Frequently asked questions

Garden Helper is a neighbor-powered app for finding trusted local garden, lawn, and outdoor help — built around your community, not a faceless marketplace. Residents post jobs, identity-verified providers or volunteers respond, and payment is arranged directly with the selected helper. The app also supports volunteers. Residents who want to give back can sign up to help with senior lawn care, community gardens, neighborhood cleanups, tree‑planting, and more. Volunteers appear clearly labeled alongside gig contractors so homeowners and organizers can choose paid or volunteer help as needed.

Yes — All User accounts are free forever which lets you post jobs using Raise Hand feature, connect with providers, and approve jobs.Account creation takes under a minute and only requires an email and a phone number. Plus you need to download the App from Google Play — the iPhone version is coming soon.

No — GRDN doesn’t take a cut from jobs. Payments happen directly between the resident and the service provider. We simply help you find the best match, whether it’s a paid contractor or a volunteer. Tipping is always welcome for either one.

Often yes for mowing and basic cleanup, especially in seeded neighborhoods. Specialty services may take a bit longer. Best is to get your network of residents in the community to contribute towards inviting Service providers to the platform.

Most jobs receive a first response within 30 minutes during business hours. You'll typically see 2–4 quotes within 4 hours. If your city is new to this Platform - we encourage getting your known contractors to sign up for Garden Helper.

No — most outdoor jobs are done while you're out. The provider checks in via the app on arrival and sends photos at completion.

Users share the quote for each job and service providers view them and respond. A very low price can always leave a job being not picked by providers while Volunteers may opt to connect and see how they can help.

Garden Helper is free for residents. Providers pay a small lead fee, which helps us improve the platform and expand into new cities. All payments happen directly between the user and the provider — never through the app. These lead fees help us keep the App community focused rather than chasing high yields for investors.

Payment is made after the job is completed. The service provider will mark the job as "Start Job" and then "Complete Job," and you pay only after they submit completion with proof.

This is worked out directly with the service provider when you confirm the job. Most providers use cash or Zelle, while established contractors may also accept credit cards, debit cards, or Apple Pay / Google Pay.

Tipping is optional but appreciated. 10% is customary in many markets.

Garden Helper isn't a broker, so payments never go through the app — and we don't provide refunds. To keep things simple and low-risk, the platform focuses on light outdoor help and community-friendly tasks.

Most quotes are flat-rate per visit. When negotiating, try to pay for the final result rather than the time spent — it keeps everything straightforward with no surprise charges.

Yes — estimates are free. Before the job begins, make sure you and the provider agree on the scope of work and what a successful result looks like. Since GRDN is hyperlocal, the goal is to create clear expectations and keep both residents and providers happy as they both belong to the same community.

Garden Helper isn't a broker, so payments never go through the app — and we don't provide cancellation fees. To keep things simple and low-risk, the platform focuses on light outdoor help and community-friendly tasks.

Providers verify Identity before their first job is accepted by submitting identity to an automated verification system. Additional Insurance and verification can be requested. Further Providers may have this information in the Service provider profile.

Garden Helper focuses on low-risk, everyday outdoor tasks that can be handled by volunteers or gig contractors who may not carry insurance. The platform is built around value, community support, and simple, safe jobs. For any high-value work, always confirm coverage with the provider in chat beforehand.

Right now, Garden Helper only performs identity verification — background checks are not included. In future releases, we plan to offer optional background checks for service providers, giving them access to jobs from residents who require them.

Yes — you can use the same provider again, depending on their availability. We still recommend using the default Raise Hand feature so you can discover other great local contractors too.

The rating system helps highlight top-performing providers while filtering out those who don't meet expectations. Setting clear expectations and agreeing on the scope of work upfront is the best way to ensure a smooth experience for both residents and service providers.

We don't have that feature yet, but it's coming in our next release. We're actively building it along with several new safety features to better support both residents and service providers — because everyone using Garden Helper is a valued part of the same community.

We launched in October 2026 across cities like Metuchen, Edison, Piscataway, Princeton, and Hillsborough, and with learnings we plan to expand across to all of New Jersey by the end of the year 2027. Our goal is to break ground in neighboring states — NY, PA, and DE — by end of 2028. Because Garden Helper is community-backed rather than VC-backed, we prioritize quality, satisfaction, and community acceptance as we grow.

We provide low risk services on the lines of Lawncare, Fall Cleanup, Winter Services, Pressure Washing, House Cleaning and Handyman services on Plumbing, Electrical & Garden Help

We are expanding features and open to specific services that we can custom make for HOA, City and State. Please contact us for more information at contact@GRDNHelper.com

In future releases, we'll introduce HOA login capabilities so HOA admins can create jobs and direct them to the right service providers based on the size and type of work. For now, the Raise Hand feature — paired with clear job descriptions — works well for making the right connections.

Yes — winter services include snow shoveling, gutter clearing, dormant pruning, and holiday lighting in supported regions. The app surfaces seasonal services automatically based on your zip code.

City-based access is available across all counties and cities in New Jersey. You can also create custom communities so neighbors within a specific area — like a particular road or section (e.g., Edison, NJ – Tower Section) — can connect and coordinate more easily.

Garden Helper is a native mobile app available on Android today, with the iPhone version coming soon. The website serves as an informational hub, while all booking, messaging, and community features live directly inside the app for a seamless, secure, and fully integrated experience.

All bookings on Garden Helper are one-time jobs. If you need to cancel, you can simply delete the job from Raise Hand anytime before a service provider accepts it. Once a provider has accepted the job, cancellation becomes a reschedule — allowing you to adjust the date or time instead of removing the booking entirely.

Yes — the initial version includes only basic in-app notifications. As we grow, we'll introduce a much richer and more customizable notification system, giving users deeper control over how and when they receive updates.

Yes - Only Service providers responding to your Raise Hand request can view your adress.

Send us an email to contact@GRDNHelper.com with subject Line as "Delete Account: <Topic Header>" and our team will take care of that and confirm back to you.