How Much to Charge for a Family Tree Research Report

A basic, documented 3-4 generation family tree research report typically costs $500 to $5,000 as a flat project fee, or $50 to $200 per hour when billed hourly, according to ICAPGen's published client cost guidance. Comprehensive multi-generational family histories cost $5,000 to $25,000 in that same ICAPGen guidance. Custom Work lets you offer clearly scoped commissions and services: you set the price, the scope and the delivery time, and followers submit a brief and pay before you start.

A common DM for anyone who posts about genealogy, local history, or DNA results looks like: "Can you help me trace my great-grandmother's side?" or "I hit a brick wall at 1890 — any idea where to look next?" Instead of awkwardly negotiating payment in DMs, publish a fixed price, exact scope, and delivery time in one paid link; the client can decide whether it is worth paying before sending the request. A fixed listing makes the payment ask less personal: you can point to the paid option instead of negotiating your worth in a thread.

"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." — Association of Professional Genealogists, "How to Hire a Professional Genealogist"

How much does a professional family tree research report cost?

A professional family tree research report costs $500 to $5,000 as a flat project fee for a basic 3-4 generation tree, or $50 to $200 per hour when billed hourly, according to ICAPGen's "What Will it Cost?" guidance. Comprehensive, multi-generational family histories cost $5,000 to $25,000 in that same ICAPGen guidance.

Two further ranges come from the same page: genealogical research used in legal cases such as probate or inheritance may cost $150 to $500 per hour plus expenses, according to ICAPGen. The Association of Professional Genealogists puts the wider market band lower and broader, stating that hourly rates vary from $30 to $40 per hour to well over $200 per hour (APG).

The spread exists because "family tree research" covers wildly different scopes: confirming three known generations is a different job than reconstructing a lineage from immigration records, courthouse archives, or DNA matches. Price the scope you are actually delivering, not "genealogy" as a vague category.

Should you charge by the hour or a flat project fee?

Charge a flat fee when the deliverable is bounded — three generations, one surname line, one specific record lookup — and charge hourly when the request is open-ended. The Association of Professional Genealogists states that most professional genealogists charge an hourly rate for research or similar work, because open-ended cases are hard to bound in advance.

The Association of Professional Genealogists also tells prospective clients that "in most cases, expect to pay a retainer," and that a professional may quote a flat rate for some well-defined projects (APG). ICAPGen's cost guidance similarly says most genealogists request a retainer fee upfront, especially for large or long-term projects. On Brillay, followers pay upfront for a clear request for a specific answer (Brillay, how it works).

Each Brillay offer is a one-time purchase, not a membership, so followers know they are paying for one lookup or one report. List each scope at a fixed price: use a Paid Question for a quick lookup and a custom request for a full report, so clients know what they are buying and you know where the work ends. The ICAPGen $500-$5,000 range describes credentialed professionals working established cases. If you sell a narrower deliverable, such as research on one surname line instead of a full tree, set a lower fixed price that reflects the smaller scope. Treat any dollar figure on this page as illustrative of published market ranges, not a guarantee of what your own work will sell for.

What should a paid family tree research report include?

A paid family tree research report should be a written document that states the researcher's identity, the preparation date, the research purpose, the sources consulted, and the findings. The Board for Certification of Genealogists' Standard 67 lists nine elements that all research reports should contain (BCG, "Reporting Research in Progress").

A practical, creator-scale version of that structure for a paid report:

• Scope: which surname(s), generations, or time period you searched.
• Sources checked: census records, vital records, immigration/ship manifests, local archives, DNA match data — whatever applies.
• Findings: what was confirmed, with citations to the specific record.
• Open questions: what could not be confirmed, and why (missing records, common names, record gaps).
• A simple tree or chart summarizing what was found.

Genealogical research cannot guarantee a specific outcome, because records may not exist, may be incomplete, or may not have survived. ICAPGen tells prospective clients directly that "no researcher can guarantee that your family will be found in the records", so state that limit plainly in your listing rather than implying every question will be fully answered.

Should you use a Paid Question or a custom request?

Use a Paid Question for a narrow, single-fact lookup you can answer in writing, and use a custom request when the deliverable is a written report, a chart, or any file. Brillay's Custom Work accepts file attachments from clients and lets you deliver text plus files of any allowed type and/or a link.

A Paid Question fits a question such as "does this surname spelling match records from this county?": the follower sends one typed question, and you send one written reply. A custom request fits a delivered document, and you can set its delivery time anywhere from one hour to five days.

How do you price DNA-assisted or brick-wall research?

Price DNA interpretation as its own tier: specialty services such as DNA interpretation range from $100 to $1,000 depending on the complexity of the analysis, according to ICAPGen's "What Will it Cost?" guidance. Matching DNA segments to a documented tree is a different, often more time-intensive skill than searching vital records.

"Brick wall" cases — a specific ancestor or generation where records simply run out — are uncertain in outcome by definition. An hourly rate, or a flat fee scoped as "X hours of search, findings reported either way," protects you from being expected to solve an unsolvable case. A negative or inconclusive result is still a delivered, billable outcome, because the research and reporting work happened regardless of what the records showed.

What should a genealogy research listing state before a follower pays?

A genealogy research listing should state six things before a follower pays: which family line is included, the delivery format, the sources used, the delivery time window, an outcome disclaimer, and explicit exclusions. ICAPGen tells clients that sometimes information cannot be found and no researcher can guarantee success, so the disclaimer is not optional. Clear scope tells the client exactly what they are buying and keeps extra research from turning into unpaid work.

