Without the pressure
Quiet guidance on funeral costs, when it's needed.
If you're reading this in the middle of something hard, we're sorry. Below: directors near you, what an honest funeral costs in 2026, pre-paid plans worth considering, and notes on tangihanga and tikanga for those organising or attending.
- FDANZ members
- All of Aotearoa
- No sales pressure
The cost question
What does a NZ funeral actually cost?
Whether you're planning ahead or in the middle of it, the cost question is usually first. We publish indicative ranges by service type — without selling you anything. The full guide adds what's included, what's extra, and how to spot when an itemised quote is actually full.
Indicative NZ funeral costs, 2026
Updated 26 April 2026
Direct cremation, unattended
low $1,800·$2,600·$3,800 high
Cremation only, no service, no viewing, no chapel. The deceased is collected, all paperwork completed, cremation conducted privately, and ashes returned to the family. The cheapest dignified option.
Direct cremation, attended viewing
low $2,600·$3,500·$4,800 high
As above, but with a brief private family viewing before cremation. Common where families want to say goodbye in person but don't need a full service.
Traditional service with cremation
low $7,500·$11,500·$18,000 high
A full chapel-style service followed by cremation. The most common NZ funeral format. Includes celebrant, music, flowers, order of service, refreshments after.
Traditional service with burial
low $9,500·$14,000·$22,000 high
A full service followed by burial at a council or private cemetery. More expensive than cremation primarily because of the burial plot and casket.
Tangihanga, marae-based
low $4,500·$7,500·$12,000 high
Multi-day tangihanga held at a marae according to tikanga. Pricing varies hugely with whānau scale and koha contributions; the funeral-director costs below cover the formal logistical support, separate from marae-based costs.
Ranges reflect direct costs from FDANZ-listed directors. Variations depend on casket choice, venue, embalming, catering scale and regional cremation/burial pricing. A reputable director will itemise the quote before you commit.
The directory
Who is on the FDANZ register, by region
The funeral homes belonging to the Funeral Directors Association of New Zealand, listed alphabetically by region. Names only — no ranking, no recommendation, nothing we haven’t read on the association’s own register.
Grahams Funeral Services (Waiuku)
Davis Funeral Services (West Auckland)
Resthaven Funerals (Howick)
Grahams Funeral Services (Pukekohe)
By region
Find a director near you
Every region of Aotearoa is covered, with notes on the local service styles common to each.
Why this directory
Quiet, independent, free of sales pressure.
FDANZ members
Every funeral director listed is a member of the Funeral Directors Association of NZ (FDANZ) and operates under its code of professional conduct.
Transparent costs
Direct cremation, traditional service, burial — we publish real price lists, with the provider and the date, so families aren't blindsided in a vulnerable moment.
Whole of Aotearoa
From Kaitaia to Invercargill. Directors listed by region, exactly as they appear on the FDANZ member directory.
Pre-paid plan guidance
Pre-paid plans can protect against rising costs but only if structured right. We explain what to look for — and what to avoid — before signing.
Reading
What to know, when you have time
Practical, plain-language writing on the things families benefit from understanding — without needing to want to. Each one is short.
Reading · 5 min
What to do in the first hours after a death
A short, practical sequence — written for someone under shock, who needs to know just enough to take the next step.
Reading · 6 min
Attending a tangihanga — for non-Māori
Practical notes for attending a tangihanga as a non-Māori friend, colleague or family member. What to expect, what koha looks like, and what's appropriate.
Reading · 6 min
Pre-paid funeral plans in NZ — what to look for, what to avoid
Pre-paid plans can protect against rising costs — or quietly become an inheritance for the funeral director. Here's how to evaluate one before signing.
Reading · 6 min
Funeral Grant NZ: help with funeral costs from Work and Income and ACC
Work and Income's Funeral Grant pays up to $2,697.43 if you meet its income and asset tests. ACC helps if the death was an accident. How each one works.
Reading · 6 min
Funeral loans in NZ: what to check before you borrow for a funeral
Before taking a loan for a funeral, check the help you never repay: Work and Income's Funeral Grant (up to $2,697.43), ACC (up to $8,236.40 after an accident), Veterans' Affairs, iwi, and the estate itself. Then the safer ways to borrow, if you still need to.
Reading · 7 min
How to write a funeral notice in NZ: wording examples and what to include
Funeral notice wording examples for NZ: traditional, short, private cremation, celebration of life and memorial later. What to include, in what order, and where to place it.
Reading · 7 min
Cremation only, no funeral: direct cremation costs in NZ, city by city
Yes, you can have a cremation with no funeral in NZ. Cremation-only runs from $1,945 in Auckland to $3,400 in Hawke's Bay on one national provider's published prices. What is included, what isn't, and how a funeral home compares.
Reading · 6 min
Death certificate NZ: how to get one, what it costs and who registers the death
A NZ death certificate costs $35 from Births, Deaths and Marriages, and the funeral director usually registers the death first. When to order, how many copies you need, and what to do if there is no funeral director.
Get in touch
We can help quietly
Tell us your region and any specific needs — tangihanga support, te reo Māori speaker, eco-burial, low-cost direct cremation. We'll send a short reply with one or two directors who fit, and nothing more.
- Independent — we don't take referral fees from directors
- We never pass your details on without asking first
- If you don't want a reply, you don't have to give your email