Marketing to Funeral Homes

Funeral homes, while a common site in nearly every community, are not common in the services offered. Beyond arranging funerals, burials or cremations, many sell burial vaults, sell/rent caskets and burial clothes. Other services offered include: retrieving bodies from hospitals and morgues; preparing the body for burial; obtaining death certificates; securing burial permits; notifying newspapers; providing transportation to and from the burial site; or arranging to have the body shipped to points within the US (sometimes outside the US as necessary). Some funeral homes have their own cemeteries or cremation chambers (where allowed by law).

Depending on the size of the funeral home, some provide counseling services to its clients.

All States require funeral directors to be licensed. Although licensing laws vary, most require applicants to be 21 years old, have 2 years of formal education that includes studies in mortuary science, serve a 1-year apprenticeship and pass a qualifying examination. After becoming licensed, new funeral directors may join the staff of a funeral home.

Some States require all funeral directors to be licensed in embalming. Others have separate licenses for directors and embalmers, but in those States funeral directors who embalm need to be licensed in embalming, and most workers obtain both licenses.

State board licensing examinations vary, but they usually consist of both written and oral parts and include a demonstration of practical skills. People who want to work in another State may have to pass the examination for that State as well; however, some States have reciprocity arrangements and will grant licenses to funeral directors from another State without further examination. People interested in a career as a funeral director should contact their State licensing board for specific requirements.
(Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics)

Underwriting information that may be necessary includes:

• List services offered. (Look for professional exposures that require a professional liability policy)
• Are all licensing requirements met?
• How long in business? How long at current location?
• Are any outside subcontractors hired (janitorial, maintenance, etc.)? Are certificates of insurance obtained?
• Are pre-payment arrangements available through the funeral home? (A Fiduciary Bond may be necessary)
• Are counseling services provided?
• Is any part-time labor hired (often hired to direct traffic, pass out programs, set up at burial site, etc)? (Workers' compensation exposure. Also background checks)
• Are MVR's obtained for anyone driving a company vehicle? How often?
• Is there a cold-storage facility on the premises?
• Is there a back-up power system? (Insured may need equipment breakdown protection)
• Does the facility also have a cemetery? (Cemetery liability coverage)
• Any high-value property taken to burial site? (Inland marine coverage may be necessary)
• Are all religious faiths serviced by the home? (May result in discrimination suits requiring EPLI)
• Any money kept on premises?

These are just a few of the funeral home-specific questions that may need to be answered when marketing to this class of business. Individual carriers and underwriters may require additional information before giving the broadest coverage or best pricing.

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