Prices

Genealogy is an unpredictable affair. It is not generally possible to be sure in advance how long something will take or where it will lead. Nor is it possible to know how long it will take to write up the story of a family until after the research is done, and the extent and complexity of the family tree has been established. The prices below are for guidance only ~ I will give you a personalised estimate once I know more about your project.
  • Pay-As-You-Go research ~ I generally charge for my time by the hour, to which must be added  any expenses. Expenses include such things as document purchase, travel costs, postage, and any charges by other researchers commissioned at your request ~ all of which I charge at cost. Most research commissions are effectively open-ended, and it makes most sense to work through in stages, setting a budget for each stage to cover time and expenses. Payment is made in advance. I will report to you when all reasonable avenues have been tried or the funds are used up, whichever is sooner. At that point, having read my report, you can decide whether to top up the funds and commission the next stage, or not. This puts you in charge of the expenditure and the direction of research as the project evolves. You can choose to pursue anything which sparks your interest or pause the research completely for a while. If there is money in the kitty at the end of the project,  any unspent funds can be returned. One stage might be a couple of hours for a quick look-up, or perhaps 12 hours for a section of a family tree. As a rough guide, £400-£680 would usually be sufficient to research three generations along one line of the family tree in the 19th or early 20th centuries, depending on the depth required. You can find more information about how the research is conducted and reported on the Research page.
  • Family Folios Presentation Report ~ In some cases, a presentation report may be more appropriate than the usual stage-by-stage research report, particularly if the project is a gift. See "Gift Vouchers & Gift Package" below.
  • Family Folios Heritage and Heirloom Books ~ After I have completed the underlying research, you may want to commission a book or large format family tree chart to preserve your family story for posterity, or to share multiple copies with other family members. A description  can be found on the Books & Trees page. The cost of transforming your research information into a book will vary according to the extent and depth of the research findings to be reported. Including writing, design and printing of three copies, prices for the Heritage Book start at £480, and for the Heirloom Book start at £1,600.

Family History Gift Vouchers & Gift Package

A family history makes a very special personalised gift, especially suitable to mark a major anniversary or milestone birthday. You can purchase a gift voucher for any amount of research, from £400 upwards. The recipient has six months to initiate the project by sending me their family information and discussing what they would like me to focus on ~ and if they decide within that time not to go ahead there is a money-back guarantee.
I can supply a complete gift package for £1,200 featuring
  • a Welcome Pack,  sent either direct to the recipient or to yourself, which will help the recipient to gather their family information,
  • 20 hours of research and the purchase of essential civil registration documents,
  • an attractive Gift Report in a springback binder including a structured report detailing everything discovered, A4/A3 family tree charts and UK postage,
  • PDF copies of the reports/charts and images of the original source documents on CD or electronic download as preferred.

Placing your order

After we have discussed what you would like me to do I will send you a written quote and a copy of my terms & conditions. Only when you are completely happy and I am ready to begin, will I ask for your first payment. I can accept cheques or internet banking payments. For overseas clients (only) I can send a PayPal invoice.
~ Testimonials
Inspired by the BBC TV programme "Who Do You Think You Are" I decided to investigate my own family tree. I decided upon Angela's services because she was more than happy to answer the many questions I had before deciding to proceed with the research. I was also impressed with the pricing options available. Payment was also flexible, made over several instalments which was very helpful.
~ Rob B. (London)
I was impressed with the clear and transparent costing throughout the research process and fee estimate from outset. Information was both in depth and presented in an easy to read format. The background presentation and accompanying research appendices were highly informative ....
~ George R. (Bristol)
I was stumped for a 60th birthday present for my best friend, of 50+ years. Angela supplied the answer, a unique gift in the form of my friends' family history ... my friend was delighted, and amazed at the depth of the study. Thank you.
~ Margaret S. (Hampshire)
Hi Angela, Nan was over the moon with the presentation of the family tree - it is absolutely great - we cannot wait to pass it round and all read it thoroughly.
~ Clare B. (Bristol)
Success! Thanks again so much - now we just have to find time to read and digest it all. This has been a fascinating project, thank you for your diligence and professionalism.
~ Helen F. (Switzerland)