Most of this site is for people doing their own research. This section is for the other decision — whether to bring someone in, how to choose well, and what it costs.
Before you hire
Reasons people start
What we do
The short version
We research a family line from the public record, write it up with a source citation on every claim, and deliver it as a book and an interactive family site. The price is flat and agreed before we start, no DNA test is required, and everything you receive is a real file you keep.
| Package | What it is | Flat price |
|---|---|---|
| Bring Your Own Tree | You already have the research. We format and produce it as a custom family-history book (PDF) plus an organized digital archive. | $495 |
| Keepsake | We do the research. Custom-written family history with full source citations, an interactive family site, the GEDCOM and document archive, and future-research notes — all digital. | $1,295 |
| The Heirloom | Everything in Keepsake, plus one hardcover print edition and the engraved keepsake USB. | $1,995 |
No hourly meter, no surprise invoice. You know the number and the deliverable up front.
See the packages →Search 26,984,545 documented Midwestern ancestors. No account, no card.
Search the database →Frequently asked questions
Do I need a DNA test to hire a genealogist?
No. Our research is documentary — census, vital, church, immigration, land, probate, cemetery, and newspaper records. DNA can be a useful clue if you already have matches, but it is not required.
How much does professional genealogy research cost?
Rates across the field commonly run $100 to $200 an hour, and full projects at the larger firms run into several thousand dollars. We work at a flat price instead: $495, $1,295, or $1,995 depending on the package.
What do I actually receive?
A custom-written family history with full source citations, an interactive family site, and the complete document archive and GEDCOM. The Heirloom package adds a hardcover print edition and an engraved keepsake USB. All of it is yours to keep.
What happens if you can't get past a brick wall?
We pause, tell you plainly, and deliver everything proven to that point. A single unadvanceable line never changes the project's flat price; further work on it is quoted separately, starting at $250.