Common pricing models
Genealogists may charge hourly, by a defined research block, by project, or through staged engagements. The best model is the one that makes scope, limits, and deliverables clear before work begins.
Research time is only part of the work
Professional pricing may need to account for planning, repository research, source review, correspondence, DNA analysis, citations, report writing, quality control, client communication, and administrative time.
Complexity changes price
Record availability, language, jurisdiction, burned counties, common names, endogamy, living-person research, DNA complexity, and the number of plausible competing identities can all increase the work required.
Do not sell certainty you cannot control
A professional can sell a defined amount of skilled research and a documented result. They should not guarantee that a record exists, that a biological parent will be identified, or that a preferred family story will be proven.
Track your own economics
If you are building a genealogy business, track actual hours by case type. Your own data eventually tells you whether your pricing covers research, reporting, overhead, taxes, software, and unpaid business work.