NAICS 812210 Quarterly Industry Report
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
Comprehensive industry research for valuation professionals, business owners, buyers, and lenders
NAICS Code: 812210Sector: Other Services (except Public Administration) (81)Updated: Q1 2026
About This Report
This industry profile for Funeral Homes and Funeral Services (NAICS 812210) draws on data from the U.S. Census Bureau[10], Bureau of Labor Statistics[7], and SBA size standards database[8]. Published by Fair Market Value and updated quarterly, it provides valuation professionals, death care industry analysts, and funeral service investors with current market data. All quantitative claims are sourced to publicly verifiable databases.
Industry Snapshot
Key metrics for the funeral homes and funeral services industry.
NAICS Sector
81
Other Services (except Public Administration)
Industry Definition & Overview
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services (NAICS 812210) encompasses establishments primarily engaged in preparing the dead for burial or interment and conducting funerals per the U.S. Census Bureau[5]. Activities include funeral arrangement and planning, body preparation and embalming, casket and burial merchandise sales, visitation and memorial service hosting, transportation of remains, cremation arrangement coordination, and administrative support for death certificates and insurance claims. The funeral services industry combines professional death care with retail merchandise sales, generating revenue from both service fees and product margins on caskets, urns, burial vaults, and memorial items. Service Corporation International (SCI), operating as Dignity Memorial, is the largest publicly traded funeral services company in North America, while the majority of funeral homes remain independently owned family businesses serving their local communities. Cremation rates have risen steadily to exceed 60% of all dispositions nationwide, shifting revenue mix from traditional full-service burial packages averaging $7,000-$12,000 toward lower-priced cremation services averaging $2,000-$5,000. The FTC[6] Funeral Rule requires itemized pricing, prohibits bundling requirements, and mandates that consumers receive a General Price List before discussing arrangements. Per Bureau of Labor Statistics[7] data, funeral service workers typically need an associate's degree in mortuary science. Based on the SBA Table of Size Standards[8], the size standard is $12.5 million in average annual receipts. State funeral service licensing boards regulate funeral director and embalmer certification, facility standards, and trust account requirements for pre-need funeral contracts. OSHA[9] bloodborne pathogen standards and formaldehyde exposure limits apply to embalming operations.
What's Included in This Industry
- Funeral arrangement and planning services
- Body preparation and embalming
- Visitation and viewing facility hosting
- Memorial and funeral ceremony services
- Casket and burial merchandise sales
- Urn and cremation merchandise sales
- Transportation of remains
- Cremation arrangement and coordination
- Death certificate and administrative processing
- Pre-need funeral contract sales
NAICS Classification Hierarchy
| Level | Description | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Sector | Other Services (except Public Administration) | 81 |
| Subsector | Personal and Laundry Services | 812 |
| Industry Group | Death Care Services | 8122 |
| NAICS Industry | Funeral Homes and Funeral Services | 81221 |
| National Industry | Funeral Homes and Funeral Services | 812210 |
Related NAICS Codes
| Code | Description | Relationship |
|---|---|---|
| 812220 | Cemeteries and Crematories | Cemeteries and Crematories operates burial grounds and cremation facilities that funeral homes coordinate with for final disposition of remains, with many funeral homes maintaining crematory equipment on-site while others contract cremation services to standalone crematory operators |
| 339995 | Burial Casket Manufacturing | Burial Casket Manufacturing produces the caskets and coffins that funeral homes sell to families as part of funeral merchandise, with casket manufacturers distributing through both direct funeral home relationships and wholesale channels serving independent funeral service providers |
| 327320 | Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing | Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing produces materials used in burial vault construction that funeral homes sell alongside caskets, with concrete vault companies operating as suppliers to the funeral merchandise chain providing outer burial containers required by most cemeteries |
| 524210 | Insurance Agencies and Brokerages | Insurance Agencies and Brokerages sells pre-need funeral insurance policies that fund future funeral expenses, with insurance-funded pre-need plans representing a growing share of funeral home advance sales that lock in customer relationships before death occurs |
| 621399 | Offices of All Other Miscellaneous Health Practitioners | Offices of All Other Miscellaneous Health Practitioners includes hospice coordination and end-of-life care providers that refer families to funeral homes, with hospice and funeral service professionals maintaining referral relationships that connect terminal care with funeral planning services |
| 812112 | Beauty Salons | Beauty Salons shares the personal services sector classification with funeral homes under NAICS sector 81, though funeral services operate in the specialized death care segment with distinct regulatory requirements, workforce licensing, and consumer protection regulations |
Geographic Concentration
Top states by share of national establishments.
