Cremation Cost in Alberta

Cremation costs in Alberta can vary depending on service type, location, etc. However, most cremation packages in the province fall between $800 to $10,000+.  (Click to see where this estimate comes from.) This article examines the fees in detail and provides a cost breakdown for standard and option cremation services you can expect in major cities like Calgary and Edmonton, as well other smaller communities in the province.

The numbers provided in this article are taken from advertised fees and industry norms in Alberta and represent averages and typically listed costs.

Summary of cremation costs in Alberta

Listed here is an itemized summary of fees expected for cremation arrangements in Alberta.

• Cremation documentation:
  Cremation service provider fees: $100 to $300+
  Government death certificate fee: $20+
• Body transportation: $200+ (based on distance)
• Body storage and preservation:
  Refrigeration: ~$300
  Embalming: $500 to $1000+
  Body preparation: $100 to $1000+
• Cremation process: $500 to $1000+
• Professional services and staff fees: $200 to $1,000+.
• Cremation urn: $10 to upwards of $2,000.
• Ceremony or celebration of life: $0 to $3,000+
• Interment:
  Single niche $500 to $4,000+.
  Urn burial plots are $500 to $3,000+.
• Grave markers: Headstones or grave markers for an urn plot can cost $100 to $1,000+.

Cremation funeral package fees

Cremation funeral packages in Alberta range from $800 to $10,000+. A basic cremation arrangement, also called direct cremation, costs as low as $800 to $2,500+.  Included in packages are two types of fees:

1) Required services: Required service fees are included in all cremation packages. This includes documentation, storage/preservation, transportation, body preparation, and professional and staff costs.

2) Optional services: These are fees for services or products that are not required by law but may be chosen by the deceased person and their family. Examples include urn purchase, interment, and funeral celebration or ceremonies.

Be sure to ask funeral providers for an itemized price list to ensure that only required or desired services are included in the cremation package.

Detailed cremation cost in Alberta by category

Below is a detailed breakdown of the costs associated with the categories listed above.

Cremation documentation in Alberta

In Alberta, all applicable cremation documentation must be completed and sent to Vital Statistics to register a death and order death documents.  

Cremation documentation for Alberta includes:

• Medical Certificate of Death. This form is signed by an attending physician or medical examiner and certified by Vital Statistics. It contains details of the death.
• Death Certificate. This document shows the last and given names of the deceased person, sex, age at the time of death, date of death, place of death, marital status, the usual residence, registration number, registration date, and date issued. This form is filled out by a physician or medical examiner.
• Registration of Death form. This form is completed by a person who knew the deceased person (e.g., spouse) and is usually completed at a funeral provider as arrangements are made. The funeral staff will register the death and send these documents to Vital Statistics.
• Burial/Disposition Permit. This permit must be obtained before any final disposition can take place. This can be handled by family or friends or by a licensed funeral provider.
• Form 4. Before a body can be cremated, Medical Examiner investigators must review the Medical Certificate of Death before issuing this form that provides cremation approval.

After the death is registered, loved ones can apply to order death documents from a registry agent. This includes:

• Death Certificate. Shows information about the deceased (listed above).
• Certified Copy of the Registration of Death. Photocopy of the Registration of Death certified by Vital Statistics.
• Certified Copy of the Medical Certificate of Death. Photocopy of the original Medical Certificate of Death and certified by Vital Statistics.

Documentation costs

Funeral providers will help guide families through the necessary paperwork and send documents to Vital Statistics. Documentation fees typically range from $100 to $300+. Fees for this may be listed separately or under professional and staff costs.

In Alberta, the price for a Death Certificate, Certified Copy of the Registration of Death, and Certified Copy of the Medical Certificate of Death costs $20 for each document, plus a registry agent service fee (these fees will vary). Learn more.

Transportation of a body in Alberta

After registration has been completed, the deceased person's body must be transported to a funeral home or crematorium. In Alberta, transportation is handled by a funeral provider or transfer services. It may also be handled by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner if the deceased person's body must be transported to the CME's office in Calgary or Edmonton (learn more).

Many funeral providers include transportation fees in their price lists. The costs change based on distance and time travelled, but fees are typically $200 and up (and are usually based on distance).

Body storage and preservation

During funeral planning, the deceased person's body must be stored to slow down physiological changes that begin after death. Standard preservation techniques are refrigeration or embalming.

Embalming is not required in Alberta in most circumstances but may be recommended depending on circumstances. A body must be embalmed if:

• The deceased person died of a communicable disease (other than anthrax, plague, or viral hemorrhagic fever)
• A common carrier will transport the body. This includes a railcar, boat, aircraft, motor vehicle, or other transportation methods for which you do not pay a fee. This does not include a vehicle owned and operated by a funeral director.

Body storage fees vary based on the length of time in the funeral home's facilities and the type of refrigeration used. Families are encouraged to contact funeral homes for an itemized price list. Storage fees typically cost around $300 on average. Additional storage time may increase overall storage fees. Embalming costs around $800, but can range anywhere from $500 to $1000+ in Alberta.

