NZ Elevation Tools is a browser-based mapping tool that turns New Zealand’s national 1 m LiDAR elevation data into contour lines, elevation profiles, slope and viewshed analysis, terrain statistics, property terrain reports and 3D-printable models — with no account, no software install and no GIS experience required.
Pan to a place, draw an area or a line on the map — or click a property to snap to its legal boundary — then pick a tool. Results appear on the map and download in the format you need.
Keeps up to five places in this browser and compares elevation, slope, winter sunlight and drainage. Export the shortlist as a JSON file.
How it works →Combines slope, facing direction, modelled winter sunlight, wetness and room for a platform into one filter, with presets for house sites, solar, orchards and more; any matching patch can become the area for the next tool. Terrain criteria, not a planning or buildability assessment.
How it works →Estimates vertical cut and fill volumes to a horizontal platform at a chosen elevation, or finds a height that balances the volumes. Excludes batter slopes, soil bulking and compaction.
How it works →Classifies terrain into ten landforms, including ridges, valleys, hollows and flats, using an adjustable neighbourhood radius.
How it works →Estimates heights of buildings and vegetation above bare ground from matching surface and terrain elevation models. Not ground elevation. Buildings and vegetation are combined; cells without usable surface data are left blank; mostly steep bare ground is flagged as unreliable.
How it works →Maps topographic wetness potential from slope and contributing area. Shows relative terrain-driven moisture concentration, not measured soil moisture or flood depth.
How it works →Maps the upstream terrain draining to the clicked cell, with an adjustable search radius and a warning when the catchment reaches the loaded terrain edge or missing data. Exports the catchment outline as DXF, GeoJSON or KML, traced along the cell edges, and the grid as a GeoTIFF.
How it works →Explores a terrain route through the points in order, favouring gentler grades, enforcing a maximum grade, with a smoothed version checked against the same grade. Compares both and charts their elevation profiles. Exports the chosen version as 3D GeoJSON, KML or DXF and its profile as CSV with coordinates. Does not assess legal access or construction feasibility.
How it works →Selects the LINZ cadastral parcel under the cursor, or up to 25 parcels at once (Shift-click, an Add another parcel toggle, or a box), and uses their real boundary as the analysis area, so results are clipped to the actual property rather than a rectangle drawn by eye.
How it works →Generates a multi-page PDF terrain report for a parcel, or several parcels selected together — hillshade, contours, slope and aspect breakdowns and elevation statistics for that title — closing with a checklist of the official records (title, planning, council hazard maps, property file, LIM) the report does not cover, linked to the council’s own viewer where one is known. A data ZIP holds the parts you choose: boundaries, elevation GeoTIFF, contours, aerial photo, a LandXML or 3D DXF terrain surface and an STL, with a README and machine-readable manifest.
How it works →Generates topographic contours at any interval from 0.5 m upward, rendered on the map and exportable as vectors.
How it works →Returns the ground elevation in metres at each point you click, as a numbered list, or at evenly spaced NZTM2000 grid points across an area (up to 50,000), downloadable as CSV, GeoJSON or DXF.
How it works →Computes slope steepness and the compass direction each face points, including a full aspect distribution (share of land facing N/NE/E/… plus the flat share) — the terrain measure behind building consent, earthworks, solar and pasture questions.
How it works →Two analyses on depression-filled LiDAR terrain: overland flow paths, each classed by the hectares of land draining through it (0.4 ha, the Auckland Unitary Plan threshold, then 10 and 100 ha) and exportable as GeoJSON/KML, and ponding — where water would stand once hollows fill, with depth, area and volume. Names the LiDAR survey it was traced from. A screening map, not a flood hazard map.
How it works →Models hours of direct sun across a site on any day of the year — the shortest day, equinox or longest day — with shadows cast by terrain up to 3 km away and, where LiDAR has been flown, by trees and buildings. Shows when the sun first reaches the area and when it last leaves, and lets you step through the day half an hour at a time to watch the shadows move.