• Scope: which family line, surname, or generations are included.
• Format: Paid Question (text answer) vs. custom request (written report/document).
• Sources included: whether you are working from records the follower provides, public archives, or DNA match data.
• Delivery time: a realistic window inside Brillay's 5-day custom request cap.
• Outcome disclaimer: that findings depend on record availability and are not guaranteed.
• What's excluded: for example, on-site archive visits, notarized documents, or legal use.

For example: "One researched written report tracing your paternal surname back up to 3 generations, using publicly available US census and vital records. Findings depend on record survival and are not guaranteed; does not include on-site archive visits."

Related reading: How to Write a Custom Work Offer covers scoping a listing so requests stay inside what was purchased.

What else can a genealogy creator sell alongside research reports?

A genealogy creator can also sell Paid Questions for quick record-interpretation answers, accept Tips from people who valued free content, open Goals for defined projects such as digitizing a local archive, offer Personalized Videos such as a recorded message for a family reunion, and leave Brand Collaboration Inquiries open for brands who want to ask about work. Brillay supports all of these formats on one creator page.

A Goal funds one named target through supporters' contributions rather than purchasing a research report, so use Custom Work when a client expects documented findings in return. Keep the research-report offer focused on documented findings rather than bundling unrelated products into one unclear listing.

How do you get a family tree research offer live?

Decide whether the incoming request is text-answerable or needs a delivered document, then publish the scope, sources, price, and delivery time before taking orders. Brillay's platform fee only applies when a follower actually pays you (Brillay pricing), and its setup process does not list a genealogy credential as a requirement to enable Paid Questions or Custom Work. Creators can receive payouts in 41 countries, so confirm your country is supported before you build a paid workflow around the page. You do not need a follower minimum: a narrow genealogy offer can work with a small audience when the people already asking for help can see the price and scope upfront.

That platform rule sits separately from the field's voluntary credentials, which are commonly misdescribed. The Association of Professional Genealogists is a membership body, not a credentialing one: APG describes itself as a not-for-profit 501(c)(6) professional organization founded in 1979 and representing more than 2,000 members in forty countries (APG, "About Us"). The credentials come from two other organizations — ICAPGen awards Accredited Genealogist® (AG®), and the Board for Certification of Genealogists awards Certified Genealogist® (CG®).

"CG and Certified Genealogist... are registered certification marks of the Board for Certification of Genealogists®. Accredited Genealogist and AG are registered marks of the International Commission for Accreditation of Professional Genealogists. Individuals are licensed to use the credential designations after meeting the competency standards of those organizations." — Board for Certification of Genealogists, "A Primer on the Use of BCG Trademarks"

AG® and CG® are therefore private certification marks, not government licenses, and BCG states that its marks may be used only under license by certificants after periodic competency evaluations, and only during the current five-year period for which they are certified. Business registration, tax registration, and any local licensing rules for selling services vary by country, state, and city, so check the rules where you actually operate rather than assuming genealogy work is unregulated. Describe your real experience accurately and never imply a credential you do not hold.

Create your free Brillay page and turn the next "can you trace my family history?" DM into a clearly scoped, paid research offer.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to be an Accredited or Certified Genealogist to charge for research?

Genealogy creators can enable Paid Questions or Custom Work based on the scope of their offer. Accredited Genealogist® (AG®) from ICAPGen and Certified Genealogist® (CG®) from the Board for Certification of Genealogists are voluntary certification marks awarded by private organizations, not government licenses (BCG). Business, tax, and licensing rules for selling services still vary by jurisdiction, so confirm what applies where you operate.

Is the Association of Professional Genealogists a certifying body?

No. APG describes itself as a not-for-profit 501(c)(6) professional organization representing more than 2,000 members in forty countries, and it provides education, advocacy, and a directory rather than a credential. ICAPGen awards AG® and the Board for Certification of Genealogists awards CG®.

Should a family tree request be a Paid Question or a custom request?

Use a Paid Question for a narrow, text-answerable lookup with no document exchange. Use a custom request when you are delivering a written report, chart, or another file, since Custom Work lets clients attach source material and lets you set a delivery time of up to 5 days.

What if the records just don't exist for a requested ancestor?

State upfront that findings depend on record survival and are not guaranteed; ICAPGen tells clients that no researcher can guarantee a family will be found in the records. Scope the offer as "X hours or lines of research, findings reported either way" so a documented negative result is a completed, billable outcome rather than a refund trigger.

How much should a basic family tree report cost?

Flat-fee pricing for a basic, documented 3-4 generation tree runs $500 to $5,000 and hourly rates run $50 to $200 per hour, according to ICAPGen's "What Will it Cost?" guidance. Creators offering a narrower, faster version of that work can reasonably price below the professional range depending on scope.

What does Brillay charge, and what payment fees apply on top?

No monthly fee, you only pay a small platform fee when you get paid. 8% platform fee when a follower pays for work, 5% platform fee on tips and goals. Card processing is separate. See Brillay pricing. A research report sold as Custom Work falls under the work rate; card-processing fees are charged separately by Stripe and vary by region and card type: Stripe's US standard pricing page lists 2.9% + $0.30 per successful transaction for domestic cards, plus 1.5% for international cards and 1% if currency conversion is required. Stripe publishes different standard rates for other countries, so check the Stripe pricing page for your own market.