At James Ashton & Son, we believe everyone deserves a respectful final send-off. As the price of arranging a funeral can vary, we have broken down a summary of the costs associated with holding an attended or unattended funeral and additional things to consider while planning the full service.
Your dedicated Funeral Director from James Ashton & Son will also be able to provide more information about each aspect of the service and ensure your loved one’s funeral reflects the life they lived, including any religious or secular requirements for both burial and cremation ceremonies.
We are dedicated to providing a fair and competitive pricing plan for our services and even offer price matching (additional details below).
What different types of funeral services can be arranged?
Most commonly, a funeral service will include either a burial or a cremation and can be attended, meaning some or all invited family members and friends can be present for the burial or visit the crematorium; or unattended, where the burial or cremation itself is completely private and no family or friends will be present.
The costs associated with the funeral itself will also usually be split into two parts which include an itemised list of the services we provide as your dedicated funeral directors, alongside fees from third parties (also known as disbursements) which we will pay on your behalf – these may include floral arrangements, service music, and more.
Standard Funeral Service Fees For Attended & Unattended Funerals
With the average standard cost of a simple burial in Scotland rising to £4030 (with cremations being a slightly lower £3160), we are committed to helping families who may be struggling financially to give their loved ones a respectful funeral. This is why we are fully flexible and transparent about required fees and optional extras to help take the financial burden off and provide you with the highest standard of professional service.
There are a few funeral director’s fees applicable to both burial and cremation services as standard, and these include:
- Handling all legal and administrative arrangements on your behalf – £1595
- Arranging a collection and transport of the deceased person from their place of death to our premises (collections will usually be made within a 15-mile radius) – £190
- Caring for the deceased person prior to the funeral at our dedicated facilities at our Cardean Street address in Dundee: £150
- Providing a standard flat-lid coffin made from veneered wood: £425 (additional coffin types are also available and prices will vary)
- Transporting the deceased person to the agreed cemetery or crematorium for the funeral service (usually within 25 miles of our Cardean Street address in Dundee). This will be arranged for a date and time as agreed with your funeral director: £335
- Burial or cremation fee: £550 to 2196 depending on whether burial or cremation
- Optional on request: Preparing and arranging for a viewing of the deceased person ahead of the funeral (available Monday-Friday 9:30am – 4pm): £50
Affordable and Respectful Funeral Package
We offer an affordable service package starting from £2205 which includes bringing your loved one into our care prior to the service, provision of a standard flat-lid coffin for the funeral, provision of a modest hearse for transporting the deceased person from our premises to the funeral location on the day, and our standard professional fees. Usually, we will provide transport within a 25-mile radius of our Cardean Street address in Dundee, however, this is flexible and we recommend speaking with your dedicated funeral director for more details should the preferred service location be further away.
Unattended Burial Service
An unattended burial is completely private and carries a funeral director’s fee of £800 alongside additional burial costs which may vary from location to location. These additional fees include the plot if it’s a new grave, or for an existing grave with a memorial already in place, you may need to pay a removal or replacement fee, alongside additional fees which will be quoted on a case-by-case basis.
Attended Cremation Service
In the Angus and Tayside local area, the typical cost of cremation for local residents may vary. The most up-to-date costs are listed on the Scottish Government website and the current cost of a direct cremation is £1,070.
Unattended Cremation Service
Unattended cremation services carry a funeral director’s fee of £800 and a further crematorium fee of £550 for Dundee Crematorium or £440 for Kirkcaldy Crematorium.
This type of service is typically carried out in the morning on weekdays only, between 8:15am and 8:20am.
Additional Considerations
At James Ashton & Son Funeral Directors, we strive to be as flexible and accommodating as possible to ensure we can create a unique funeral package for every individual that can provide them with a personalised final send-off. In some instances, this may include additional considerations including:
- Adding stops and transfers on their journey to the funeral service including their home, place of worship, or other location that is personal to them. The price per stop along the route is £160, and should travel be required beyond our 25-mile radius, we charge an additional 75p per mile.
- An embalming service: £205.
- Hiring a Funeral Officiant including a celebrant, Minister, or another officiant for the service (attended services only): £210.
Additional requirements can also be catered for on request, including arranging the collection of ashes from the crematorium (please note we do not organise delivery and kindly request ashes are collected in person from our premises), and any services supplied outside of 9am – 5pm Monday-Friday.
What is the most common type of funeral service?
Over the years, attended funeral services have been the most common as they can help to provide the friends and family of the deceased person with peace and comfort in being part of the full service; however, many people also choose to celebrate the life of their loved one without being present for the burial or cremation. The most suitable type of service will depend on your unique requirements with respect to your loved one’s wishes (if known). Learn more about the different types of funerals on our blog.
How do I pay for a funeral?
We offer a range of payment options following a quote and your dedicated funeral director will be able to discuss these with you in more detail as well as let you know what financial support may be available to you depending on your circumstances. (Prepayment options are also available, so your loved one may already have paid for part or all of the arrangements – speak to our team to find out more.)
Do funeral directors offer a price match?
Regardless of your financial circumstances, we guarantee to provide a dignified and respectful funeral service for your loved one. We’ll make every effort to help you finalise arrangements at a location that is most convenient to you, whilst doing our best to reduce cost where possible – which is why we offer price matching on any written quotation that offers comparable service and facilities within 25 miles of our locations.
As with the services we directly provide, we can also provide price matching for any third-party fees (disbursements). Contact our team to find out more.
Government bereavement support payments
In the event that your partner dies due to a workplace accident or a disease caused by work (and they’re under the State Pension age), you may be eligible for a Government bereavement support payment. Check your eligibility on the Government website.
Speak to our team at your nearest James Ashton & Son branch:
1, 1a Cardean Street, Dundee, Angus, DD4 6PS
188 High Street, Lochee, Dundee, Angus, DD2 3DN
132 – 136 Hilltown, Dundee, Angus, DD3 7BJ
56 Largo Road, St Andrews, Fife, KY16 8RP (Macgregors)
Planning a funeral can be a daunting task, but it is important to remember that you are not alone. Your dedicated James Ashton & Son Funeral Director will be there to help you along every step of the way! They will work with you to create a funeral that is personal and meaningful, and they will be there to offer support to you and your family during this difficult time.