It is a subject no one wants to think about. But sooner or later, most of us have to make funeral arrangements for a loved one. This article will guide you through the decisions you'll need to make and provides evaluations of 34 area funeral homes.

Read our article and findings (available exclusively to CHECKBOOK subscribers)

Back to Washington Consumers' CHECKBOOK Table of Contents.

Sample Subscriber Comments/Reviews About Funeral Homes

CHECKBOOK provides subscriber comments on their experiences with the firms they use. Please remember that individual subscriber comments are informal. Subscriber comments may give you insight into the types of features and problems that exist in a service field, but are not the best basis for selecting or rejecting a specific firm. To assess the quality of a firm's performance, we recommend that you give more weight to the percentages of favorable ratings. Those percentages are generally based on much larger numbers of consumers' ratings (the number of consumer ratings is noted above).

As You Can See Below, Some Funeral Homes Get High Praise from Their Customers. Some Others Don't. So Choose Carefully.
Here Are a Few Samples of the Thousands of Comments CHECKBOOK Has Collected on Hundreds of Different Funeral Homes.

• Subscriber from FAIRFAX, VA wrote Another Firm: Very pleased........
• Subscriber from GAITHERSBURG, MD wrote Another Firm: They were very professional and compassionate throughout a difficult time and even after the funeral........
• Subscriber from ARLINGTON, VA wrote Another Firm: My fathers funeral was prepaid but we still put out about $1000.00 for additional items...........
• Subscriber from ALEXANDRIA, VA wrote Another Firm: Recently, I helped a friend with his mother's funeral and unfortunately during the process encountered..........
• Subscriber from RESTON, VA wrote Another Firm: This is a wonderful place that doesn't play on one's grief and helps in filling..........
• Subscriber from SILVER SPRING, MD wrote Another Firm: Repetitively recommended removing a religious need based on cost. In my opinion, the religious need..........
• Subscriber from MC LEAN, VA wrote Another Firm: Outrageously expensive........
• Subscriber from WOODBRIDGE, VA wrote Another Firm: The Dale City facility is dark and dreary -- the staff was horrible. I would..........
• Subscriber from FAIRFAX, VA wrote Another Firm: They did not supply the requested amount of chairs for a funeral and left some..........
• Subscriber from STERLING, VA wrote Another Firm: Greg and Brian are wonderful and couldnt have been more helpful to me and my..........
• Subscriber from POTOMAC, MD wrote Another Firm: We were pleasantly surprised by the quality of their service. Far superior to our expectations...........
• Subscriber from OLNEY, MD wrote Another Firm: During a very sad time in our lives, they staff was great. Never did we..........
• Subscriber from FALLS CHURCH, VA wrote Another Firm: Murphey's was very caring and supplied me with information that I did not know and..........
• Subscriber from WASHINGTON, DC wrote Another Firm: Rip-off artists........
• Subscriber from ALEXANDRIA, VA wrote Another Firm: My father died in November 2005. Kalas is the local funeral home in my area...........
• Subscriber from ADELPHI, MD wrote Another Firm: Used their cremation services. Cost was about $975........
• Subscriber from VIENNA, VA wrote Another Firm: The very best!!!!!.......
• Subscriber from ARLINGTON, VA wrote Another Firm: Very pricey but they did a good job........
• Subscriber from MC LEAN, VA wrote Another Firm: Kindness and personal touches in time of intense sadness were wonderful........
• Subscriber from TAKOMA PARK, MD wrote Another Firm: This firm specializes in alternate services. They can provide ordinary services but they do not..........
• Subscriber from MC LEAN, VA wrote Another Firm: Professional, considerate, honest an very helpful........
• Subscriber from ANNANDALE, VA wrote Another Firm: Murphy's includes what they call usual fees for specific Catholic Church services that at least..........
• Subscriber from OAK HILL, VA wrote Another Firm: Excellent service at a very difficult time. Can't say enough great things about this funeral..........
• Subscriber from FALLS CHURCH, VA wrote Another Firm: We were pleased with their service. Staff was most helpful........
• Subscriber from ARLINGTON, VA wrote Another Firm: Very kind staff, we appreciate everything they did........
• Subscriber from FX STATION, VA wrote Another Firm: Highly recommended........
• Subscriber from POTOMAC, MD wrote Another Firm: They buried my grandmother and grandfather and were simply great........
• Subscriber from MCLEAN, VA wrote Another Firm: Absolutely fantastic! Exceptional across the board,.......
• Subscriber from BURKE, VA wrote Another Firm: We have used this place for my father (12/80), step-father (3/04) and recently for my..........
• Subscriber from POTOMAC, MD wrote Another Firm: A great funeral home but WAY over priced. I have dealt with funeral homes in..........
• Subscriber from DUMFRIES, VA wrote Another Firm: My dad passed away last October and we used Miller Funeral Home. During this tragically..........
• Subscriber from ASHBURN, VA wrote Another Firm: A very pleasant experience during a very sad time........
• Subscriber from FAIRFAX, VA wrote Another Firm: Poor coould not get the urn for 2 weeks. Tried to jack up cost to..........
• Subscriber from STAFFORD, VA wrote Another Firm: Helpful, understated and caring. They worked within our budget and kept everything running smoothly during..........
• Subscriber from ARLINGTON, VA wrote Another Firm: It is actually "Pierce Funeral Home" not "Price".......
• Subscriber from ARLINGTON, VA wrote Another Firm: Advent was very professional and yet warm and sincere in their service they provided. The..........
• Subscriber from WASHINGTON, DC wrote Another Firm: Excellent service; fabulous price. In an industry of such excess cost, this was a blessing...........
• Subscriber from BETHESDA, MD wrote Another Firm: I have no complaints whatsoever about their services. The staff was very helpful and prompt..........
• Subscriber from FALLS CHURCH, VA wrote Another Firm: Used them to set up funeral trust. They worked well........
• Subscriber from WASHINGTON, DC wrote Another Firm: I have made my own funeral arrangements in advance with Advent and found them very..........
• Subscriber from BETHESDA, MD wrote Another Firm: Cost is high compared to others........
• Subscriber from ALEXANDRI, VA wrote Another Firm: Made typos on the death certificate. Poorly written obit. Generally sloppy........
• Subscriber from ALEXANDRIA, VA wrote Another Firm: Best folks to deal with in the worst situations you can possible have to manage........
• Subscriber from BURTONSVILLE, MD wrote Another Firm: Pleasant staff, very professional. Up front with all the costs, no surprises. Did everything right..........
• Subscriber from LANHAM, MD wrote Another Firm: Used cremation services only.......
• Subscriber from CHURCHVILLE, VA wrote Another Firm: Funeral arrangements and service superior, but service regarding cemetary plots referred to in Trust documents..........
• Subscriber from FAIRFAX, VA wrote Another Firm: Murphy's was very professional, courteous, and helpful at a difficult time for me. They were..........
• Subscriber from ARLINGTON, VA wrote Another Firm: Talked to one person, got one price. After thier work began, second person changed the..........
• Subscriber from SPRINGFIELD, VA wrote Another Firm: Services of this nature should not be rushed. It was for us and the sense..........
• Subscriber from SILVER SPRING, MD wrote Another Firm: This type of service is always at a difficult time. All of the personnel I..........