Tariffs Upend U.S. Funeral Supply Chain: Casket & Urn Prices Poised to Jump 8 – 12 % in 2025

May 22 2025 | New York – A fresh round of import duties on steel, aluminum, and hardwoods is about to make the cost of dying in America noticeably higher. Funeral-home owners nationwide say wholesale quotes on caskets, urns, and even embalming-fluid containers have surged since the White House reinstated 25 % tariffs on primary metals and added 10 % duties on finished metal and wood goods. Analysts at The Foresight Companies estimate retail funeral packages could rise 8–12 % over the next 12 months—marking the steepest one-year jump since 2012. 

What’s Driving the Spike?

*Share of wholesalers expecting to pass at least 70 % of tariff costs to retailers, Foresight survey.

Industry Voices

“Tariffs can add a thousand dollars to a single burial almost overnight, and families rarely have that much slack in their short-term budgets,” says Josh Wahls, founder of Insurance By Heroes, an independent brokerage that works in the life insurance and annuities space.

“Even households planning a modest service will feel it if their chosen memorial goods carry imported components.”

Mark Hicks, president of the Indiana Funeral Directors Association, echoed the concern: “We budget six months out, but these tariffs hit in real time. Smaller homes simply can’t absorb that kind of spike.” 

How Families Are Responding

1. Lock-In Pre-Need Contracts Early – Some funeral homes will honor today’s General Price List (GPL) if the contract is funded before their next annual update.
2. Index-Linked Final-Expense Policies – New riders peg the death benefit to the NFDA’s funeral-cost index, keeping purchasing power intact even if tariffs stick.
3. Portable Cash-Payout Coverage – Unlike prepaid contracts tied to one provider, cash-payout policies travel with beneficiaries, useful if heirs relocate.

Outlook

The National Funeral Directors Association puts the average full-service burial at $9,420 for 2024; its economists now project $10,100 by early 2026 if tariff pass-throughs persist. Funeral directors hope trade tensions ease, but few are optimistic enough to delay price-list revisions. For households, securing funds ahead of time—whether through a pre-need contract or flexible final-expense coverage—remains the surest way to keep tomorrow’s bill from ballooning.