How it works →Calculates which ground within 1 to 10 km is in line of sight from an observer, allowing for earth curvature and refraction, with a choice of eye height, target height, and whether trees and buildings from the LiDAR surface model block the view — used for view protection, siting a house, and telecommunications or camera placement.
How it works →Checks whether one point is visible from another — a house site to a mountain, a deck to the sea — and if not, where the view is first blocked and by how much, with the terrain profile and sightline drawn together.
How it works →Summarises minimum, maximum, mean and range of elevation across an area, plus its hypsometric (elevation frequency) distribution.
How it works →Produces a cross-section along any line, with distance, total ascent and descent, and the gradient at any point on a chart linked to the map — for trails, roads, driveways, pipe runs and fence lines. Exports CSV, 3D GeoJSON, KML and DXF.
How it works →Measures the flat map length of a line tapped out corner by corner. For the climb along a line, use Elevation Profile.
How it works →Exports the selected area as contour vectors, a DEM raster or a 3D surface mesh.
How it works →Adds accurate ground elevation to coordinates in a file you already have, replacing missing or noisy GPS altitude with LiDAR-derived values.
How it works →Every tool has a page explaining what it does, how the calculation works and where it can mislead: all tool explanations.
Primary source. Download Data, the property report’s data bundle and Elevate a File read it on our server directly as cloud-optimised GeoTIFFs from the open nz-elevation bucket (AWS S3, ap-southeast-2), indexed through its STAC collection, and Elevation Change reads the same files in your browser. Native projection is NZTM2000 (EPSG:2193).
data.linz.govt.nzWhat most on-map tools, and the files they download, read in your browser: the same bare-earth model as terrain-RGB tiles, LiDAR where it has been flown and the national 8 m DEM elsewhere, at the zoom each tool picks. The tiles do not record which of the two a cell came from. Download Data and the property report’s data bundle use them on our server only to fill pixels the LiDAR pass left empty, and report what percentage came from this fallback.
basemaps.linz.govt.nzPowers place-name, address and parcel search, and the click-to-select property boundaries used as a cut-out area of interest.
data.linz.govt.nzAerial photo downloads. In Download Data, each survey’s original photo tiles are read as cloud-optimised GeoTIFFs from the open nz-imagery bucket (AWS S3, ap-southeast-2), not from map tiles, and cut to your area in NZTM2000. The newest photo covering the whole area is used, or a sharper one up to a year older, unless you pick another; the file credits that survey’s licensor.
data.linz.govt.nzThe three basemaps you can switch between under the map: aerial photography, the official LINZ topographic raster (place names, tracks, huts and roads), and Igor-method shaded relief — a plain grey terrain canvas that reads more clearly than photography underneath contour and slope overlays. Backdrop only; no measurement is taken from them.
basemaps.linz.govt.nzAccuracy is inherited from the underlying LINZ survey, not asserted by this tool. Where 1 m LiDAR exists the vertical accuracy is that of the LINZ National Elevation Programme capture for that region; outside LiDAR coverage the 8 m national DEM is substantially coarser. Most on-map tools read the two through the LINZ elevation tiles, which do not record which one a cell came from, so check a spot with Data Here; Download Data and the property report’s data bundle state what proportion of the area came from the 8 m fallback. Values are ground elevation from a digital elevation model — they do not include buildings or tree canopy, and should not be treated as a substitute for a surveyed level where a legal or engineering decision depends on it.
