According to The Association of Professional Genealogists:

“most professional genealogists charge an hourly rate for research or similar work. Hourly rates can vary from $30 to $40 per hour to well over $200 per hour, based on experience, location, project type and uses, demand, time constraints, and other factors. On top of the hourly rate, most genealogists will also charge for certain expenses, including photocopies, certain travel-related expenses, and postage. For some well-defined projects, a professional genealogist may quote a flat-rate rather than an hourly rate.”

Generally, hiring an individual genealogist is less expensive than hiring a small firm or corporation, as there’s less overhead (e.g., costs associated with sales and marketing).

Research services are provided at an hourly rate of $39. The total cost will vary according to the scope of the project, and we will tailor a research package to meets your needs and your budget. Let’s schedule an initial consultation to discuss your specific goals and expectations. From there, we will put together a research plan. Typically, clients will pay in advance for a specific number of hours—usually between 2 and 10 hours.

Once I’ve completed this, you will receive a research summary that outlines the information I’ve found. I will also provide you with copies of records and other sources, where applicable. If you’re interested in exploring your ancestry further, we can repeat the process and keep going, or I can help you determine a research plan so that you can conduct the research yourself, if you prefer. We can keep going, or I can recommend the next steps for you to research in the future.::

Note: There are usually subscriction fees to access record archives and online databases. I have existing accounts and active memberships at the ones I typically refer to, and I do not charge additional fees for accessing these databases for you. However, there are occasional fees associated with retrieving certain types of records, which will vary by county or state (like vital records within the last 25-75 years, depending on specific location). 

It’s almost impossible to determine how challenging a project will be before research begins. There are many factors that influence the complexity of a project—unplanned surprises, record availability, time period, etc. For example, I might find more than one person in the same location and time period. Differentiating between their families can be time-consuming, but it’s important to be careful about this to avoid chasing down the wrong line. Additionally, there is a big difference in researching during or before the mid-1800s vs. the 1900s. The further back you go, records become more sparse and indirect research becomes necessary to prove relationships. This means research becomes less straight-forward and more time-consuming, but it is certainly still possible.

Yes! I specialize in genealogical research involving the southern United States during the colonial period throughout modern times, and I especially enjoy projects related to the Revolutionary War and Civil War. Additionally, my skill set includes using genetic genealogy techniques to identify biological family in unknown parentage situations or adoption cases.