An ‘Uber-like’ app for lawn mowing services is live in Columbus. Here’s what we know

As apps like Uber and Airbnb gained popularity over the last decade or so, a group of business partners saw an opportunity to build something similar for landscaping services.

Bryan Clayton, Gene Caballero and Zach Hendrix co-founded the app GreenPal in 2013 to address issues they saw in the landscaping industry and meet changing consumer demand.

GreenPal serves as a platform connecting homeowners with local, vetted lawn care professionals.

“People are just kind of used to getting on their phones and getting things done,” Caballero told the Ledger-Enquirer.

Homeowners who need their lawns mowed and landscaped can sign up to GreenPal and arrange it in minutes, he said. It’s more than calling five different landscaping companies and going through drawn out processes for a quote, Caballero said.

In the last decade, Nashville-based GreenPal expanded to 250 markets and launched last week in Columbus.

Every year, GreenPal examines markets the app hasn’t launched in, Caballero said, and where it is gaining signups from homeowners and vendors.

“Columbus is one of those (markets) at the very top of the list,” he said.

Making things easier for homeowners

Homeowners can go to the Columbus landing page on the website, enter their address and when they want the service.

“That alerts all the pre-screened vendors in the area that ‘Hey, there’s a new lawn for you to bid,’ ” Caballero said.

The vendors then bid on the property based on Google Street View, aerial images and the square footage of the property. Those quotes then go to the homeowner for review, enabling them to see vendors’ ratings, reviews and prices.

Homeowners can then choose who they want to work with based on this information, Caballero said.

Once a landscaping professional completes the service, they take a picture of it and upload it to GreenPal to go to the homeowner for approval. Homeowners have 24 hours to approve or dispute the service before any payment is made.

If the landscaper forgot to mow a section of the lawn or there is some other issue, the vendor has 24 hours after the dispute to fix the problem. If the vendor decides not to return to correct the problem, Caballero said, the homeowner is not charged.

Six lawn care companies servicing the Columbus area are listed on the site as of April 9, but Caballero expects the number of vendors to increase now that the website is officially launched in the market.

Helping vendors and being transparent

While GreenPal makes things easier for homeowners, Caballero said, there are also benefits to local landscaping companies.

“It’s the vendors,” he said. “That’s whose life we’re changing.”

GreenPal handles vendors’ demand creation, scheduling, route optimization and payment processing.

“We like to say that we are the first, true operating system for that landscaping professional,” Caballero said.

To be vetted, vendors must be at least 18 years old, have a valid driver’s license, social security number, bank account at a financial institution and submitted pictures of previous work.

Signing up for GreenPal is free for both homeowners and vendors.

“The biggest misconception is…we’re going to run out the small guy,” Caballero said. “Well, we’re actually empowering. We’re giving that guy a platform to promote his business to win at a very minimal amount.”

GreenPal takes 5% of the transaction, he said, which is typically about $1 on every mow. There are no surcharges or convenience fees charged to the homeowner.

“You know, when you order your Uber Eats hamburger for $12 then you end up paying $30,” Caballero said. “There’s nothing like that on our platform. It’s pretty transparent pricing.”