Elevation and cadastral data is sourced from the LINZ Data Service and licensed for re-use under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence. Copyright in each LiDAR survey belongs to the body that commissioned it — a regional or district council, Waka Kotahi, NIWA and around thirty others — rather than to LINZ, which hosts and processes the national dataset. Every file exported from this site names the licensors whose surveys cover the area, and anything you publish from those files carries the same attribution requirement. See https://www.linz.govt.nz/products-services/data/licensing-and-using-data/attributing-elevation-or-aerial-imagery-data
| Format | Type | Typically used for |
|---|---|---|
| GeoJSON .geojson | Contour vectors | QGIS, web maps, Leaflet, MapLibre, scripting |
| Shapefile .shp.zip | Contour vectors | ArcGIS and traditional GIS workflows |
| DXF .dxf | Contour vectors | AutoCAD, Civil 3D and CAD drafting |
| KML .kml | Contour vectors | Google Earth and Google Maps |
| SVG .svg | Contour vectors | Illustration, laser cutting, print design |
| PDF .pdf | Contour vectors | Print-ready topographic map sheets |
| STL .stl | 3D surface | 3D printing a physical terrain model |
| OBJ .obj | 3D surface | Blender, Cinema 4D and 3D rendering |
| GeoTIFF .tif | Raster | The raw digital elevation model, or the LINZ aerial photo of the area, for GIS and analysis |
| 3D DXF .dxf | 3D surface | The ground as 3DFACE triangles in NZTM2000, for CAD |
| LandXML .xml | 3D surface | A LandXML 1.2 TIN surface in NZTM2000, for civil design software |
| KMZ .kmz | Aerial photo | The LINZ aerial photo of the area as a Google Earth overlay |
| PNG + world file .zip | Aerial photo | The LINZ aerial photo with .pgw and .prj, for software that reads world files |
Files you upload for elevation enrichment can be GPX, KML, GeoJSON, JSON, CSV.
Output resolution scales with the size of the area you select. Files from Download Data of up to 3 km per side are delivered at the full 1 m LiDAR detail, while a 12 km block is resampled to roughly 4 m per pixel. STL and OBJ meshes are thinned further so they stay printable. 3D DXF and LandXML surfaces from Download Data keep the full 1 m detail up to 1 km per side and are thinned above that. The Download Data panel shows the detail before you download. Select a smaller area when you need fine detail.
Check slope, aspect, drainage and views on a block before committing, using the real title boundary rather than a guess.
Understand paddock slope and aspect, work out where water runs, and plan tracks and fence lines.
Pull site contours straight into CAD, assess a sloping site, and understand access gradients before a survey is commissioned.
Get LINZ LiDAR-derived contours, DEM rasters and terrain statistics for a defined area without downloading and processing raw tiles.
Generate accurate elevation profiles for a route and correct the elevation recorded by a GPS watch.
Export any part of New Zealand as an STL or OBJ mesh and 3D print it.
Google serves a global elevation model that is far coarser than 1 m over New Zealand and offers no contour generation, no slope or viewshed analysis, and no vector or CAD export. NZ Elevation Tools is New Zealand only, but uses the national LiDAR capture and exports to GIS, CAD and 3D formats.
The LINZ Data Service is the authoritative source and has no area limit, but it hands you raw tiles that need GIS software and processing skill. This tool reads the same open data and returns finished contours, profiles and statistics in the browser, and builds meshes on its server — at the cost of a size cap per request.
Desktop GIS is more capable and has no limits, but requires installation, data acquisition and expertise. This tool covers the common New Zealand terrain questions in a few clicks and exports into those same packages when deeper work is needed.
Those tools are global and mostly correct elevation against SRTM, roughly 30 m resolution. Within New Zealand this tool corrects against 1 m LiDAR, which is materially more accurate on steep or complex ground.
Those show the published LINZ topographic map series with its fixed 20 m contour interval. This tool generates contours at any interval you choose from the underlying elevation model, and lets you export them.
The tools are. Every map, measurement and analysis on the site is free to use, with no account or sign-up — you can run contours, slope, drainage, viewsheds and the property report and see every result on screen. Downloading the results needs a pass: NZ$49 for 7 days or NZ$299 for 12 months, both one-off payments including GST, neither a subscription. Limits apply to the size of the area you can process in a single request.
