In Texas in 2026, a direct cremation starts at $895, a memorial cremation with a service runs $2,495, and a traditional funeral with burial starts at $5,495. Most families pay within 10% of these published prices. The biggest factors that move the number are casket selection, cemetery fees, and whether a vault is required by the cemetery.
What's included at each price point
Direct cremation — $895
The most affordable dignified option. Includes transfer into our care, all authorizations and permits, the cremation itself at our licensed Texas crematory, a dignified temporary urn, and the return of cremated remains to the family. No service, no viewing, no casket required. This is the right choice when a family plans to hold a private memorial on their own timeline, or when no service is desired.
Memorial cremation — $2,495
Cremation plus a memorial service at our chapel or a venue of your choice (church, home, graveside, park). Includes everything in direct cremation, plus use of our facility, staff for the service, printed memorial folders, coordination of clergy or celebrant, and the return of cremated remains in a permanent urn of your choosing.
Traditional funeral with burial — $5,495
A full-service funeral with visitation, a formal service, hearse and family limousine, and cemetery burial. Includes our services, preparation, a cloth-covered casket from our gallery (upgrades available), use of facilities for visitation and service, and graveside support. Cemetery fees, vault (if required), and flowers are additional and paid directly to those providers.
What moves the number up
Casket choice
Our cloth-covered casket is included in the $5,495 traditional package. Upgrading to a hardwood casket (oak, cherry, walnut) adds $500 to $3,500. A bronze or copper casket adds $2,500 to $7,000. You can also bring your own casket from any retailer — the federal Funeral Rule forbids us from charging a fee, and we honor that rule fully.
Cemetery fees (paid to the cemetery, not to us)
A cemetery plot in the DFW metroplex typically runs $1,800 to $6,500 depending on location and section. Opening and closing the grave is another $895 to $1,995. A required vault or grave liner adds $695 (basic) to $2,500+ (lined vault). Military burial at Dallas–Fort Worth National Cemetery is free for eligible veterans.
Urn upgrades
Our temporary urn is included at no cost. Permanent urns in our gallery range from $30 keepsakes to $650 companion urns. See the full urn selection.
Death certificates
Certified death certificates are $20 each in Texas (per Texas Health & Safety Code). Most families need 6 to 10 copies for life insurance, banks, real estate, retirement accounts, and Social Security. Budget $120 to $200.
Cash-advance items
Obituaries (newspaper placement), flowers, clergy honoraria, musicians, and catering are typically cash-advance items — we arrange them and the cost passes through at our cost, with no markup.
Texas vs. national averages
According to the National Funeral Directors Association's 2024 figures, the national median cost of a funeral with burial is $8,300, and a funeral with cremation is $6,280. Texas averages typically come in modestly below the national median, but the range across Texas funeral homes is enormous. The same service package that costs $5,495 with Vargas-London commonly runs $8,000 to $12,000 at a corporate funeral home. The difference is not the quality of care — it is the overhead, the sales commissions, and the private-equity margin built into corporate pricing.
Frequently asked cost questions
How much does direct cremation cost in Texas?
At Vargas-London, $895. Across Texas funeral homes the range is roughly $650 to $2,995 for direct cremation. If you are seeing quotes above $2,000 for a no-service direct cremation, you are being overcharged.
Is there a cheaper way to bury someone in Texas?
Yes. A direct cremation followed by a family-led memorial costs roughly one-tenth of a full-service traditional funeral. A green burial in a simple pine or cloth-covered casket, with no embalming and no vault (at a cemetery that permits green burial), can be done for around $2,900 all-in.
Does Medicare or Social Security cover funeral costs?
Medicare does not. Social Security pays a one-time $255 death benefit to a surviving spouse or dependent child — which will not move the needle on funeral cost. VA burial benefits are substantial for eligible veterans: free burial at a national cemetery, a $948 burial allowance, and a free government headstone.
Can we pay for a funeral over time?
Yes. Vargas-London offers financing through third-party partners with rates starting around 8% APR for qualified applicants. Many families use life insurance assignment (the policy proceeds pay us directly), which costs the family nothing out of pocket if the policy is sufficient.
What happens if we cannot afford even the direct cremation?
Several paths. Texas county indigent-burial programs cover a simple cremation or burial for families who cannot pay. GoFundMe and community fundraising are widely used and often succeed within 48 hours. And we work with every family on payment plans — no family is turned away for inability to pay the full amount up front.
The price you are quoted is the price you pay. If we ever present an invoice higher than the quoted package — excluding optional items you explicitly select, cemetery fees paid to third parties, and cash-advance items at actual cost — the difference is refunded without question.