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Plan Ahead

We make planning for human composting simple and straightforward with our prepaid funeral plan.

picture of natural items for a funeral

Why Precompose

Our prepayment program allows you to pay in advance and make arrangements for your future human composting with Recompose.

picture of branch
Plan Without Risk

Joining Precompose ensures you save money by paying today’s price for your future human composting, even if the price goes up. If you change your mind in the first 30 days, you will receive a 100% refund. If you decide to cancel after that, you will receive 90% back plus any interest accrued.

Give Back to the Earth

Human composting uses 87% less energy than conventional burial or cremation. It produces nutrient-rich, life-giving soil and provides an opportunity to give back to the ecosystem that has supported us our entire life. Through the Recompose Land Program, you have the option to donate any amount of your soil to nonprofit conservation organizations working to restore and revitalize the land.

Leave a Legacy

As a Precompose member, you join a groundswell of people working to transform the funeral industry: legalizing human composting state by state and reimagining end-of-life care as an experience rooted in nature. Together, we are cultivating enduring change on a large scale.

Support Business for Good

Recompose is a public benefit corporation committed to growing with integrity and purpose. By choosing Recompose, you support a community-centered, values-driven business working for lasting social and environmental impact.

Voted the best funeral home in the Pacific Northwest in 2023 and 2024, Recompose earned this recognition by thoughtfully guiding hundreds of families through the experience of losing a loved one.

Thank you to the whole team from start to end of this process. It’s been such a warm and supportive experience in a world that’s been so difficult to navigate and unfamiliar to me. I can’t express my gratitude enough to the whole Recompose team for taking care of not only Justin, but also me. It meant a lot.

Una H

Seattle, Washington

Recompose is such a beautiful place to lay a loved one to rest. The thoughtful design is evocative of being in a forest and serves as a gentle, lovely reminder of our connection to the natural world. And I cannot say enough about the kindness, knowledge, and generosity of the staff. Highly recommend.

Julie B

Portland, Oregon

Everything was handled professionally and I was educated in the process. The laying-in ceremony was beautifully done and my family is forever grateful for Recompose. I really can’t say enough about how well Morgan treated me and my family. Just amazing!

Saraphina B

Renton, Washington

Recompose deeply appreciates the emotional meaning of the service they are providing. Everything they do speaks directly to that meaning. From the serene “spa like” experience, to the thoughtfully designed containers, the message is always that there is beauty even in the unthinkable. It is a process that has provided some comfort to my family while helping us grieve.

Paul S

New York, New York

My mother chose composting as a way to give back to the earth. Recompose was amazing through all of it. Our family had a small viewing and they did an amazing job. Elaine was our guide through the process. She explained what to expect and was incredibly gracious and respectful. I couldn’t have asked for anything better. Thank you.

Synneva R

Issaquah, Washington

Imagine nourishing a flower, a tree, or a forest ecosystem as the last material thing that you do here. Thank you Recompose for supporting dad in his final earthly gesture.

Victoria S

Seattle, Washington

Recompose was the perfect choice for my brother. The staff were compassionate, turning an industrial process into a meaningful ritual our family cherished. His soil is now nurturing trees in gardens all across the Northwest. I talk with him every time I am weeding underneath my own trees. I love thinking of him spread under the roots of so many trees across the country.

Marie E

Bellingham, Washington

I just wanted to say thank you for creating such a beautiful ceremony to send off my mom yesterday. It was moving, quiet, and meaningful. Members of the family called me after to say that the experience was healing for them in ways they had not expected.

Michelle M

Los Angeles, California

We are so grateful to Recompose for taking loving care of our father in his passing. The attention and love they shared in all aspects was breathtaking. We love that he is helping to regenerate this dear planet.

Linda S

Arlington, Virginia

I attended the Zoom Laying-In Ceremony yesterday for Lily. I would like to thank you for such a wonderful end-of-life presentation and a meaningful goodbye to a very special person. It was uplifting to know that you provided a perfect ending to all she believed in.

Sharon U

Seattle, Washington

The staff are skilled, compassionate, and have an innate ability to hold sacred space. From the time of my inquiry to the final funeral I was treated with respect and great kindness. This was a perfect way to honor my husband. The funeral service was done with such care that many people felt it was the most moving funeral they have ever been to.

Cindy W

Port Ludlow, Washington

Literally every single step in this process just felt so meaningful and so bright. I expected for it to be a gut-wrenching process and that wasn’t my experience of it.

