One person & parents
Two
generations
$480
6 research hours
Usually 2–3 weeks after the agreed start.
A focused starting tree, useful when you have a name and place but need to establish the first connections.
Research & fees
A scope.
A starting point.
Begin with a free 30-minute phone or video consultation. We choose a question, review what you already have and agree on the time budget before paid work begins.
Two
Through grandparents
Three
generations
$960
12 research hours
Usually 3–4 weeks after the agreed start.
More time to compare households, follow name changes and work across the ancestral lines we select together.
Toward great-grandparents
Four
generations
$1,600
20 research hours
Usually 4–6 weeks after the agreed start.
A longer investigation with room for conflicting details, less direct evidence and a fuller written family history.
The starting person is generation one. These are target depths, not a promise to identify everyone in a generation. We select ancestral lines and priorities at the consultation; record availability and access determine how far the work goes.
Included in every tree package
The story
and its sources.
- A digital family-tree chart showing supported connections.
- A written family history report explaining findings, conflicts and open questions.
- A source list with enough detail to retrace the research.
- Record images or extracts where access and copying permissions allow.
- A 30-minute handoff call to read through the findings.
How the
hours work.
The listed hours include record searches, analysis, chart preparation and report writing. The introductory consultation and handoff call are outside that paid research time.
Work stops at the package limit. Extra work is $80 per hour, agreed on in blocks of 2 hours ($160) before it begins. There is no automatic extension.
Record fees, archive copying and any travel are separate expenses that need your approval first. A record office delay can extend the calendar estimate; I’ll explain the delay and the choices.
For a smaller question
One record.
One difficult page.
A focused record search
$160 / 2 research hours
One defined question: a household at an address, a marriage entry, a burial record or a name that changed spelling. We agree on the places and date range first.
You receive a search log, source references and a short findings note, even if the record isn’t found. Usually 1–2 weeks after the agreed start.
Help reading an old document
$80 / Up to 2 pages and 1 hour
English-language handwriting, transcribed into readable text with uncertain words marked. This is transcription, not translation or document authentication.
I review legibility before accepting the work. If the pages need more than an hour, I quote the additional time before proceeding. Usually 5 business days after acceptance.
Before we open the folder.
What should I bring to the first consultation?
Bring one research question, the names, dates and places you already know, and a list of records you have. Rough dates are fine. Share only information you have permission to share; leave out sensitive details about living people.
What if the records do not answer the question?
The report explains what was searched, what was found and what remains uncertain. Research time still counts when a search comes up empty. I won’t fill a gap with an unsupported connection or promise to find a specific ancestor.
Can you research any place or language?
My focus is English-language family records in the United States. We check the place, date range and likely access at the consultation. If the work needs other language skills or local expertise, I explain that before you commit to a package.
Begin with the question.
You don’t need a tidy family tree to start. Tell me what you have and what you hope to understand.