ChipDrop
ChipDrop is a bootstrapped two-sided marketplace connecting homeowners seeking free wood chip mulch with arborists needing affordable disposal sites. Operating across the US, Canada, UK, and Australia since 2014, it has facilitated 500,000+ deliveries via per-drop transaction fees.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersPortland, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What ChipDrop does
ChipDrop is a two-sided web-based marketplace founded in January 2014 by Bryan Kappa in Portland, Oregon, that connects homeowners and gardeners seeking free wood chip mulch with arborists and tree care companies needing affordable disposal options for wood chips and logs. The platform uses a map-based matching system where gardeners place free requests and arborists select nearby drop sites via an interactive map, with supporting features including crew account management for field workers, secure peer-to-peer messaging through the ChipDrop Network, and a self-serve sign-up flow accessible from any browser. There is no native mobile application; the mobile-responsive web platform can be saved to a device home screen for app-like access.
The business model is a transaction-fee marketplace: gardeners use the service at no cost while arborists pay a flat per-drop fee typically ranging from $20-$40 USD, with average effective disposal cost reported under $7 per truckload after credits are applied. Revenue is supplemented by optional gardener payments that offset arborist fees and accelerate delivery, and by optional premium listing fees that highlight a gardener's request without guaranteeing delivery. There are no subscriptions or monthly fees. The company is structured as a bootstrapped Oregon LLC (Chip Drop LLC), operates with 1-10 employees, and has facilitated over 500,000 cumulative drops across the US, Canada, the UK and Australia.
Growth is driven by community word-of-mouth referrals, organic social media presence on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, a quarterly email newsletter, and earned media coverage in regional publications. The company has no disclosed outside funding, no parent company, no subsidiaries, and no patents or trademarks on record, reflecting a lean founder-operated operating model.
ChipDrop firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- ChipDrop
- Legal name
- Chip Drop LLC
- Website
- https://getchipdrop.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- ChipDrop is a bootstrapped two-sided marketplace connecting homeowners seeking free wood chip mulch with arborists needing affordable disposal sites. Operating across the US, Canada, UK, and Australia since 2014, it has facilitated 500,000+ deliveries via per-drop transaction fees.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where ChipDrop is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Portland
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
ChipDrop business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Arborist Drop Fees: ChipDrop charges arborists a flat fee per drop (generally between $20-$40 USD) when delivering wood chips to gardener sites. The pricing varies by country, city, and time of year. There is no subscription or monthly fee to use the service. Arborists can earn credits by delivering to sites where gardeners have paid, which can be used toward future drop fees.
- Optional Gardener Payments: Gardeners have the option to voluntarily pay for their delivery, which offsets the cost to the tree company and may help increase chances of receiving a delivery sooner. Payments are processed only after successful delivery. Gardeners can also offer additional amounts that are credited to the arborist's account.
- Premium Listing Fees: Gardeners may optionally purchase a premium listing requesting delivery, which is highlighted in the service. Purchasing a premium listing does not guarantee delivery or change quantity/quality of material received.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free access for gardeners with optional payment |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Arborist per-drop fee ($20-$40 USD) |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Premium listing for gardeners |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels7 records
ChipDrop product offering
Product offeringCore offering
ChipDrop operates a web-based two-sided marketplace that matches homeowners and gardeners requesting free wood chip mulch deliveries with arborists and tree care companies that need affordable, nearby locations to dump wood chips and logs. Gardeners sign up for free and are added to a local request list; arborists use a map interface to find convenient drop sites, paying a per-drop fee (typically $20–$40 USD) with optional gardener payments and premium listings layered on top.
Product overview
ChipDrop operates as a single unified matchmaking platform that connects two user segments: gardeners and homeowners seeking free wood chip mulch, and arborists and tree companies seeking affordable drop sites. The core product consists of the main platform (chipdrop.com), the ChipDrop Network peer-to-peer messaging feature, an Arborist Drop Site Finder map tool, and a Gardener Wood Chip Request System. The company also maintains a separate Store (shop.getchipdrop.com) for merchandise. The platform matches drop site requests from gardeners with arborists working in nearby areas, facilitating free wood chip deliveries.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- ChipDrop Marketplace Service A two-sided matchmaking platform that connects homeowners and gardeners seeking free wood chip mulch deliveries with arborists and tree care companies that need to dispose of wood chips and logs.
- Arborist Drop Site Finder A map-based tool for professional arborists and tree care companies to locate cheap, local drop sites for wood chips and logs, including crew account management so field teams can find drop sites independently.
- Gardener Wood Chip Request System A free request system for homeowners, gardeners, and community gardens to sign up and request a wood chip mulch delivery, which is then matched with participating tree companies working in their area.
- ChipDrop Store An online storefront selling ChipDrop-branded merchandise and related products.
Companies that use ChipDrop
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
ChipDrop technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
ChipDrop partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
ChipDrop competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Craigslist: ChipDrop's own customer Coastal Tree Care references having previously posted on Craigslist to find drop sites. As the dominant classifieds incumbent, it serves as a broader incumbent substitute for the matching ChipDrop provides.
- OfferUp: A large horizontal P2P marketplace with a free-stuff category. While not focused on arborist services, it competes for users searching for free local materials like mulch.
- Facebook Marketplace: A massive incumbent P2P marketplace used informally by gardeners and arborists to find each other. Competes for the same 'free local stuff' mindshare but lacks ChipDrop's vertical specialization.
- Nextdoor: A neighborhood-based social platform where residents frequently share free mulch, brush, and yard-waste offers. Provides an incumbent channel for the same chip-sharing use case ChipDrop addresses.
Direct peers
- Freeya Marketplace: A free peer-to-peer marketplace that ChipDrop itself promotes in its website footer. Operates a similar concept of connecting people with free local reuse and sharing, making it the most directly comparable platform in the niche.
- CurbCards: A neighborhood-focused free item exchange platform explicitly linked by ChipDrop on its site. Shares the P2P free-stuff marketplace model, making it a closely comparable direct peer.
Others
- LoadUp: An on-demand junk and yard-waste removal marketplace. Targets a related but distinct problem—paid haul-away of green waste—rather than free chip delivery, making it an adjacent ecosystem participant.
Emerging players
- CompostNow: A subscription curbside composting service operating in select U.S. cities. Operates in the adjacent organics-recovery space that ChipDrop touches via garden-side demand for soil amendments.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
ChipDrop social profiles
Digital presenceChipDrop financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
ChipDrop leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
ChipDrop funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
ChipDrop M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about ChipDrop
What does ChipDrop do?
ChipDrop operates a web-based two-sided marketplace that matches homeowners and gardeners requesting free wood chip mulch deliveries with arborists and tree care companies that need affordable, nearby locations to dump wood chips and logs. Gardeners sign up for free and are added to a local request list; arborists use a map interface to find convenient drop sites, paying a per-drop fee (typically $20–$40 USD) with optional gardener payments and premium listings layered on top.
Is ChipDrop a public or private company?
ChipDrop is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was ChipDrop founded?
ChipDrop was founded in 2014. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is ChipDrop based?
ChipDrop is headquartered in Portland, United States, in the North America region.
How does ChipDrop make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Arborist Drop Fees are the primary driver. The others are optional Gardener Payments and premium Listing Fees.
Who are ChipDrop's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Craigslist, OfferUp, Facebook Marketplace and Nextdoor. Direct peers are Freeya Marketplace and CurbCards. LoadUp is listed as an others. CompostNow is listed as an emerging player.
Does ChipDrop have an API?
No public API is recorded for ChipDrop.