Professional Service Charges

We are pleased to provide you with a full disclosure of our professional service charges.

To help you understand funeral costs, we have prepared an outline of the categories that make up a funeral account.

There are basically 3 sections that make up a funeral account:

·        Merchandise: Caskets, Burial Container, Urns, Clothing  & Other Items

·        Professional Service Charges -  Staff, Facilities and Equipment.

·        Cash disbursements to other providers who help make our services complete.

To help consumers, federal legislation requires that all funeral homes must provide a General Price List, an itemized price list of all professional service charges as well as casket and merchandise charges. This list is available at your request at any funeral home, by telephone or by mail.

The focus of a funeral home is to provide service, similar to a Physician, an Attorney, or Building Contractor.   Service Charges will vary from funeral home to funeral home.  When you see a low figure for traditional or cremation service charges, expect higher prices for merchandise, and possible markups for cash disbursements.

I believe our funeral home is here to help at a time of need, to provide service.  Putting a large markup on merchandise to “low ball” service charges is similar to a hospital charging $12.00 for an aspirin. 

Therefore, our service charges are just a bit below regional averages for central Pennsylvania towns with similar populations.  Hollidaysburg has a population similar to Everett, but on the outskirts of Altoona, has a considerably higher cost of living than Everett.

When comparing funeral expenses, be sure to compare the “Big Picture,” the total amount for all services, merchandise and cash disbursements you will need.  Simply follow the age-old wisdom of comparing "Apples to Apples"

Today, being good is not good enough. Being honest and sincere is.  I feel that being honest and offering sensible and affordable merchandise for your needs will give you reason to choose Dalla Valle Funeral Home as your provider. 

Casket & Merchandise Selections

Your casket selection is your choice.  All caskets and merchandise are priced individually - meaning the price you see for the casket or other merchandise is for the item itself, with no other items included, excluding undergarments, which are always no charge.

I do not believe that a casket should be a profitable item, or that you should be pressured towards an exceptionally attractive casket at a higher cost & markup.  Personalization comes from you… a hammer or baseball mitt for Dad; Moms last crochet work she was knitting by her hand, which is what is important.

 As always, you may purchase these items from any other funeral home or other source.  Receiving funeral homes cannot charge any handling or administration fees when a casket is purchased elsewhere.

Cash Disbursements

Cash disbursements are just as they imply: to aid the families we serve, we will cover third party expenses and place them on our account as a convenience until the estate is understood.

Pennsylvania legislation allows these items to be marked up, but that is simply not good practice.  All of out cash expenses are rounded down to the nearest dollar figure.  Typical cash disbursements might include:

• Newspaper Notices
• Clergy Honorariums
• Cemetery Charges
• Coroner's Cremation Certificates
• Certified Death Certificates