Oregon Elevation ToolsOpen the map →

Site data for architects, builders and excavation contractors

Site contours for architects and builders, from the county taxlot: drop them into CAD as DXF in Oregon Statewide Lambert feet, see how steep the lot is and which way it faces, model winter sun, and size the cut and fill for a pad, all from the USGS 3DEP lidar elevation model.

It is the desktop step before the survey and the machines: enough to price a job, spot the lot that will blow the budget, and start concept design on day one.

The workflow

  1. Step 1 · Property

    Load the lot

    The county taxlot as the working area. Results on the map, and the GeoJSON and KML the Contour Lines panel saves, are clipped to it; Download Data files cover the rectangle around it.

    Open Property →How it works

  2. Step 2 · Contour Lines

    Site contours for design

    Contours from 1 ft, previewed on the map clipped to the lot, and exported as DXF for AutoCAD or Civil 3D covering the rectangle around it.

    Open Contour Lines →How it works

  3. Step 3 · Slope & Aspect

    Slope and aspect

    How steep the lot is and which way each face points, broken into classes.

    Open Slope & Aspect →How it works

  4. Step 4 · Sunlight

    Winter sun on the site

    Hours of direct sun on December 21 or any date, with shadows from terrain and, optionally, trees and buildings.

    Open Sunlight →How it works

  5. Step 5 · Cut & Fill

    Size the pad earthwork

    Cut and fill in cubic yards at an elevation you set, or where they balance, with a cut and fill depth map.

    Open Cut & Fill →How it works

  6. Step 6 · Elevation Profile

    Check the driveway grade

    The grade along a driveway or haul road, section by section, and the total climb.

    Open Elevation Profile →How it works

Free to run · pay to download

See the full result on the map free, with no account. Download contours as DXF and PDF, a georeferenced aerial photo of the site for CAD, the elevation model and slope, sun and cut and fill grids as GeoTIFF, and the property report as a PDF with a pass: US$29 for 24 hours, US$99 for 30 days or US$399 for 12 months, a one-off payment in US dollars that never renews. Every download on the site is included while the pass lasts.

Start on the map →Pass prices and what’s included

What it doesn’t replace

  • Volumes are in-place cubic yards to a level plane: no side slopes, topsoil stripping, swell, compaction or retaining walls. Real quantities run higher.
  • The ground is as the lidar recorded it, not a survey. Permit drawings and contract quantities still need a topographic survey by a licensed surveyor.
  • The tools do not check zoning, setbacks, lot coverage or the building code. Check with the county or city.

Questions

How accurate are lidar cut and fill volumes?

As good as the lidar for the area and its date. On open ground the model follows the real surface closely, which makes it good for estimating and comparing options. Under dense brush, or on ground graded since the flight, it is not. Check the result against the site before relying on it.

Do I need a grading permit?

That depends on your county or city, which sets when excavation and fill need a permit. Use the volumes here when you ask; the tool itself does not know the local rules.

Can I get the contours into Civil 3D?

Yes. Contours export as DXF in Oregon Statewide Lambert, international feet (EPSG:2992), with each line at its elevation in feet, which Civil 3D and AutoCAD read directly. The elevation model itself exports as a GeoTIFF for building a surface.

Can several people use one pass?

A pass lives in the browser it was bought in, with no account. Anyone can run the tools for free; downloads work in the browser that holds the pass.

Guides

Data

Everything runs on the USGS 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) bare-earth elevation model: lidar at 3.3 ft per pixel where it has been flown, and the 1/3 arc-second model, about 33 ft per pixel, elsewhere. Every result says how much of the area came from that coarser model.

USGS 3DEP elevation data and USGS maps are U.S. Government works in the public domain: you may use the results, including commercially. A credit to the USGS 3D Elevation Program is appreciated, and every file you download carries it. DOGAMI lidar products are published by the State of Oregon; credit "DOGAMI / Oregon Lidar Consortium". County taxlot boundaries are the assessor's GIS data, not surveys, and each county publishes its own disclaimer, shown with the parcel. The aerial basemap is from Esri and follows Esri's terms; it is not included in downloads.