| # | State | % Est. | Total Est. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | 6.7% | 1,035 |
| 2 | Texas | 6.6% | 1,009 |
| 3 | Pennsylvania | 6.2% | 960 |
| 4 | Ohio | 5.3% | 819 |
| 5 | California | 5.2% | 803 |
| 6 | Illinois | 5.0% | 766 |
| 7 | Florida | 4.3% | 663 |
| 8 | Michigan | 3.5% | 537 |
| 9 | North Carolina | 3.4% | 517 |
| 10 | Indiana | 3.2% | 496 |
% Of Establishments
0%
7%
Source: County Business Patterns, U.S. Census Bureau[3]
SBA Lending Summary
1,208
Total SBA Loans
$1.2B
Total Loan Volume
$1.0M
Average Loan Size
18 yrs
Average Loan Term
9.46%
Average Interest Rate
6,912
Jobs Supported
Source: SBA 7(a) Program Data, U.S. Small Business Administration — FY 2025[4]
Key Insight: Per the SBA Table of Size Standards[8], Funeral Homes and Funeral Services (NAICS 812210) has a size standard of $12.5 million in average annual receipts for federal contracting purposes. SBA lending programs[11] support facility acquisition, cremation equipment, and working capital for qualifying funeral service businesses. Eligible businesses can access SBA 7(a) loans[12] for working capital, equipment, and acquisition financing, while 504 loans[13] support major fixed-asset purchases including real estate and heavy machinery.
Top SBA Lenders
| # | Lender | Loans | Volume | Avg Loan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Live Oak Banking Company | 272 | $389.1M | $1.4M |
| 2 | United Midwest Savings Bank National Association | 64 | $104.8M | $1.6M |
| 3 | U.S. Bank, National Association | 56 | $61.4M | $1.1M |
| 4 | Mission Valley Bank | 24 | $58.6M | $2.4M |
| 5 | The Bancorp Bank National Association | 48 | $48.7M | $1.0M |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about this industry.
What is the NAICS code for funeral homes?
NAICS 812210 covers funeral homes and funeral services including arrangement, embalming, ceremony hosting, and merchandise sales per the U.S. Census Bureau[5].
What is the SBA size standard?
Per the SBA size standard[8], the threshold is $12.5 million in average annual receipts for federal small business contracting eligibility and SBA lending products for funeral home businesses.
What is the FTC Funeral Rule?
The FTC[6] Funeral Rule requires funeral providers to give consumers an itemized General Price List, prohibits requiring purchase of unwanted items as conditions of obtaining desired services, and allows customers to use caskets purchased from third-party sources.
What education do funeral directors need?
Per Bureau of Labor Statistics[7] occupational data, funeral directors typically need an associate's degree in mortuary science from an accredited program, plus state licensing that usually requires passing a national board examination and completing an apprenticeship period.
How has cremation affected funeral home revenue?
Cremation rates exceeding 60% of all dispositions have shifted funeral home revenue from traditional full-service burial packages averaging $7,000-$12,000 toward cremation services averaging $2,000-$5,000, prompting funeral homes to develop premium cremation packages with memorial services to maintain per-case revenue.
What safety regulations apply to embalming?
OSHA[9] formaldehyde exposure limits and bloodborne pathogen standards apply to embalming operations, requiring ventilation systems, personal protective equipment, and exposure monitoring programs for funeral home preparation rooms where chemical preservation of remains occurs.
What are pre-need funeral contracts?
Pre-need contracts allow individuals to arrange and fund funeral services in advance of death, with state laws requiring trust deposit or insurance funding of pre-need payments per SBA[14] financial management guidance to protect consumer prepayments.
Who is the largest funeral services company?
Service Corporation International (SCI), operating under the Dignity Memorial brand, is the largest publicly traded funeral services company in North America per Census Bureau[10] industry concentration data, while the majority of funeral homes remain independently owned family businesses serving local communities.
Sources & References
Government datasets and editorial sources used in this report.
- [1]U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages bls.gov
- [2]U.S. Census Bureau, Economic Census census.gov
- [3]U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns census.gov
- [4]U.S. Small Business Administration, SBA 7(a) Loan Program Data data.sba.gov
- [5]U.S. Census Bureau census.gov
- [6]FTC ftc.gov
- [7]Bureau of Labor Statistics bls.gov
- [8]SBA Table of Size Standards sba.gov
- [9]OSHA osha.gov
- [10]U.S. Census Bureau data.census.gov
- [11]SBA lending programs sba.gov
- [12]SBA 7(a) loans sba.gov
- [13]504 loans sba.gov
- [14]SBA sba.gov
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