Frequently Asked Questions

Should your loved-one pass away, your first step is to contact the appropriate authorities. If your loved-one passes at home while under the care of an in-home healthcare provider or hospice organization, they should be contacted right away. If your loved-one passes at home unexpectedly or not while under the care of in-home healthcare or a hospice organization, 9-1-1 should be contacted. If your loved-one passes away anywhere unexpectedly, 9-1-1 should be contacted. Once the hospital, paramedics, first responders, or other local authority confirms your loved-one’s passing, they will direct you to contact Honor Cremations.

Cremation is a meaningful and honorable option practiced by nearly every culture in some manner. Simply put, cremation is the process in which heat is used to reduce the body of a person who died to ashes that are then placed in an urn for final placement, or disposition. Cremation provides many options for client-families, including keeping their loved-one’s urn at home, placing their urn in a cemetery, and scattering their ashes at sea or someplace special.

A direct, or simple, cremation takes place when a client-family determines to hold a cremation without a prior ceremony, viewing or visitation. This means there is no extensive or invasive preparation such as embalming required. Direct cremation creates the opportunity for a family to plan a meaningful memorial service or celebration of life, with or without the loved-one‘s urn present. A direct cremation with Honor Cremations includes the transportation from the place of passing, filing all required documents with the city, county and state, holding the body in a climate controlled environment until the cremation is scheduled, transportation to and from the crematory, the cremation itself and a simple urn. Client-families have the option of selecting from multiple urns and their preferred form of final disposition.

We recognize the last thing people want to do when someone has passed is complete paperwork. All paperwork completed with Honor Cremations serves to satisfy the requirements of the following people and sites:

1. The site where the person passed away
2. The crematory
3. The Department of Consumer Affairs‘ Cemetery and Funeral Bureau
4. The State of California

At Honor Cremations, we try to simplify as much form completion as possible. We believe doing the documentation digitally helps this go as quickly as it can.

We encourage client-families to hold a gathering that is appropriate in honoring their loved-one’s life. Honor Cremations has offerings available for a Private Family Viewing (which includes a Witnessed Cremation) or Family Viewing and Funeral Service. If you plan to arrange a memorial service or gathering, we can also assist with identifying a venue and coordinate an officiant and any other resources.

While most traditional funeral homes offer cremation services, they often focus on client-families’ arrangements full funeral services. Since traditional funeral homes aren’t designed specifically for arranging cremation services, it is common to find higher costs, less transparency and longer timeframes when working with funeral homes. Honor Cremations was designed to meet the needs of families who choose cremation services, whether it be a simple direct cremation or a service prior to the cremation taking place.

Selecting the right funeral home or cremation provider looks different for every family. We recommend selecting a cremation provider whose values, offerings and approach to customer care align with your family’s needs. While doing research online, you might consider narrowing your options by reading a few recent reviews on Yelp or Google in addition to visiting a cremation provider’s website. We then find that a phone call to two or three local establishments can help a family determine which will be the right fit. You may consider preparing a list of five questions for each and comparing before making a decision.

When someone passes away, they are brought into Honor’s care at 2021 Monterey Highway, San Jose, CA 95112. They are held in a secure, controlled environment until the cremation is scheduled. Then, they are transported with care to our cremation partner in the East Bay city of Fremont.

In many instances, Honor can allow for client-families to be present at the crematory to witness their loved one’s cremation. Witnessed cremations are scheduled in advance and at your convenience. This service is available for an additional cost based on the crematory’s charges. Please reach out to the Honor Team if you have additional questions or are interested in witnessing your loved-one’s cremation.

Honor Cremations can cooridnate a private family viewing before the cremation takes place for an additional cost. The Honor Team will work with you to determine a convenient date and time for the funeral service or private viewing. Honor has multiple options to meet your family’s needs and details are available on our Services and Pricing page.

Because pacemakers (and other battery-operated devices) can cause damage to the equipment used for cremation, they must be removed prior to cremation. While many cremation providers charge an additional fee for this service, Honor Cremations provides the careful removal of pacemakers at no additional cost. Pacemakers are returned to the corresponding manufacturer.

Honor Cremations does not charge for removing pacemakers prior to cremation.

Once the cremation is completed, the client-family will be notified that the urn has been returned to Honor Cremations. Our team will then reach out to arrange a time for local hand-delivery, scattering-at-sea, careful domestic mailing, or set a time to receive the urn from one of our convenient offices.

