A traditional funeral with burial is the right path for families whose religious tradition requires burial (Islam, Orthodox Judaism, Eastern Orthodox Christianity), families who want a permanent physical place to visit, families whose loved one expressed a preference for burial, and families honoring military service with interment at a national cemetery. Families who want a service but choose cremation usually pick memorial cremation ($4,995); families who don’t want a service at all usually pick direct cremation ($1,750).
What’s included at $6,350
| Line item | Included |
|---|---|
| Transfer into our care from place of death (DFW metroplex, 24/7) | Yes |
| Preparation and dressing of the deceased; refrigeration as needed | Yes |
| Embalming if requested or if needed for a public viewing | Included if needed |
| Use of our chapel for visitation and funeral service | Yes |
| Casket (Solar Silver 20-gauge steel or comparable from our price list) | Yes — upgrades available at cost |
| Hearse for transport to the cemetery | Yes |
| Service planning with a licensed funeral director | Yes |
| Coordination with clergy, officiant, or celebrant | Yes |
| Order of service, printed program design, memorial cards (up to 100) | Yes |
| Audio and visual setup at our chapel; livestream on request | Yes — no charge |
| Graveside committal and rite | Yes |
| Coordination of VA military honors for eligible veterans | Yes — no markup |
| All paperwork, filings, and death certificate filing with the county | Yes |
| Cemetery costs (plot, opening & closing, vault, marker, perpetual care) | Not included — billed by cemetery at cost |
| Casket upgrade, additional limousine, floral arrangements, additional printed materials, honoraria | Add-ons — billed at cost |
Every line item is itemized on the General Price List required by the FTC Funeral Rule (16 C.F.R. Part 453). Families pay only for what they choose; nothing is bundled into the package without disclosure. Cemetery costs are paid directly to the cemetery — we never invoice for them.
How it works, step by step
A traditional funeral moves through four phases. Carlos Vargas, our Texas Licensed Funeral Director (TFSC #119648), supervises every arrangement personally.
1. Call any hour — we coordinate the transfer
Call (214) 550-7369 day or night. We coordinate transfer into our care from the place of death — a home, hospital, hospice, care facility, or anywhere in the DFW metroplex. Typical at-need response is 60–90 minutes from our Dallas operations center. While we coordinate, the family can begin thinking about cemetery, casket, and service details.
2. Plan the service and choose the cemetery
A planning conversation usually takes 60 to 90 minutes. We help the family decide on cemetery (see our DFW cemetery partnerships below), casket, viewing schedule, service venue (our chapel or your church/temple/masjid), clergy, music, scripture or readings, eulogies, and pallbearers. The cemetery typically requires a plot deposit and burial fee at this stage; we coordinate directly with cemetery staff on the family’s behalf.
3. Visitation and the funeral service
Visitation usually runs 1 to 3 hours; the funeral service follows immediately or the next day. Our chapel handles services with up to 90 attendees; larger gatherings move to the family’s church, temple, masjid, or gurdwara, and we coordinate setup, audio/visual, registry, and any cultural specifics. Catholic funeral masses, Black Baptist home-goings, Jewish funerals with tahara/shomer, Muslim janazah, Hindu antyesti, AME services, and bilingual Spanish/English services are all in our regular practice.
4. Procession, committal, and graveside
From the service venue we lead the procession to the cemetery in our hearse. The graveside committal is led by the family’s clergy or our funeral director, with military honors when applicable. After the committal, we file final paperwork and order the certified death certificates the family will need for life insurance, banking, real estate, and the VA. Headstones and markers are ordered separately through the cemetery; we coordinate but the cemetery handles installation.
DFW cemetery partnerships
We coordinate burials at every major cemetery serving DFW families. A short list:
- Restland Memorial Park (Dallas) — one of the largest cemeteries in north Texas, with sections accommodating most traditions.
- Sparkman Hillcrest Memorial Park (University Park/Park Cities) — the historic Park Cities option; family lots and mausoleum.
- Calvary Hill Cemetery (Dallas) — the Catholic Diocese of Dallas cemetery, with priest committal available.
- Gates of Heaven Cemetery (Frisco) — the newer Catholic option in Collin County.
- Mount Olivet Cemetery (Fort Worth) — the historic Catholic option on the Northside.
- Oakland Cemetery (Dallas) — historic South Dallas, including the African-American sections.
- Pecan Grove Cemetery (McKinney) — historic McKinney burial ground.
- Ridgeview Memorial Park (Allen) and Restland Memorial Park (Plano) — Collin County options.
- Islamic Association of North Texas Cemetery and other Muslim cemetery sections — for janazah burials within the 24-hour Islamic preference.
- Beth El Memorial Park, Temple Emanu-El Memorial Park — Jewish cemeteries serving Reform and Conservative families.
- Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery — for eligible veterans, with full military honors and no plot fee.
Each cemetery has its own pricing and vault requirements. We share complete cost estimates with the family at the planning conversation so there are no surprises.
Religious and cultural traditions we coordinate
Catholic
Vigil (rosary), funeral mass, and committal at a Catholic cemetery. We coordinate with the Diocese of Dallas, the Diocese of Fort Worth, and individual parishes including Cathedral Shrine of the Virgin of Guadalupe (bilingual). Required: a baptized Catholic in good standing; the funeral mass is held at the family’s parish.
Islam
Same-day or next-day burial preferred. We coordinate ghusl (ritual washing) at the masjid, transport in a plain shroud, janazah prayer, and burial at the Islamic section of an area cemetery. Vargas-London staff work with imams across DFW masjids on timing within the 24-hour preference. See our Muslim funeral services guide.
