate.
• Electronically file information for the death certificate with EDRS
• Notify Social Security (form SSA-721)
• Arrangement conference with responsible party to help the family with deal with any concerns, questions, or other needs.
• Cremation container. (See example)
• Cremation process for deceased weighing up to 300 pounds.
• Return of Cremated remains to family in an airplane safe plastic urn. (See example)
• On-line obituaries with photographs posted on two web sites: bartonfuneral.com and on www.nwmemorials.com/
  Memorials on our web site allow interested parties to post their own comments on a moderated portion of the on-line obituary for each person. (See an example here)

* King County Medical Examiner has a fee of $100.  Other counties have not added such a fee yet.

How do you know that you will not be subjected to sales pressure to buy additional services or goods?

We are a family owned funeral service that was founded specifically to eliminate predatory practices that have become too prevalent in the funeral industry. While we strive to make a fair living and provide our employees with secure employment, we do not have to answer or shareholders or absentee owners. Here are our owners and some employees who work day and night serving families who trust us to put their interests first.

When checking prices on-line, try to discover who owns the business you are checking on. Some on-line cremation service web sites are owned by large corporate interests. In spite of a seemingly low cremation price, the final cost is typically much higher. If a price is too low to be true, it is too low to be true.

It is difficult to maintain our cremation fee of $995 in the face of constantly increasing costs but we are determined to keep our fees as low as possible.

What other charges are there for a direct cremation

Medical Examiner’s Fee

Residents of King County, Washington are required to pay a $100 fee to the Medical Examiner’s office. Other counties have not yet instituted such a fee. Residents of Pierce and Snohomish Counties are not required to pay a Medical Examiners fee, so the total cost for cremation in those counties is just $995, plus death certificates if required.

Death Certificates

There are three ways to get the death certificates you need.

1. 1. 1. We can order them for you as soon as you have approved the Death Certificate Approval Form and have included them along with our other services. This is not the least expensive way to order Death Certificates. We now have certified death certificate orders shipped to us and then we can either send them to you in a package with a tracking # or you can choose to pick them up in person. Those charges will show on your Statement of Goods and Services.

    

   1. 1. You may order through the Health Department’s approved third party vendor – VitalChek. The VitalChek website explains what documentation is requires. Payment may be made through their website. VitalChek is the only approved third party vendor so be sure you go only to their website: https://www.vitalchek.com/

    

   1. You may order them directly from the Health Department. This is the lowest cost way to obtain death certificates. Additional charges apply if payment is made by debit card or credit card. Below you can download the form to order by mail from King County. Other counties have instructions on their websites.

You may download the order form with instructions from the King County Vital Records site  HERE

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Death Certificates in Washington State cost $25 each. Check here for instructions from Vital Records in King County, Snohomish County, or Pierce County.

Heirs need Death Certificates to settle the affairs of the deceased’s estate. Check with one of our funeral directors if you have a question about how many to order, whether an original certified copy is required, or if a photocopy will suffice.

Shipping Cremated Remains

We routinely serve families from other states or countries that have a relative die in northwest Washington State. Arrangements can be done by phone and payment may be made by secure credit card or bank wire. Shipment within the United States is performed inexpensively through the U.S. Postal Service. Our fee to ship cremated remains to any destination within the United States is $145. This fee includes packing and handling charges in addition to the Post Office fee.

International shipments require special documentation and shipment by air freight. FedEx and UPS do not accept human remains for shipment. Our fee for international documentation is USD 500 and freight fees vary widely depending on the destination. If there is a direct flight from Seattle to the final destination, the air freight charges tend to be moderate. If shipment requires multiple carriers, fees tend to increase greatly because of interline agreements and insurance considerations. Part of our service is to find the lowest cost carrier consistent with low risk and a good reputation.

Traveling with Cremated Remains

The following is a direct quote from the TSA web site:

Transporting the Deceased
Traveling with Crematory Remains
We understand how painful losing a loved one is, and we respect anyone traveling with crematory remains. Passengers are allowed to carry a crematory container as part of their carry-on luggage, but the container must pass through the X-ray machine. If the container is made of a material that generates an opaque image and prevents the Transportation Security Officer from clearly being able to see what is inside, then the container cannot be allowed through the security checkpoint.
Out of respect to the deceased and their family and friends, under no circumstances will an officer open the container even if the passenger requests this be done. Documentation from the funeral home is not sufficient to carry a crematory container through security and onto a plane without screening.
You may transport the urn as checked baggage provided that it is successfully screened. We will screen the urn for explosive materials/devices using a variety of techniques; if cleared, it will be permitted as checked baggage only.
Some airlines do not allow cremated remains as checked baggage so please check with your air carrier before attempting to transport a crematory container in checked baggage.
Crematory containers are made from many different types of materials, all with varying thickness. At present, we cannot state for certain whether your particular crematory container can successfully pass through an X-ray machine. However, we suggest that you purchase a temporary or permanent crematory container made of a lighter weight material such as wood or plastic that can be successfully X-rayed. We will continue to work with funeral home associations to provide additional guidance in the future.

Guidance from TSA is subject to change. Please consult the TSA web site for current regulations:

https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/whatcanibring/items/cremated-remains

https://www.tsa.gov/blog/2018/07/10/ways-travel-cremated-remains