Body preparation and cremation

In Alberta, only flame cremation is available to residents. Aquamation, a newer water-based disposition is available in some Canadian provinces, but is not yet legal as a funeral process for humans. Learn more about aquamation here.

Flame cremation

Flame cremation involves placement of a deceased person's body in a chamber and exposed to high temperatures (760 to 980 Celsius). This reduces organic matter and leaves behind bone fragments and non-combustible materials. Non-combustible materials are removed and recycled (if possible). The bone fragments are pulverized into a coarse grey, or brown powder called cremated remains, or "ashes."

Preparation fees

Preparation for flame cremation consists mainly of removing items from the body that are unsafe for the cremation process (e.g., medical implants with a battery) or that the family does not want destroyed (e.g., jewelry). Other implants or belongings that are not dangerous (e.g., metal fillings) remain with the body and are destroyed or removed from the ashes after the cremation.

Body preparation may also include services like embalming, makeup, dressing, etc.
Preparation fees typically cost between $100 to $1000+.

Cremation fees

Cremation packages often list separate fee to cover services provided by a crematorium. The price ranges from $500 to $1000+.

Professional and staff fees

Funeral providers often handle most of the work involved in funeral planning to help families navigate a challenging time. Professional and staff fees compensate providers for their assistance and use of their facilities. These fees can be a separate charge or include several of the previously mentioned services. The cost often falls between $200 to $1,000+, depending on what is included.  

Urn purchase

An urn is a container that holds cremated remains. Prices depend on the style, type, material, size, etc., but can range anywhere from $10 to over $2,000. However, most urn purchases are in the $300 to $500 range. (Learn more).

Urn interment cost

Some families may choose to have the cremated remains of their loved one interred in the ground or a columbarium. A columbarium is a structure that stores cremated remains in niches. Niches hold the urn and items to memorialize the deceased person.

A single niche in Alberta typically costs $1,000 and up but can range anywhere from $500 to over $4,000. In contrast, a single burial plot often starts under $1,000, but can be anywhere from $500 to over $3000.

These prices vary mainly due to location and demand. Fees will be higher in Calgary and Edmonton. However, interments in cemeteries and columbariums in smaller Alberta cities are typically less expensive than in metropolitan areas.

Purchasing a niche or burial plot that can hold more than one urn can help reduce interment fees. Another way to minimize interment fees is to either scatter ashes or keep them in an urn within a home (Learn more about scattering rules in Canada).

Grave markers

Grave markers consist of a headstone, engraved plaque, grave monument (e.g., bench), etc. The cost of a grave marker depends on the size, decoration, design, what is engraved, etc. For example, a simple engraved plaque may cost a few hundred dollars, while a gravestone will likely cost over $1,000. Grave monuments can be even more expensive.

Cremation ceremonies and celebrations of life

The cost of a funeral ceremony or celebration varies depending on the activity. For example, a full-service cremation with embalming, viewing, etc., is more expensive than direct cremation. Similarly, a repast service at a banquet hall with catering may cost $100 to over $500, while an ash-scattering ceremony in a provincial park will be almost free.

A full-service or traditional cremation typically costs $2,000 and up, while informal services are often under $1,000.

Sales tax in Alberta

Expect to pay five per cent for a General Sales Tax (GST) on most products and services discussed above.

Cost of a direct cremation arrangement vs full-service cremation funerals in Alberta

Direct cremation eliminates funeral services such as a viewing, visitation, wake, etc. Because of this, direct cremation is often more affordable, ranging from $800 to $3,000+ on average in Alberta.

Conversely, a full-service cremation funeral with a viewing, visitation, graveside service, etc., may cost a couple of thousand dollars to upwards of $10,000.

Additional cremation cost resources

• Cremation: Questions and answers
• Cremation in Alberta
• Funeral financial assistance programs in Alberta
• Funeral financial assistance programs by province in Canada
• What if you can't afford to die
• What does it cost to be cremated in Canada
• Funeral costs in Canada
• Understanding funerals
• Urns for ashes: Everything you need to know

Where our cremation cost estimates come from

When we calculated average cremation costs in Alberta, our information comes from an aggregation of sources to ensure accuracy.

First we calculated Canada-wide cremation costs, using the following sources:

• This 2020 CBC Radio article from 2020 suggests a range of $2,000 to $5,000 for a basic cremation across Canada.
• A 2017 CBC story in Nova Scotia showed cremation service costs in that province ranged at the time from $1,200 to $5,500.
• An Ontario Auditor General's report in from Dec. 2020 showed direct cremation costs in the province ranges from $997 to $3,920. (source: PDF, page 19)
• In 2022, our team surveyed published online prices across Canada, informally sampling cremation providers in each province. This work included Alberta. Our research showed a range of $1,000 to $4,000 for basic cremations services. Add in a visitation and embalming, as well as interring ashes at a columbarium, and a cremation funeral can climb by $2,000 to $6,000 and cost as much as $10,000 or more, depending on services and interment options selected.

In surveying published Alberta cremation costs, we noted a provider that offered pricing of $800, so we adjusted the provincial range for this article about Alberta cremation costs.

Questions?

Eirene's experts can answer your questions about cremation costs. Email support@eirene.ca. You can see our cremation packages here.

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