Laurel H

Seattle, Washington

There’s just so much of the way Recompose does business…they’re very gentle, very knowledgeable, and extremely respectful. Everything about the process was just really gentle.

Shannon P

Seattle, Washington

How it Works

From signing up for Precompose to ensuring your final wishes are fulfilled, we aim to make death care clear and straightforward.

Step 1: Choose your Plan

Provide some basic information and choose your payment level to get started online. Multiple payment options starting at $100/month allow you to select the plan that works best. If you prefer to have a Precompose packet mailed to you, please contact us.

Step 2: Review and complete your paperwork

Just like with any legal document, we recommend taking time to read and review your Precompose contract. You may do this all online or print the contract and mail it back to us. Our team is available to assist if you have questions.

Step e: Enjoy peace of mind

By planning ahead, you have taken a step to lighten the decision making and emotional load on others after you’ve died. At the time of your death, our Services team will carry out your wishes and be there to inform and guide your people.

items from nature

Pricing

Precompose includes personalized care for your loved ones throughout the death care journey, from the the time of death through the transformation of your body into soil.

PRECOMPOSE PRICE: $7,000

Multiple payment options allow you to select the plan that works best. Our monthly payment plans are straightforward—your credit card is charged automatically each month—and do not have interest or added fees.

  • $100 per month — 70 payments over 5 years, 10 months
  • $250 per month28 payments over 2 years, 4 months
  • $500 per month14 payments over 1 year, 2 months
  • $7,000 — one-time payment*

*We accept checks if you choose to pay the full balance at one time.

This price includes:

At the time of death, our Services team will help coordinate transportation and logistics, and fulfill your death care plan.

For the next 8 to 12 weeks during your transformation into soil, Recompose will be there to inform and guide your people. Our Services Specialists have decades of experience providing personalized care and guidance.

Transportation of the body within King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties in Washington State is included in our price. Transport outside of our service area can be arranged. Our team is available to answer transportation questions and help with logistics.

  • Transport costs within Washington State
    Costs for Washington counties are based on proximity to Recompose. Current pricing for Washington State is listed by county in our General Price List.
  • Transport costs outside Washington State
    Transport costs vary by funeral home and region. For example, transport from Portland, OR to Seattle costs $850, whereas California to Seattle starts at about $3,000. Most clients that come to us from another state work with a funeral home in their area to arrange for transport. This funeral home will pick up a body at the place of death and arrange for transport to Recompose.

Please note: future transportation costs cannot be paid in advance at this time.

Onsite cooled storage for up to four weeks is included in your Precompose Plan.

The death certificate is a mandatory legal document that registers each death with the appropriate local authorities in Washington State. Our Services Specialists will handle the filing of the death certificate for residents of Washington State.

Our staff can also help if additional certified copies are needed. In most cases, we can assist in ordering and mailing copies from your local vital records office. Fees for each death certificate vary by county.

County Medical Examiners in both King and Clark County review all deaths in their respective counties. The fee is included your Precompose Plan.

Before a death certificate is certified, the District Attorney program reviews each cause of death identified on the death certificate to verify that the cause and manner (what the person died from) do not indicate the need for the medical examiner’s office to investigate further.

You may choose to have an obituary published on our website and include multiple pictures in a photo gallery. Obituaries can also include links to donate to causes you believe in.

The transformation into soil will be managed by the leading experts in human composting. Our Services team will communicate with your people at at key stages of the process.

Eight to 12 weeks after you are placed into a vessel, you will become nutrient-rich soil ready to nourish the land and give back to the earth.

Your people can choose how much soil to have returned or donate to conservation efforts. If your people choose to return the soil, it will be packaged and ready for pickup or delivery. We recommend talking with them before making a decision about what you’d like to be done with your soil.

a large and small container holding human composting soil

Recompose currently offers two packaging options: our standard packaging in durable paper bags is included in the price and a smaller specialty container available for purchase. Learn more about packaging options.

YOUR PRICE IS GUARANTEED

When you sign up for Precompose, we guarantee the cost of your Recompose services at the time of your purchase as long as you make payments consistently before your death, even if the price has since gone up. See our Price List for more information.

100% REFUND AVAILABLE WITHIN 30 DAYS

If you change your mind, you may receive a 100% refund within the first 30 days of joining Precompose, no questions asked. If you decide to cancel after that, you will receive 90% back plus any interest accrued.