Judaism
Orthodox and Conservative families: tahara (ritual washing) by the Chevra Kadisha, shomer (watcher) until burial, plain wooden casket, no embalming, burial within 24 hours where possible. Reform families: more flexibility on timing and rites. We coordinate with rabbis from Temple Emanu-El, Congregation Shearith Israel, Temple Beth-El, and others.
Black Baptist and AME home-going
We coordinate vigil-style visitations, full home-going services with the pulpit and choir, repast (post-service meal) at the church fellowship hall, and committal at family or community cemeteries. Service runs 90 minutes to 2 hours; we plan with pastors at Friendship-West, St. John Missionary Baptist, and other community congregations.
Hispanic Catholic and bilingual
Velorio (vigil), bilingual funeral mass at the family’s parish, and rosario across the nine days following. We lead arrangements in Spanish and coordinate bilingual programs and printed materials. Carlos Vargas leads bilingual services personally.
Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain
These traditions typically require cremation rather than burial; for those families memorial cremation or family-witnessed cremation is the right path. We coordinate antyesti, family-witnessed cremation, and traditional rites with the DFW Hindu Temple, area gurdwaras, and Buddhist sanghas.
Comparison
| Direct cremation | Memorial cremation | Traditional funeral | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Published price | $1,750 | $4,995 | From $6,350 + cemetery |
| Funeral service | None | Yes | Yes |
| Viewing / visitation | No | Optional | Yes — standard |
| Casket | Not required | Rental only if viewing | Yes — purchase included; upgrades available |
| Disposition | Cremation | Cremation | Burial |
| Cemetery costs | None | None (unless niche) | $3,000 – $8,000 paid directly to cemetery |
| Hearse and graveside committal | No | No | Yes |
| Timeline from passing | 7–10 business days | 5–14 days | 5–10 days |
| Religious traditions requiring this path | None require it | Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist (cremation traditions) | Islam, Orthodox Judaism, Eastern Orthodox Christian |
Frequently asked questions
What does a traditional funeral really cost when everything is added up?
For most DFW families: $8,500 to $13,500 total. Our service charge is $6,350. Cemetery costs typically add $3,000 to $8,000 — varying widely by cemetery, plot location, and whether a vault is required. Optional upgrades (premium casket, additional limousines, additional flowers) move the total higher. We share complete written estimates before the family commits.
Is embalming required by Texas law?
No. Texas law does not require embalming. We offer it for families who want a public viewing where embalming aids presentation, but it is never a condition of using our services. Refrigeration is the alternative we offer; many families choose closed-casket services without embalming.
What if our religious tradition requires a specific casket or no casket?
Orthodox Jewish tradition requires a plain wooden casket (no metal nails or hardware). Islamic tradition uses no casket — just a plain white shroud. Many Catholic and Protestant families choose a cloth-covered or upgraded hardwood casket. We have all of these available, and the $6,350 price is the same regardless of which tradition’s casket style you choose (premium upgrades billed at cost).
Can the service be at our church instead of your chapel?
Yes — most families want this. We coordinate setup, transport, audio/visual, and timing at any DFW church, temple, masjid, or gurdwara at no upcharge. Our chapel is available if the family doesn’t have a home congregation or prefers a smaller, more intimate setting.
Can we livestream the service?
Yes. Private livestream link on request at no charge. Family members in other states or countries can watch in real time; the recording stays available for 30 days. Particularly meaningful for international families and elderly relatives unable to travel.
What about veteran burial benefits?
Eligible honorably-discharged veterans qualify for interment at Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery at no plot or opening/closing fee. The VA provides a free headstone and a burial allowance. We coordinate DD-214 paperwork, military honors (rifle salute, flag presentation, taps), and all VA filings at no markup. See our veteran benefits guide.
How long should we plan the service?
Visitation: 1 to 3 hours. Funeral service: 45 to 90 minutes (Catholic mass 60–90; Black Baptist home-going 90–120; Jewish service 30–60; Islamic janazah 15–30; secular service 45–60). Procession to cemetery: 20 to 45 minutes depending on traffic and distance. Graveside committal: 15 to 30 minutes. We plan the order of service with you in advance.
What if the death occurred out of state?
We coordinate transfer back to DFW from anywhere in the continental United States, including all paperwork and air shipment if needed. We can also handle international repatriation through the U.S. consulate and partner funeral homes worldwide. Additional transport costs apply at cost with no markup.
Is pre-need traditional funeral planning available?
Texas pre-need contracts are regulated by the Texas Department of Banking under Tex. Fin. Code Ch. 154 and require a separate state permit. Vargas-London’s pre-need permit application is in progress; until issued, we coordinate pre-need arrangements through a licensed third-party trustee. Pre-need plans can lock in today’s pricing and are held in a state-supervised trust.
Do you serve my ZIP code?
Yes if you’re in DFW. Same $6,350 service charge in every ZIP. See coverage for 75080 Richardson, 75024 Plano, 75033 Frisco, 75013 Allen, 75230 Dallas (Preston Hollow), 75248 Dallas (Far North) and every other DFW ZIP.
Bilingual care
Carlos Vargas and the Vargas-London staff conduct arrangements and lead bilingual services in English and Spanish. Hablamos español. Llame al (214) 550-7369 o lea esta página en español: funeral tradicional en español.
A traditional funeral is the most expensive option we offer, and it is often the right one — for families honoring religious tradition, military service, or a loved one’s wishes. $6,350 is our service price; cemetery costs are paid directly to the cemetery at cost with no markup. We will share complete written estimates before you commit, and we will help you decide between traditional burial and a memorial cremation if you’re weighing the two.