Inspired Funeral Home · The Avenues, Salt Lake City
Direct cremation in Salt Lake City
$650 plus the $157 state permit. A licensed director answers 24/7.
Direct cremation at Inspired Funeral Home is $650 plus the $157 Utah State cremation permit: $807 in total before certified death-certificate copies. That price includes bringing your loved one into our care, refrigeration, the cremation and a basic urn. Call (385) 853-5700 at any hour and a licensed funeral director answers, not a call center.
Published price
+ $157 Utah State cremation permit. Ceremonial casket not included.
Salt Lake County average for direct cremation is about $1,455 (Parting.com, 2026).
What this includes
- Basic services of funeral director and staff
- Transfer from place of death to the funeral home within 50 miles
- Refrigeration
- Cremation
- Basic utility urn, or a $50 credit toward an urn
What happens next
From your first call onward
- 01
Call us, any hour
Call (385) 853-5700. A licensed funeral director answers day or night, takes your loved one into our care, and tells you exactly what happens next.
- 02
Sign the authorization
The legal next of kin signs a cremation authorization, in person or electronically. We file for the state permit and the medical examiner release the same day.
- 03
Remains returned in about 7 to 10 days
We call you as soon as your loved one’s remains are ready and hand them to you at our Avenues location, in the urn you chose or a temporary container.
Is this the right choice?
Who this is for — and who it isn't
A good fit when
- Families who want a simple, dignified cremation with no service
- Families who want to hold a memorial later, when everyone can gather
- Families for whom cost is the deciding factor
- Anyone pre-planning who wants the simplest arrangement on record
Probably not the right fit if
- —Families who want a viewing with the body present; look at a traditional funeral followed by cremation ($2,195)
- —Families who need the remains in under a week; the state permit and medical examiner release set the timeline
- —Families whose faith tradition requires burial; see burial services
The details
What direct cremation at Inspired includes
Direct cremation is the simplest arrangement a funeral home offers: your loved one is brought into our care, held in refrigeration, cremated after the state paperwork clears, and returned to you. There is no embalming, no viewing and no ceremony at the funeral home. At Inspired Funeral Home the package is $650, plus the $157 permit Utah charges for every cremation. That is $807 before certified copies of the death certificate, which the county charges for separately.
The $650 covers the basic services of our funeral director and staff, the transfer from a home, hospital or care facility within 50 miles, refrigeration while paperwork is completed, the cremation itself and a basic utility urn or a $50 credit toward an urn of your choice. If you want an upgraded urn, keepsakes or extra certified copies, those are itemized on the General Price List and added only if you ask.
Utah requires a state cremation permit and medical examiner release before a cremation can take place; most families receive their loved one’s remains within about 7 to 10 days. We file the permit application and coordinate with the medical examiner the same day the authorization is signed, and we call you the moment the remains are ready.
Choosing direct cremation does not mean choosing no goodbye. Many families hold a memorial service or a celebration of life weeks later, at our Avenues chapel, at a church or stake center, in a park, or at home. If you decide later that you want a gathering, we will help you plan it. If you do not, the arrangement is complete when the remains come home.
$650 plus the $157 permit
The all-in figure before death-certificate copies is $807. It is on our General Price List, and it is the number on your contract.
A director answers the phone
Call (385) 853-5700 at 3 a.m. and a licensed funeral director picks up, takes your loved one into care and explains the next steps.
Your loved one stays in our care
Transfer, refrigeration, cremation and return are handled by our own staff, and you can request identification viewing before the cremation.
No embalming, no add-ons
Utah does not require embalming for cremation. Nothing is added to the package unless you ask for it.
Remains home in about 7 to 10 days
The state permit and medical examiner release set the pace. We keep you informed at every step.
A memorial whenever you are ready
Hold a service later at our chapel, a church, a stake center or a place that mattered to your loved one, or not at all.
5.0 stars on Google
8 verified reviews from Salt Lake families, as of September 2026.
Your options
Cremation options and prices
01
Direct cremation, $650
Cremation with no service. Plus the $157 state permit. Basic urn or $50 urn credit included.