Ceremony Offerings

Recompose recognizes that every person is unique and comfort may come in many forms. We offer a variety of customizable ceremony options.

Our Seattle location offers two thoughtfully curated spaces for friends and family to gather for in-person and virtual ceremonies. Our team of licensed funeral directors helps with event planning, ensures events run smoothly, and can lead ceremonies if desired.

The Gathering Space

Floor-to-ceiling windows in shades of green and yellow and a large tapestry of the forest invite nature into this urban sanctuary. At the center of the room is a white, hexagonal threshold vessel—a passageway to the Greenhouse, where human composting occurs. This beautiful, light-filled room is a welcoming space for ceremonies and small services, and has a lectern for speakers and a screen for slideshows.

Cedar

Cedar is a room whose design was informed by the traditions and practices of home funerals. It’s a serene space where clients can spend unstructured time with their person before transformation into soil begins. It can be used for personal time, private viewings, or hands-on care, like bathing or shrouding. Clients also use Cedar to connect with their loved one’s soil after transformation is complete and before it is returned to the earth.

We recognize that for many this is a new experience. Our licensed Services Specialists are available to assist and serve as guides as requested.

Note: Ceremony offerings are optional and not included in the price of human composting. Please see our Ceremony Catalog for more information.

The Gathering Space at Recompose appears modern and not what we’re used to thinking of death. While there are tissues for the grieving, this is different. At Recompose, instead of saying goodbye, you’re welcoming an opportunity for your loved one to recreate itself in a different form.

Fox 13, Seattle

Recompose is such a beautiful place to lay a loved one to rest. The thoughtful design is evocative of being in a forest and serves as a gentle, lovely reminder of our connection to the natural world. And I cannot say enough about the kindness, knowledge, and generosity of the staff. Highly recommend.

Julie B

Portland, Oregon

A beautiful, peaceful, and thoughtfully created space reflective of nature with warm, welcoming, and knowledgeable staff who honor each person coming through their doors.

Cayce C

Seattle, Washington

Our Precompose community includes thousands of individuals from across the country who span multiple generations.

I find the work you all are doing to be incredibly important. I love that inclusion is critical to Recompose and it makes me so happy that as a queer, BIPOC Precompose member, I can also stand behind the company and not just the product.

Anya B

Oakland, California

When the time comes, I will not be able to express my relief and thanks that Recompose has made turning into a forest possible. Knowing this is all prepared gives me a special peace and helps me live the rest of my life in greater grace.

Marnia S

Baker City, Oregon

Precompose has given me a quiet sense of joy. A sense that in these senseless times, I can do something to ensure that my death does not cause more harm to the environment.

Precompose Member

Seattle, Washington

Recompose seems the most gentle, logical, and respectful way to return our molecules to Mother Earth when we’ve finished with them. Thank you for providing us with this perfect way to close our final chapter.

Precompose Member

Seattle, Washington

We just completed a tour of Recompose and I’m even happier with my decision to go to them when I pass. Recompose is a warm and peaceful place filled with plants and beautiful nature photography. The people are kind and very knowledgeable. Everything is dedicated to the person who passed in a very respectful and caring way.

Lise L

Everett, Washington

If you’ve been considering human composting for your end-of-life plans, definitely go and take the tour. I immediately signed up for a payment plan afterwards. Thank you for giving me a choice in the final impact my life will have on this beautiful world I am so lucky to live in.

Melissa S

Redmond, Washington

I’m a Precompose member because human composting is deeply aligned with my values. I love that I can embody and express my values in my death as I also strive to do in my life.

Susan S

San Francisco, California

We are inspired by Recompose’s environmental ethic and it gives us peace of mind that we are Precompose members.

Nancy M

Portland, Oregon

I’ve always dreaded the idea of being stuffed in a cold box underground or burned up. Knowing that I’ll be repurposed as part of the living world makes me happy.

Peter M

Portland, Oregon

Phenomenal place, practice, and business. So deserving of the “Best Funeral Home” in 2023. I’m an early adopter, nearly paid in full, with not one regret. Supporting all my values so supremely, I will continue to spread the word, now, having taken the tour, with even more resolve and understanding.

Shannon M

San Francisco, California

Thoroughly professional, peaceful, respectful. Staff is motivated by solid ecological and humane values. Not just in it for a profit. Glad I signed up when Recompose first launched in 2019.

