---
title: Funeral Costs in Missouri: Prices and Help Paying
url: https://coverfolk.com/funeral-costs/missouri
updated: 2026-10-08
---

# Funeral costs in Missouri

What it costs, who helps families with no money, and the Missouri rules that protect you.

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Updated October 8, 2026[Fact checked](/editorial-standards)

MissouriFuneral costs and help

The short answer

Nationally, a funeral with viewing and burial had a median cost of $8,300 (2023, NFDA).

## Prepaid funeral plans

The Missouri State Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors oversees preneed contracts. For a trust funded contract, all payments go into the trust within 60 days. The seller can take up to 5% as an origination fee and up to another 10% of the face value from the trust. If your contract is revocable, you can cancel any time before the funeral in writing. Within 15 days the trustee must pay you 100% of the trust money, including the parts the seller took, but not the income earned.

## Where to complain

Missouri State Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors. Anyone can file a complaint about a preneed contract with the board, and the board must investigate it (RSMo 436.470). [Website](https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=436.470)

## Plan ahead

A small final expense policy can pay these costs so your family does not have to. [Final expense in Missouri](/states/missouri/final-expense).

## Common questions

How much does a funeral cost in Missouri?

Nationally, the median funeral with viewing and burial was $8,300 in 2023 and $6,280 with cremation. Prices in Missouri vary by funeral home, so ask for the itemized price list.

Is there help paying for a funeral in Missouri?

Check with your county. Many counties help when a family has no money.

Who regulates funeral homes in Missouri?

Missouri State Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors. Anyone can file a complaint about a preneed contract with the board, and the board must investigate it (RSMo 436.470).

## Sources

1. [RSMo 436.430 trust funded preneed contracts](https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=436.430)
2. [RSMo 436.456 cancellation](https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=436.456)
3. [RSMo 436.425 contract form](https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=436.425)
4. [RSMo 436.470 complaints](https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=436.470)
5. [2023 NFDA General Price List Study Shows Inflation Increasing Faster than the Cost of a Funeral (NFDA)](https://content.nfda.org/news/media-center/nfda-news-releases/id/8134/2023-nfda-general-price-list-study-shows-inflation-increasing-faster-than-the-cost-of-a-funeral)

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