A new app and website in La Jolla are allowing residents to have local professionals bid on their lawn care projects. GreenPal has been operating in the city of San Diego but launched in La Jolla this month.

The service, that’s been described as “Uber for lawn care,” was started in 2012 and is operating in more than 200 cities. “When you have a landscaping business you probably don’t have a website,” Gene Caballero, a co-founder of GreenPal said. “A lot of these people have proved they can run a business. So, we take a vendor that can run a good business and allow them to take their business to the next level. That is the sweet spot of GreenPal.

We can allow businesses to ramp up their revenue.” The service operates from an app (available on iOS and Android) or through the company’s website. To accept bids on getting a lawn mowed, a user types in their address and the date they want the project completed. Pre-screened vendors receive alerts about the project and submit bids. The user then sees the bids and reviews of the vendors then decides who they want to work with.

After the lawn is mowed the companies take a photo and upload it so the user can see the project was completed. The money is then transferred to the lawn care company. GreenPal is keeping 5% of every transaction.

“We are able to help the companies with payment processing and lead generation, basically provide an operating system for them,” Caballero said. “It’s better than leaving a check under the mat or dealing with billing once a month.” Caballero said he’s been in the landscaping business his entire life. After graduating from college he got a job in tech sales. That’s when he said he got the idea for GreenPal.

“If someone was going to summon a stranger for a ride or to move a couch, then at some point they would do it for lawn care,” he said. In the last few weeks, as San Diego and the rest of the world have been asked to practice social distancing, Caballero said GreenPal has heard business is picking up for some vendors. 

“Traditionally you would have to meet the homeowner and get a quote,” he said. “With GreenPal you do not have to meet them and there is no exchange of cash. It’s as much contact as you want.”

Lynn Walsh is a freelance journalist and an Obecian. She works to promote trust between journalists and the public through the Trusting News project and teaches at Point Loma Nazarene University. Originally from Ohio, Lynn has grown to love living at the beach and posts way too many San Diego sunset photos on Instagram.