Greenpal, a phone app that developers describe as "the Uber for lawn care," official launched in the Cypress area this past weekend.

The app gives users the ability to contract with pre-screened lawn care vendors within their communities for mowing, trimming and other yard services.

The app works by allowing a homeowner to send a lawn care job out for bids to all the vendors Greenpal has connected with in the Cypress area. Users enter an email address that bids can be sent to, and vendors are given details on the job, including the square footage of the lawn, a Google street view of the site and any additional details the homeowner wishes to provide.

Users will receive up to five bids. All vendors that see a bid are located within a predetermined distance from the homeowner, an element of the app that developer Gene Caballero said makes things more efficient for both homeowner and vendor.

"The money in lawn care is basically logistics," Caballero said. "The more your drive, the less money you make. You could also end up getting a lower price if your neighbor is getting lawn care services already."

Vendors can then bid directly from their devices, and the homeowner can award the job to the vendor of their choice based on ratings, reviews and price. When a vendor completes a job, they send a timestamped picture of the lawn back to the homeowner, who then approves payment.

Caballero said he thinks the app makes things more convenient in a number of ways, including payments and cutting out the need to meet up beforehand or during the process.

"Most of the time you have to meet the person to talk to them about expectations, what they want to have done," Caballero said. "You can get your grass cut while you're at work. You can pay them directly from the app. The vendor does not have to chase money or send invoices to homeowners."

A new feature added this year allows vendors to offer additional services after completing a job, Caballero said.

"If they see trees or bushes that need to be trimmed, or if a yard needs mulch or weed control, they can suggest that to the homeowner for approval," he said.

Before launching in a new market, Caballero said his team takes about a month to onboard local vendors in the area. The process allows vendors to get acclimated to the system and perform a few transactions.

Launched in Nashville in 2012, the app is currently available in eight states, including Texas. Caballero said his team is looking into formal launches in other communities within the Greater Houston area—including Katy, Pasadena and The Woodlands—but Cypress was the first on the list due to the level of interest from homeowners.

"We’ve been active in Cypress for a couple weeks," Caballero said. "It went great. We launched in Houston earlier this summer and had an enormous amount of homeowner signups in the Cypress area."