Honor Cremations follows a careful identification process starting the moment the body of the person who passed is brought into our care. Each cremation takes place privately with identification verification being completed both before and after the cremation.

Honor Cremations conservatively expects to complete the cremation process and be ready to fulfill the requested disposition (hand-delivery, careful mailing, scattering, or receiving from our local offices) within 7-10 days of first being contacted by a client-family.

Honor is made up of highly compassionate, professional team members who are carefully trained, certified and licensed for their roles. Additionally, Honor Cremations upholds expectations set by the Federal Trade Commission and California Department of Consumer Affairs (Cemetery and Funeral Bureau). Ultimately, our expectation is that each process is carried out as if the next-of-kin were present for each step.

‘Next-of-Kin’ refers to the one(s) having closest relationship by law to the person who passed away; they have the authority to make decisions about cremation and disposition.

In California, the Durable Power of Attorney for Healthcare is the legal next-of-kin, followed by the surviving spouse. If a decedent has neither a Durable Power of Attorney for Healthcare nor a surviving spouse, the majority of the surviving adult children assume next-of-kinship. If there are no surviving adult children, the surviving parents assume next-of-kinship, followed by the majority of surviving siblings and then surviving grandchildren.

In instances like these, Honor Cremations asks that all legal next-of-kin agree on the arrangements being planned and sign the same documents authorizing the cremation.

The person(s) authorized to arrange for cremation services according to California’s laws regarding next-of-kinship.

While Honor Cremations is required to file a death certificate with the local Registrar or Health Department, client-families are not required to purchase a certified copy of the death certificate. We encourage client-families to consider purchasing at least one death certificate for their records, even if there are no known financial institutions, insurance companies or other entities that require a death certificate.

Most client-families order between five and ten death certificates and then order additional copies through the county as needed. Death certificates are primarily used to handle a decedent‘s financial affairs, which means that each client-family should consider the extent of accounts and financial assets which must be addressed when placing their order.

Once the Honor Team completes the filing of the death certificate, death certificates are ordered from the appropriate county. Once they are received in the Honor Office, client-families may pick them up in person or Honor will mail them by Priority Mail. Each county processes death certificate requests differently, and a conservative estimate for processing is two-to-four weeks from the date someone passes away.

Certified death certificates are often required as follows: life insurance and health insurance companies, stock certificates, bonds, Treasury bills, certificates of deposit and money market accounts, 401ks, retirement plans, IRAs and pensions, Military benefits, bank accounts, credit card companies, rental storage, Title transfer of ownership of real estate and all motor vehicles, burial and funeral insurance, Federal and State tax returns.

Client-families have the option to receive the certified death certificates from Honor’s offices or by Priority Mail with the United States Postal Service. Tracking information can be provided in instances of mailing.

Honor Cremations offers a curated approach to simple cremation. This means that we view a client-family‘s experience with us as just as important as the cremation itself. In addition to simple cremation, we offer viewing services, funeral services, memorial services and water cremation services. Unique urn offerings have been made available through Honor Cremations and we provide simple, dignified options for the urn once the cremation is complete. Client-families may select from 1-receiving the urn by local hand-delivery from our team, 2-receiving the urn by careful, domestic mailing, 3-allowing Honor Cremations to arrange scattering of the ashes at sea in the San Francisco Bay, 4-receiving the urn from one of Honor’s convenient offices.

Honor Cremations does not require an appointment to make cremation arrangements. You should feel free to call, chat or email our compassionate team of professionals anytime with questions. When you are ready to begin moving forward with Honor Cremations’ services, you may call us at 408-701-2488 or 925-378-7067 or begin reporting a passing online, whichever is best for you.

Honor Cremations offers affordable, straightforward prices that are always available through our Services and Pricing Page. Client-families can customize their selections and choose the arrangements that are best suited for them before providing payment or any sensitive information.

We believe pricing for cremation services should be simple and transparent with no hidden fees and no overwhelming decisions. Pricing details are always available on our Services and Pricing Page, where you can find our General Price List.

Additional costs related to a person’s size are only added when someone has a weight of over 350lbs.

Honor Cremations charges a flat fee for transportation performed within the seven immediate Bay Area counties: Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, and Stanislaus. For California counties outside the immediate Bay Area, additional transportation costs are calculated based on the distance from Honor Cremations. These costs are outlined in detail on our Services and Pricing Page.

