How much does it cost to hire a professional genealogist?
Researching your family history can be a fun and exciting opportunity, but it can also be overwhelming and time-consuming. As you go back in time, your ancestors double in number, making it confusing to know how to navigate your large family tree. Simply underestimating the size of your tree can be a surprise when calculating the cost of completing genealogical research and the required hours. Often it saves you both time and money to forgo the stress and hire a professional genealogist. If you’re feeling the challenges of researching your family tree and are ready to know the answer to "How much does it cost to hire a professional genealogist?," this article is for you. Let's dive in to make sure you get the most value for your genealogical investment.
Is it Time to Hire a Professional?
While completing your own ancestral history is thrilling with all of the stories you uncover along the way, sometimes it’s not always feasible. Especially if you’ve hit a roadblock in your research and there’s no clear way out, you may need to enlist the help of a professional.
But before you find the right one to help you, it’s important to consider a few factors that will determine how much it costs and how to ensure you receive the best quality assistance for your budget.
You're paying for expertise
If you’ve spent time sorting through records and finding ways to connect your family tree, you know it takes a lot of work, and it’s certainly not free. It can be costly and it takes a great deal of time to get results if you do it yourself.
While a genealogist can definitely give you your anticipated answers quicker, this ease comes with an investment in expertise and value.
A well-qualified genealogist has the expertise to accurately sort through countless records, documents, and files to connect the dots.
Even more, they hold specialties. Many hold specializations in geographic areas, record types, periods, populations, or types like forensic genealogy. These specialties make it easier to connect the dots with very concrete results.
For example, if you need to know your paternal side in Norway from 1902, a genealogist has invested the education, effort, and time to answer your question.
Expertise will also deliver value for your investment. When you hire a professional genealogist, you are paying for their experience. Their experience will allow you to get the most bang for your buck when hiring a genealogist to sort, decipher, and analyze every minute detail of your family history.
Knowing what it takes to complete effective genealogical research will help you better understand someone’s set hourly prices and help you plan for a budget to accommodate.
What DO GENEALOGISTS CHARGE BY THE HOUR?
After learning about the preparation and expertise involved in becoming a professional genealogist, how much do they charge? Since each situation is different, many genealogists work on an hourly basis for more complex projects.
Why an hourly rate and not a retainer or flat fee per project? Often, it’s almost impossible to determine how challenging a project will be until genealogists start looking at available records. While they conduct exhaustive research to discover your answer, sometimes records take them down a challenging chase through generations.
What does it cost to hire a professional genealogist? About $65 to $100 per hour. 10 to 25 hours is a typical starting point to achieve results for common research projects. This type of project might extend a line back a few generations or begin to reveal your family, perhaps to your great-grandparents. Doing an extensive family tree will cost much more, simply because the number of ancestors you have doubles at each generation! Pricing can vary based on skills, experience, credentials, demand for the genealogist’s time, geographic area, and area of specialization.
High-level professionals provide the following services:
Reviewing existing family knowledge
Developing research questions and plans
Researching multiple types of records
Creating supporting documentation for the information
Analyzing the information—who provided it, when was it created, and for what purpose?
Correlation of facts from multiple sources
As you can see, beyond research, there are quite a few steps required to connect your family tree!
Specifics matter
Hiring a genealogist may seem like an expensive service, but there are a few ways you can cut down on costs. Typically, the hourly rate will be higher depending on the complexity of your research, including the number of ancestors you would like to learn about.
For example, if you need information dating back to the mid-1800s, a genealogist will have to connect the dots between multiple generations. It's more budget-friendly if you narrow the scope of your research and decide which line is most important to you.
You can also take advantage of the internet’s many free resources to determine how to start building your family history and where to begin.
How Long Does it take for Genealogy Research?
Genealogy projects are rarely quick and easy, especially further back in time. Depending on the case, it can take a great deal of time to locate, analyze, and document each record to capture the genealogical value you deserve.
There may also be unplanned surprises that put your genealogist off track. For example, sometimes, genealogists find more than one person with the same name and will need more time to track the right person.
It’s important for any genealogist you hire to be careful about this—the last thing you want is for them to spend time chasing the wrong line!
Available records
The amount of time spent on genealogical research also involves sorting through available records. There is a big difference in researching the 1900s vs. before 1850 when records were sparse and more indirect evidence is needed to prove relationships.
For instance, research before 1850 in the United States will take more time because of the lack of available records. The US Census did not exist before 1790, and only the head of the household is listed by name before 1850, making it exceedingly challenging to pinpoint past generations in these periods.
In addition, challenging documents, such as probate, land, and court records are needed to find missing information. But once a genealogist has more specifics, including the region, and time era, a genealogy fee proposal is easier to provide.
SHOULD I HIRE AN individual genealogist OR A LARGER COMPANY?
Before you begin finding your genealogist, you should know hiring individual genealogists or a small firm usually costs less than hiring a larger company.
Not only will more of your fee go towards your research, instead of sales or marketing associated with corporations, but you will receive a more intimate connection to your family history.
It will be more enjoyable, memorable, and exciting as you connect with one or two professionals who love what they do. Learn more about typical research projects and costs at Heritage Bridge, here.
Hiring a Well-Qualified Professional Can Be Cost-Effective
If you’re second-guessing whether hiring a professional genealogist is right for you, think how much time you will save.
Not only is surpassing obstacles and brick walls in research second nature to genealogists, but the answer to your family legacy will be revealed quicker and may even be cheaper in the long run.
But if you're a die-hard hobbyist who wants to complete your own research, you can hire a genealogist to help you find clues or get you unstuck.
Whether you want to hire a professional genealogist to complete a portion of your research or need them to start to finish, the process is personal and rewarding. When you uncover the mysteries and secrets of your family history, you have something tangible to pass down to future generations. It is a legacy that your children can learn, understand, and pass through your future family line.
Now that you have an answer to "How much does it cost to hire a genealogist?" the best step is to schedule a free consultation and get your questions answered. Schedule a free consultation with Heritage Bridge to discover if hiring a professional genealogist is right for you.
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