It is your right, and our desire that you have as complete of an understanding as possible regarding the cost of our services. The biggest factor is the time elements, in terms of our personnel and the use of the funeral home facilities. The maintenance of this service is unending; it must be available 24-hours every day of the year, therefore our work week is greater that the standard 40-hour work week.
Many phases of our work are apparent; others are not. The following analysis of some of these details will help you to understand that no two funerals are exactly alike. Traditions, customs, social standing, personal feeling, financial ability and a multitude of other influences affect each funeral. Our service must conform to each individual family’s wishes and their personal and religious needs.
Generally, funeral costs are divided into five categories. These categories to be further defined are: Professional Services, Use of Facilities, Merchandise, Cash Disbursements, and Transportation.
Professional Service areas are: Complete Arrangements, Supervision and Direction of Funeral; Preparation and Care of the Deceased, including embalming when required or requested; Professional, Personnel, and Non-Profession Assistants.
Use of Facilities include: Funeral Home Facilities and Equipment; Preparation Room, and Fixed Overhead.
Merchandise choices can consist of: Casket, Outer Burial Container, Cremation Urn, Register Book, Memorial Folders, Acknowledgement Cards, and possibly Clothing.
Cash Disbursements. This represents all of the monies that we may advance for you, such as cemetery or crematory charges, all hired autos, clergy honorariums, air transportation, newspaper or radio charges, singers, organists, certified copies of the death certificate, lunch and lunch servers, flowers, etc.
Transportation charges may include the service car and its operation, and any extra vehicles.
If you have questions on any of the information, or any other aspect of the funeral, please feel free to let us know.
Merchandise
The Picha Funeral Homes are able to provide many merchandise products that are incorporated with the funeral of a loved one.
Many of these merchandise products are also available with prearrangement ideas.
A complete list of available products, including prices, is available upon request at the funeral home.
Caskets
Caskets are made from various materials including:
Wood (with many different species, i.e. – oak, cherry, pecan, poplar, maple, etc.)
Steel (steel is measured by gauge or thickness) Semi-precious metals (i.e. – bronze, copper, and stainless steel)
Vaults
Many cemeteries require the use of an outer burial container to surround the casket in the grave. The intent of a sealing burial vault is to protect against the entrance of sub-soil elements as well as protecting against the compression weight of the earth and the weight of cemetery equipment. Grave Liners are simple concrete boxes that do not seal, nor do they have a liner, but they meet minimum cemetery requirements. Sealing Burial Vaults are made of reinforced concrete and have an inner liner, in addition some are double lined with a metal liner.
Urns
Cremation Urns are containers in which cremated human remains are placed. Urns are also made from various materials, including wood, metal, marble, and ceramic.