Did you know that the cremation rate in the United States of America is expected to grow to 72 percent by the year 2030? Choosing to go with cremated remains rather than burial is a popular option in the United States for a number of reasons.
One big factor that families and loved ones want to know before committing to getting their loved one cremated is how long does cremation take. There are a number of factors and steps that play into the duration of the cremation process when you choose to move forward with a cremated body.
The good news is that you’ve come to the right place for an accurate timeline that will help you decide if affordable cremation is the right path for you and your family. Continue reading this article to learn more.
How Long Does Cremation Take?
The timeframe for cremation is hard to estimate due to the number of factors involved, but a good rule of thumb is that the cremation process will take somewhere between four days and two weeks to complete. The actual process of a cremated body takes only a few hours but there is paperwork and authorization involved that makes it take longer.
Once your loved one’s cremated body is processed it takes around one week to get their cremated remains to you and your family.
Things to Consider for the Cremation Timeline
There are a number of different factors that will impact how long the cremation process takes for your loved one’s cremated body. It is important to remember that each state has different laws and regulations when it comes to cremation. That will play a role in how long the cremation process takes for your loved one.
A good strategy to take when your loved one passes away is to reach out to a crematorium near you that you trust. They’ll take care of getting your loved one’s body ready for cremation while you handle the authorization and the regulations of your state.
Before you get started with this process there are some things that you should take into consideration that will make things smooth and easy. Here is a closer look at those considerations.
Death Certificate
You won’t be able to get the cremation process started until you have the death certificate of your loved one in your possession. From there you’ll want to file the death certificate with the registrar in your area. Each state has its own process and rules surrounding the filing of a death certificate so this has a big impact on the cremation process timeline.
A good rule of thumb is to expect the filing of your loved one’s death certificate to take 72 hours. One thing that changes this is if the coroner looks further into the cause of death for your loved one. If this happens then you shouldn’t expect the death certificate to get filed until after a week.
Waiting Periods
Another thing to consider when you choose to get your loved one cremated is the waiting periods you’ll experience. Depending on your state, you’ll have to go through a waiting period before you get the green light to move forward. For example, crematoriums in Texas, like lone star cremation, have a 48 hour waiting period.
This works out nicely in most cases because the waiting period is often taken around the same amount of time that is required for filing the death certificate with your local registrar. It is wise to look into what the required waiting period is for your area when it comes to cremation.
Authorization
Another step in the cremation process is getting authorization to move forward. While your loved one may have wished to get cremated after their death, you’ll need to get approval from either the Power of Attorney, the surviving spouse, or the surviving children of the person who passed away.
You can’t go ahead with the cremation until you have proper authorization from the person with the authority.
Scheduling the Cremation
The last thing to consider when you’re getting a loved one cremated is the scheduling of the cremation itself. This step can finally happen once you’ve received authorization from the proper person or party as well as the death certificate getting filed. From there, the timeline of the cremation process is up to the family.
Even if your loved one wanted to be cremated it is still possible to have a funeral or a celebration of life prior to the cremation. A good approach to take is to check with the cremation service that you’re wanting to work with. Each cremation service has different policies. The normal approach is to schedule the cremation for the day after the funeral or celebration of life.
One other consideration to make when it comes to scheduling the cremation is the weekend and any upcoming holidays. Some cremation services provide service on the weekend as well as some holidays if you’re willing to pay an extra fee for the service.
Cremation services run on a similar schedule to other businesses so keep that in mind when you start trying to schedule the cremation of your loved one. Focus on weekdays and a time before 5 in the afternoon. The cremation itself takes around three or four hours to complete.
This part of the process depends on how large your loved one is, the material of the casket, and the type of cremation you choose to move forward with. From there, it takes another hour or two in order to process the cremation ashes.
Now You’re Ready to Move Forward with Cremation
There are a lot of things to consider when you want the answer to the question “how long does cremation take?” Each state has its own set of rules and regulations that you need to abide by like a waiting period. You’ll also need to wait until you have the death certificate and proper authorization prior to moving forward with the cremation process.
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