Kenneth T

Seattle, Washington

I am grateful that Seattle has Recompose. Both my partner and I have purchased their services for when we pass because this is a quality organization providing a quality service. The tour confirmed that we have clearly made the right choice in sustainability for the planet when we pass.

Jim C

Seattle, Washington

Recompose staff are professional, kind and helpful. I toured their Seattle facility with my family and was impressed with the lovely surroundings. I am glad to have signed up for Precompose, the pre-planning option. My children were comfortable and satisfied with my choice.

Constance M

Cashmere, Washington

The space is beautiful. The sanctuary space is soaring and reverent, and very evocative of its purpose: a chance to do one last good thing for the earth. Cannot say I can’t wait to get there (!), but we all signed up. So happy to have this option.

Suzanne A

Seattle, Washington

Join Precompose

As a Precompose member, you join a groundswell of people working to transform the funeral industry

FAQ

If you want to dig deeper before you purchase Precompose, see below for more information to inform your planning.

Planning

If you expect a death soon, please call us at (206) 800-8733 and press 1. Precompose is designed primarily for advance planning, but there may be situations in which it can be helpful to pre-pay ahead of an imminently approaching death. To speak to our Imminent Care Specialist please call (206) 210-8770 or email laura@recompose.life.

Yes, you can donate your organs and choose human composting.

Organ donation is only possible if someone dies in a hospital because they need specific equipment to keep the organs viable until the donation company arrives. Medical professionals remove organs within a few days after someone dies.

Our Services team will coordinate transportation to Recompose with the hospital. If you live outside of Washington State, the local funeral home you’re working with will coordinate with the hospital.

Alternatively, full body donation to medical schools and research projects usually embalm bodies to extend the time during which they can be studied. Bodies that are embalmed cannot undergo human composting. Some programs freeze the donor for non-embalmed use. So we encourage you to contact the donation program to understand their process and whether it is possible to to donate you full body without embalming.

Yes, you can join Precompose for your future human composting from anywhere in the U.S. While we currently have one facility in Seattle, Washington, we plan to open more locations across the country. You will be composted at the closest Recompose facility.

Transport to Recompose will need to be arranged and paid for, most likely with a local funeral home, if you do not live within 30 miles of a future Recompose location. We are happy to help you coordinate transportation and answer any questions. If you live outside of the U.S., please contact us at precompose@recompose.life and we will be in touch to help you plan.

Read more about planning ahead for transport here.

While the price for Recompose services will not increase for you as long as you pay consistently towards your balance, the price for transport outside our service area will increase over time to accommodate increases in gas and labor costs. For this reason, we do not offer prepayment for the price for transportation.

If you live outside our service area, we recommend setting aside the current transport price plus an additional buffer for potential future increases. You can see the current transport pricing in our General Price List.

Yes, you can cancel your plan at any time. If you cancel within 30 days of joining, you will receive a 100% refund. After 30 days, you will receive a 90% refund of the money you’ve paid into Precompose. The remaining 10% is kept by Recompose for our operating costs. Please contact Precompose at precompose@recompose.life or (206) 800-8733.

Once the transformation is complete, similar to ashes from a cremation, the soil can be used however your loved ones choose—to enrich a garden, plant a tree, or spread across multiple locations. You also have the opportunity to donate your soil to nonprofit conservation organizations through the Recompose Land Program.

Learn more about how to consider your soil options here.

Yes. We offer both virtual tours and in-person guided, small group tours led by Recompose staff. Learn more and sign up for a tour.

See photos and learn more about our Seattle location.

Pricing & Sign Up

No, funeral services are not included in the price of Precompose. Recompose offers two thoughtfully curated spaces if your people wish to have an in-person or online service before or after soil transformation.

When you sign up for Precompose, we guarantee the cost of your Recompose services at the time of your purchase as long as you make payments consistently before your death, even if the price has since gone up.

The Recompose price includes transport from within our service area. We also offer transport to our location from counties within Washington State for the fees listed on our current General Price List.

Please note: the cost for transportation outside our service area will likely increase over time to accommodate for increasing labor and gas prices.

Yes. If you prefer to pay by check, full payment is required. Please mail your check to: Recompose, 4 S. Idaho Street, Seattle, WA 98134. Please contact Precompose at precompose@recompose.life or (206) 800-8733 if you have questions about how to pay by check.

Yes, our staff can help you sign up via phone or by mail. You can call (206) 800-8733 or email us at precompose@recompose.life to schedule time to sign up via phone or request a mailed Precompose packet.