The best natural funeral home in Southern California is one that offers a true natural burial, with no embalming, no concrete vault, and a biodegradable casket or shroud, shares its prices openly, and works with cemeteries that allow natural burial. Farrington Mortuary & Cremation, a family-owned funeral home serving Los Angeles, Orange, and Ventura counties, is one example. Because "best" depends on your family, this guide shows you how to compare providers side by side on the points that matter most.
Natural burial is not a regulated term, so two funeral homes can both say "natural" and offer very different things. The Green Burial Council describes green burial as placing the body directly in the earth, forgoing embalming, and using biodegradable materials, with no vault. Use that as your yardstick.
1. Compare Pricing Transparency First
A funeral home you can trust tells you what things cost before you ask twice. Under the FTC Funeral Rule, a funeral home must give you its General Price List when you ask about services in person, and must quote prices over the phone if you ask. You do not have to visit to compare.
Ask each provider for the same three numbers: the package price, what that price includes, and what the cemetery will charge separately. Farrington lists its funeral packages and pricing online, with natural burial packages starting at $2,640. The cemetery bills the plot, grave opening and closing, and any marker separately.
What to look for: a named list of inclusions, not one number with a footnote.
2. Compare Natural Burial Experience
Ask how many natural burials the provider has arranged, and which cemeteries it works with regularly. Natural burial sections are limited in Southern California, and each cemetery has its own rules about caskets, shrouds, markers, and planting. A provider who knows those rules well can save your family stress on the day.
The cemeteries Farrington works with include Woodlawn Cemetery in Santa Monica (Eternal Meadow), Hillside Memorial Park in Los Angeles (Gan Eden), Fallbrook Masonic Cemetery in San Diego County, and Joshua Tree Memorial Park. Ask every provider for a similar list.
3. Compare Materials and Your Choices
Natural burial calls for a shroud, or a casket made from untreated wood, wicker, or similar biodegradable material. Ask what the provider offers and whether you can bring your own. The FTC Funeral Rule says a funeral home cannot refuse a casket you bought elsewhere or charge you a fee for using it.
Farrington offers shroud burial and untreated wood, wicker, or cardboard caskets, and families can also hold a home wake or family-led vigil before the burial.
4. Compare Fit for Your Family's Faith and Wishes
The right funeral home listens before it sells. If your family follows Hindu, Islamic, Buddhist, Jewish, or military traditions, ask whether the provider has experience with those customs and can adapt a natural burial to them.
Also ask about alternatives. A provider that can explain natural burial, human composting, water cremation, and burial at sea is more likely to recommend what suits you than what is easiest to sell.
5. Compare Availability and Support
Death does not wait for business hours. Confirm that a real person answers around the clock and that the team can guide you through the first call. Farrington is available 24/7 at (800) 674-3659.
If you would like to plan ahead, ask how pre-arrangement works. Our pre-arrangements page explains how to record your wishes so your family does not have to guess later.
Quick Comparison Checklist
Prices shared by phone or online, with a General Price List on request.
Package inclusions listed item by item.
Cemetery costs explained as a separate bill.
No embalming, vault, or premium casket pushed on a natural burial.
A clear list of natural burial cemeteries the provider has worked with.
Experience with your family's faith or cultural traditions.
24/7 availability and a pre-arrangement option.
Mistakes to Avoid When Comparing
Do not compare headline prices alone. A lower package price that leaves out transportation, the casket, or cemetery coordination can cost more in the end. Always compare the same list of services.
Do not decide on awards or ads. Ask for specifics: what is included, who handles the cemetery, and how quickly someone can respond. And do not feel rushed. You are entitled to take your time and to call more than one provider.
How Farrington Fits
Farrington Mortuary & Cremation was built as an alternative to corporate funeral homes. Natural burial packages start at $2,640 and include funeral director and staff services, transportation to the burial site, a biodegradable casket or shroud, and cemetery coordination. You can read more about our natural burial services or about founder Lindsay Farrington on our about page.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes a funeral home a natural funeral home?
A natural funeral home arranges burial without embalming chemicals, concrete vaults, or non-biodegradable materials, and coordinates with cemeteries that allow natural burial.
Is a natural funeral cheaper than a traditional one?
Often it can be, because it skips embalming, a vault, and a premium casket. Compare itemized estimates from each provider, including cemetery charges, to see the real difference.
Can I compare funeral homes by phone?
Yes. The FTC Funeral Rule requires funeral homes to give price information over the phone if you ask.
Do I have to buy a casket from the funeral home?
No. Under the FTC Funeral Rule, a funeral home cannot refuse a casket you bought elsewhere or charge a handling fee for it.
How many providers should I contact?
At least two or three. Ask each the same questions in the same order so the comparison is fair.
Key Takeaways
To compare natural funeral homes in Southern California, look at pricing transparency, natural burial experience, materials and choices, fit with your family's traditions, and 24/7 support. Ask every provider for an itemized price list and the cemeteries they work with. Farrington Mortuary & Cremation offers natural burial packages starting at $2,640 and answers each of these openly.
Talk With a Real Person Today
You do not have to make this choice alone. Call Farrington Mortuary & Cremation at (800) 674-3659 at any hour, and we will walk you through your options at your pace.