Nobody wants to think about funeral costs in advance. It feels uncomfortable, even disrespectful. But the families who do think ahead — even briefly — are the ones who have more options when the time comes. And one of the biggest opportunities most Ontario families never know about is the ability to purchase their casket independently, outside the funeral home.
The reason this matters is simple: the casket is often the single most expensive line item in a funeral invoice. And when you buy it from the funeral home, you’re typically paying a significant retail markup on top of what the home paid wholesale.
That’s not a criticism of funeral homes — it’s just how the traditional model has always worked. But Ontario law now gives you a way to opt out of that part of the model, legally and without penalty. Here’s what you need to know.
How Funeral Home Casket Pricing Actually Works
Funeral homes purchase caskets from manufacturers or distributors at wholesale prices, then resell them to families as part of their service packages. The markup can be substantial — in some cases, several times the wholesale cost. This is the funeral home’s right as a retailer, and there’s nothing illegal about it.
The issue is that most families don’t know there’s an alternative. When you’re arranging a funeral, you’re typically shown a casket selection room at the funeral home, presented with the home’s inventory, and asked to choose. The price list is there — Ontario law requires it — but comparison shopping feels impossible in that moment.
Grief compresses your sense of time and urgency. You want to make decisions and get through it. The idea of phoning around to price caskets while arranging your loved one’s funeral is, for most people, simply unthinkable.
That’s exactly why knowing your options ahead of time matters so much.
What Ontario Law Actually Allows
Under Ontario’s Funeral, Burial and Cremation Services Act 2002 (FBCSA), and as confirmed by the Bereavement Authority of Ontario (BAO), you have the right to purchase a casket from any supplier you choose — not just the funeral home.
More importantly: the funeral home cannot charge you a “handling fee” or any other extra charge simply because you brought a casket from an outside source. The only grounds on which they may decline an outside casket is if it’s unsafe, inappropriate for its intended use, or doesn’t meet the requirements of the cemetery or crematorium.
The casket is classified under Ontario law as a “supply” — and supplies can be purchased from any provider. The funeral home’s service fees cover their professional services, not the right to control where you buy your casket.
This means you can shop for a casket the same way you’d shop for any significant purchase — with time, information, and the freedom to compare.
The Case for Buying from a Dedicated Casket Supplier
When you purchase through a dedicated casket supplier like Casket Mart, several things change:
- You’re paying supplier pricing, not funeral home retail pricing.
- You have time to browse and decide without the emotional pressure of an active funeral arrangement.
- You can ask questions, consider materials, and make a choice that genuinely reflects your wishes or your loved one’s personality.
- The casket is coordinated for delivery directly to your funeral home — the ceremony itself is completely unaffected.
At Casket Mart, we carry metal caskets in our Denali series, solid wood options in the Alpine, Cervino, and Meron lines, the Sinai 100 eco-friendly wicker casket for families choosing green burial, and an oversized metal casket for families who require it. We also carry over 40 cremation urns across five collections, with custom engraving available.
Our founder, Keith Gillespie, started this business precisely because he believed families deserved to know their options — and to have access to quality products at fair prices during one of the hardest times of their lives.
Planning Ahead vs. Buying at Need
You don’t have to be in the middle of a loss to explore your options. In fact, the best time to think about this is before you need it.
Some families pre-plan and make their casket selection well in advance as part of a broader funeral pre-arrangement. Others simply take note of their rights now, so that if the time comes unexpectedly, they or their loved ones know they have a choice.
Either way, the knowledge costs nothing. And it could represent meaningful savings — and more meaningful choice — at a moment when both matter greatly.
If you’d like to learn more about your rights and options as an Ontario consumer, we’d be glad to help. Reach out to us directly or consider attending one of our free educational seminars on funeral pre-planning, funeral purchasing, wills and estate planning, co-hosted with Assured Memorial Services.
No pressure. Just information — and that’s always a good place to start.