Thoughtful, evidence-based genealogy research for families who want to know where they truly come from.
Every family research project is different — different starting points, different questions, different brick walls. The packages below are designed to fit the most common reasons clients reach out to me, but every project is scoped individually during a free consultation. If your situation doesn’t fit neatly into one of these three, we’ll talk through it and find the right approach.
The Focused Inquiry
From $750 Flat Fee
You have a specific question that’s been nagging at you. Maybe it’s an unknown great-grandparent. A family rumor you’d like confirmed or put to rest. An ancestor whose origins disappear after a certain census. One focused mystery.
This package is built for that. I’ll spend up to ten hours pursuing your one question through original records — census, vital records, land and probate records, military files, newspaper archives, whatever the case requires — and deliver a clear written report of what I found, what I didn’t, and what it means.
What’s included:
- Up to 10 hours of focused research
- Written report with full source citations
- Copies of any documents I locate
- Honest analysis if the question can’t be fully answered with available records
Family Branch
Starting at $1,650 — most projects $1,650–$2,250
For most clients, this is the right starting point. We trace one line of your family — your father’s father’s people, or your mother’s mother’s, or any single branch you choose — back three to four generations. This is the package that turns a list of names into real people with real lives.
You’ll receive a written narrative report with full source citations, copies of all original documents located, and a clear visual chart of the branch we researched. Most projects in this tier run between 20 and 30 hours, with final pricing determined during the consultation based on your specific branch requirements.
What’s included:
- 20–30 hours of dedicated research
- Written narrative report (typically 15–25 pages)
- Full source citations following genealogical standards
- Copies of original documents located during research
- Simple family tree chart of the branch
- One revision round after delivery
The Full Family Story
Starting at $3,400 — most projects $3,400–$4,500
This is for the family that wants more than a research report. They want a story — something the next generation will actually read.
The Full Family Story takes multiple lines of your family back as far as the records allow, and weaves the findings into a written narrative document. Names become people. Dates become turning points. The 1832 land lottery, the war that took your great-great-grandfather away from home, the migration west, the church records that quietly named children — all of it placed in the historical context that gives a family history its meaning.
This is the package I’d want for my own family. It’s also my favorite work to do.
What’s included:
- 45–60 hours of dedicated research across multiple lines
- A narrative document of approximately 40 to 60 pages
- Full source citations and document appendix
- Historical context woven throughout
- Visual family tree chart suitable for framing
- Two revision rounds after delivery
- Optional: print-ready formatting for self-publishing or local printing (quoted separately)
A note on what I can promise: I can promise rigorous research, honest reporting, and full documentation of every source I consult. What no genealogist can promise is what the records will reveal. Sometimes a question is fully answered. Sometimes records were lost to courthouse fires, to time, or to the silences of history. Either way, you receive a complete account of the work done and what was found. Have more questions? See the FAQ. Final scope and price confirmed in writing before work begins.
Ready to begin?
The first conversation is free, lasts about 30 minutes, and comes with no pressure to hire me. Tell me what you’re hoping to find. We’ll figure out together whether I’m the right person to help.