Two quotes for a funeral often seem impossible to compare: one shows a package, the other a price list, and each includes different things. The method below brings them to the same content, so that you really compare the same services.
Why are two quotes hard to compare?
Every funeral business builds its packages its own way. A "package" may include the urn at one business and leave it out at another. Several fees are often paid to someone other than the funeral home, or paid by it and added to your bill: the plot or niche at the cemetery, the church ceremony, the death notice in the newspaper, the certificates from the Directeur de l'état civil (Quebec's civil registry). Finally, one quote may be shown before taxes and the other with taxes included.
What does the law say about prices and the contract?
- The price list. The business must make available to the public, at all times and at each of its establishments, an up-to-date list of the price of each good and each service it offers. This is section 39 of the Act respecting arrangements for funeral services and sepultures, which also applies to contracts signed after a death. Ask for it.
- The contract. It must be written in two copies, give the price of each good and each service, and show taxes separately. As soon as it is signed, the business must give you a copy.
- Fees. No fees can be claimed from you unless the contract states their exact amount (section 12 of the Consumer Protection Act).
- The advertised price. It must include every amount you will pay to get the advertised good or service; only the GST and the QST may be left out (section 224 of the same Act).
Which lines should you compare?
Copy both quotes into a grid like this one. For each line, write "included", the amount, or "not included".
| Item | What to check | Range observed in Quebec (before taxes) |
|---|---|---|
| Professional services and paperwork | What is included: coordination, declaration of death, formalities | $450 to $2,200 |
| Transfer of the deceased | What is included, and possible extra charges | $250 to $700 |
| Cremation and container | Is the cremation container included? | $300 to $950 |
| Casket (burial or viewing) | Model offered, rental option | $800 to $12,000 (rental: $500 to $1,500) |
| Embalming | Mostly useful if the body is viewed | $400 to $900 |
| Viewing | Number of hours, room | $300 to $2,600 |
| Urn | Basic model included or not | $50 to $3,000 |
| Death notice | Newspaper, website or both | $300 to $800 in a newspaper; free or under $20 online |
| Death certificate and copy of the act of death | Number of copies included | $38.50 to $75 each online; up to $82.25 by mail |
| Cemetery fees | Plot, opening of the grave or niche, often paid to the cemetery | Plot: $800 to $15,000; niche: $950 to $4,500; opening and closing of the grave: $700 to $1,500 |
| Taxes | Price shown before or after taxes | GST of 5% and QST of 9.975% |
The ranges come from the CompareFuneralHomes.ca cost guide (prices collected in September 2026); the Directeur de l'état civil fees and the tax rates come from the official sites listed in the sources. They are benchmarks, not guaranteed prices.
How do you bring two quotes to the same content?
- Choose the reference arrangement, for example a cremation with a ceremony.
- For each item missing from a quote, ask the business for its price and add it.
- Remove the options you do not want, for example a viewing.
- Put both totals on the same basis: before taxes or with taxes included.
- Also compare the terms: deposit, date until which the price is guaranteed, possible extra charges.
What does the method give on an example?
Here are two made-up quotes for a cremation with a ceremony. The amounts are plausible, but they do not come from any real business.
| Item | Quote A (fictional) | Quote B (fictional) |
|---|---|---|
| Package: services, transfer, cremation and container, room, officiant | $3,300 | $3,950 |
| Urn | Not included: $400 | Included (basic model) |
| Register and memorial cards | Not included: $200 | Included |
| Total for the same content, before taxes | $3,900 | $3,950 |
| Total for the same content, taxes included (14.975%) | $4,484.03 | $4,541.51 |
Quote A looked $650 cheaper. For the same content, the gap is only $50 before taxes. Both leave out the death notice and the certificates: add them the same way on both sides.
Which warning signs should you watch for?
- The total price is not written, or it is only given verbally.
- A "miscellaneous" or "administration fees" line is not detailed.
- Taxes are not mentioned.
- You are pressed to sign or to pay a deposit before you have the details.
- An option you did not ask for is included by default, for example embalming without a viewing.
- The business cannot be found in Santé Québec's directory of funeral services businesses (in French), even under its corporate name: see how to check a licence.
Which questions should you ask before signing?
- Does the price include taxes?
- What is not included: urn, death notice, certificates, cemetery fees?
- Which extra charges can be added to the transfer?
- Which fees will be paid directly to the cemetery, the parish or the newspaper?
- Until what date is the price guaranteed?
- What deposit is required, and when is the balance due?
The list of fees often left out, with their ranges, is in our article on fees often left out of a funeral package.
How can you get several quotes without making many calls?
With CompareFuneralHomes.ca, you fill out a single request. With your consent, your contact details are shared with no more than 3 partner funeral homes, which then contact you. The service is free for families. Before accepting a business into its network, CompareFuneralHomes.ca checks that its licence is active in Santé Québec's directory.