Honor Cremations includes a dignified wood urn for every client-family at no additional cost. Additional urn options can be found on our Services and Pricing Page. If you would like to purchase an urn from another source, we recommend having it shipped directly to Honor Cremations at 586 N First Street, Suite 101, San Jose, CA 95512. Our team will carefully place the ashes of your loved-one into the provided urn before returning to your family.

Yes, families can order more than one urn and a separate permit for disposition will be provided by Honor Cremations. If you wish to purchase an urn from an outside party, it can be shipped to Honor Cremations and our team can handle the separating of the ashes.

Yes, our team can make a recommendation for outside sources for keepsake urns that can be shipped to Honor Cremations. Our team can then assist with the separating of the ashes into the keepsakes at no additional cost.

Honor Cremations accepts Visa, Mastercard, Discover and American Express payments through secure online payment. We also accept payment by Zelle, cash or check. In some instances, life insurance policies can be used to pay for cremation services.

Payment is expected to be completed before services are provided by our team, with the exception of bringing a loved-one into our care.

Honor Cremations’ plans have been carefully designed to be all-inclusive and provide the most value to client-families arranging for simple cremation. Our prices are affordable and considerably less expensive than most traditional funeral homes and cremation providers.

We partner with a local crematory: Irvington Memorial Crematory, 41001 Chapel Way, Fremont, CA 94538 in the East Bay City of Fremont. We also have partnerships with other local crematories when it is more convenient for a family wishing to witness the cremation process.

Once the Honor Cremations team completes the filing of the death certificate and cremation permit and verifies all signed documents from the next-of-kin(s), the cremation will be scheduled and updates will be provided to the family. Cremation most often takes place within seven-ten after Honor Cremations is contacted regarding the passing.

Once the cremation is completed, arrangements for returning the urn will be made in a timely manner. Client-families selecting delivery by mail should expect notification that the urn has been mailed within three days of the completion of the cremation. Client-families selecting delivery by courier will be able to select delivery dates as early as a few days after the completion of the cremation. Client-families wishing to receive the urn from Honor’s offices can do this Monday-Friday within a day of the cremation taking place in most instances.

Yes, our Redwood Cremation Plan includes receiving the urn from one of Honor’s convenient offices in the South Bay city of San Jose or the East Bay city of Walnut Creek.

Honor Cremations allows for mailing of the urn to any United States residence or cemetery. Once the cremation is completed, Honor Cremations will carefully package the urn for mailing through the United States Postal Service. Once the urn is scheduled for mailing, the client-family will be notified and provided tracking information. Honor Cremations requires an adult over the age of 18 be present to receive the urn and provide signature upon delivery.

Urns can be mailed from Honor Cremations to any residence or cemetery within the United States.

Honor Cremations offers a courier service for delivering the urn to a selected local residence or cemetery. This means that the urn is delivered by hand directly by Honor Cremations without passing through the mail. The date and time of delivery will be selected by the client-family once the cremation is completed. Local courier service is available in Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, and Stanislaus Counties.

Urns can be delivered to any residence or cemetery within Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, and Stanislaus Counties.

Honor Cremations offers a scattering service for client-families wishing to scatter ashes in the San Francisco Bay. Once the cremation is completed, Honor Cremations will work directly with a local boat captain to perform the scattering in a dignified manner. Based on weather conditions, the boat captain will determine the most appropriate date for scattering and the client-family will be notified in advance. Once the scattering has taken place, a photograph of the scattering ceremony will be provided in the Honor Hub.

In most instances, the scattering at sea will be completed within a few days of the cremation taking place. If poor weather conditions in the San Francisco Bay cause the scattering to be delayed, the Honor Team will update you to the estimated timeframe.

Honor Cremations partners with SF Bay Boat Memorials in Sausalito, California to perform sea scatterings. We also work with other boat captains throughout the extended Bay Area to accommodate specific requests from client-families.

Scattering with Honor Cremations primarily take place in the San Francisco Bay. The boat captain charters from the North Bay city of Sausalito and performs the scattering near the Golden Gate Bridge. Other scattering locations can be arranged at the request of the client-family.

Honor Cremations partners with local boat captains who offer private charters and can host guests for an attended sea scattering service. Details and pricing are available on our Services & Pricing page. If you are interested in participating in the scattering of your loved one’s ashes at sea, please message our team through the Honor Hub or call us at 408-701-2488 or 925-378-7067.