- —Transfer within 50 miles
- —Refrigeration and cremation
- —Basic urn or $50 credit
- —Death certificate preparation
02
Direct cremation with a memorial later
The $650 direct cremation, then a memorial service or celebration of life on your timeline at our chapel or a place you choose. Service costs are itemized on our General Price List.
- —Memorial weeks or months later
- —Our Avenues chapel or your venue
- —Programs, music, photo tribute
- —Webcast for family out of state
03
Traditional funeral followed by cremation, $2,195
Visitation, embalming, a funeral service, then cremation. Rental casket and the $157 permit are separate. Includes a $100 urn credit.
- —Two-hour weekday visitation
- —Funeral service, Monday to Friday
- —Hearse and guest register
- —$100 credit toward an urn
04
Veteran cremation
Direct cremation with military honors, VA paperwork and placement at the Utah Veterans Cemetery and Memorial Park arranged by us.
- —Honors request and burial flag
- —VA paperwork filed for you
- —Veterans cemetery placement
- —Headstone provided by the VA
Step by step
From the first call to the return of remains
- 01
Call (385) 853-5700
A licensed funeral director answers at any hour, gathers the basics, and arranges the transfer from the home, hospital, hospice or care facility.
- 02
Your loved one comes into our care
We bring your loved one to our Avenues facility, usually within a few hours, and place them in refrigeration.
- 03
Authorization and paperwork
The legal next of kin signs the cremation authorization. We prepare the death certificate, file for the Utah cremation permit and obtain the medical examiner release.
- 04
Cremation
Once the permit clears, the cremation takes place. Identification viewing is available beforehand if the family wishes.
- 05
Return of remains
We call you the same day the remains are ready. Pick them up at our office in the urn you selected, or ask us about placement at a cemetery or the Utah Veterans Cemetery.
Questions families ask
Direct cremation questions
Straight answers about cost, timing and what happens.
At Inspired Funeral Home, direct cremation is $650 plus the $157 Utah State cremation permit, so $807 in total before certified copies of the death certificate. That includes the transfer within 50 miles, refrigeration, the cremation and a basic urn or $50 urn credit. The Salt Lake County average for direct cremation is about $1,455.
Utah requires a state permit for every cremation, issued after the medical examiner reviews and releases the case. The $157 is a state fee, not a funeral home charge, and every funeral home in Utah must collect it.
Utah requires a state cremation permit and medical examiner release before a cremation can take place; most families receive their loved one’s remains within about 7 to 10 days. The cremation itself takes two to three hours.
No. Utah does not require embalming for cremation. We use refrigeration instead, which is included in the $650.
Yes. A brief identification viewing for immediate family can be arranged at our Avenues facility before the cremation. Ask your director when you call.
Yes. Many families choose direct cremation and hold a memorial service or celebration of life later, at our chapel, a church or stake center, a park or at home. We help plan it whenever you are ready, and the memorial costs are itemized separately.
Your loved one’s remains are returned in a basic utility urn or the urn you selected, with a certificate of cremation. Most families pick up at our office at 1001 E 11th Ave; we can also arrange placement at a cemetery or the Utah Veterans Cemetery.
Social Security pays a one-time $255 death benefit to an eligible surviving spouse or child. Eligible veterans may receive a burial allowance from the VA, plus free placement, headstone and flag at a national or state veterans cemetery. We help with both sets of paperwork.
Related
Families also ask about
Where we serve
Direct Cremation for families across the Salt Lake Valley
One location in the Avenues, transfer within 50 miles included. Families reach us from every part of the county.
Find us
Inspired Funeral Home1001 E 11th Ave Ste C
Salt Lake City, UT 84103
In the Avenues, a few blocks from the Salt Lake City Cemetery and minutes from University of Utah Health and LDS Hospital. Transfer within 50 miles is included.
Any hour, any day
Talk with a funeral director about direct cremation
Call (385) 853-5700. You will reach a licensed director, not an answering service, and you never have to decide anything on the first call.