From Toitū Te Whenua Land Information New Zealand (LINZ). The primary source is the national 1 m LiDAR digital elevation model, with the national 8 m DEM filling the gaps where LiDAR has not been captured. Most on-map tools, and the files they download, read it in your browser through the LINZ elevation tiles, which do not say which of the two a cell came from; Elevation Change reads the surveys’ own 1 m files directly in your browser. Download Data and the property report’s data bundle are built on our server from the model’s cloud-optimised GeoTIFFs in the open nz-elevation data bucket and report how much of the area came from the 8 m fallback. Elevate a File reads the same GeoTIFFs on our server but does not report that share.
Accuracy is inherited from the underlying LINZ survey, not asserted by this tool. Where 1 m LiDAR exists the vertical accuracy is that of the LINZ National Elevation Programme capture for that region; outside LiDAR coverage the 8 m national DEM is substantially coarser. Most on-map tools read the two through the LINZ elevation tiles, which do not record which one a cell came from, so check a spot with Data Here; Download Data and the property report’s data bundle state what proportion of the area came from the 8 m fallback. Values are ground elevation from a digital elevation model — they do not include buildings or tree canopy, and should not be treated as a substitute for a surveyed level where a legal or engineering decision depends on it.
The tool works anywhere within New Zealand, but 1 m LiDAR coverage is not yet national. Areas without LiDAR fall back to the 8 m national DEM, which still returns usable results at a coarser level of detail. Requests outside New Zealand are rejected.
Contours export as GeoJSON, Shapefile, DXF, KML, SVG and PDF. Terrain surfaces export as STL and OBJ for 3D printing and modelling, as GeoTIFF for the raw digital elevation model, and as a 3D DXF (3DFACE triangles) or a LandXML TIN surface in NZTM2000 for CAD and civil design. The LINZ aerial photo of an area downloads as a GeoTIFF in NZTM2000, a KMZ for Google Earth, or a PNG with a world file. Files you upload for elevation enrichment can be GPX, KML, GeoJSON, JSON, CSV.
Any interval from 0.5 m upward. This is finer than the 20 m interval of the published LINZ Topo50 map series, which is why the tool is useful for site-scale work such as building platforms, driveways and drainage.
No. Everything runs in a normal web browser — draw an area or a line on the map, pick a tool, and download the result. Exports are provided in formats that GIS and CAD packages read if you want to take the work further.
Elevation and cadastral data is sourced from the LINZ Data Service and licensed for re-use under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence. Copyright in each LiDAR survey belongs to the body that commissioned it — a regional or district council, Waka Kotahi, NIWA and around thirty others — rather than to LINZ, which hosts and processes the national dataset. Every file exported from this site names the licensors whose surveys cover the area, and anything you publish from those files carries the same attribution requirement. See https://www.linz.govt.nz/products-services/data/licensing-and-using-data/attributing-elevation-or-aerial-imagery-data
Contours and downloads allow up to 12 km per side, and terrain statistics and elevation enrichment up to 6 km per side. Output resolution scales with the size of the area you select. Files from Download Data of up to 3 km per side are delivered at the full 1 m LiDAR detail, while a 12 km block is resampled to roughly 4 m per pixel. STL and OBJ meshes are thinned further so they stay printable. 3D DXF and LandXML surfaces from Download Data keep the full 1 m detail up to 1 km per side and are thinned above that. The Download Data panel shows the detail before you download. Select a smaller area when you need fine detail.
Yes. The Property tool fetches the LINZ cadastral parcel under the point you click and uses that title boundary as the analysis area, so contours, slope and statistics are clipped to the real parcel.
Consumer GPS elevation is derived from satellite geometry or a barometric sensor and is typically the least accurate part of a recorded track, especially in valleys and under canopy. Uploading the file and re-sampling it against the LiDAR terrain model replaces those values with ground elevation from survey-grade data.
NZ Elevation Tools is built by MapScaping (https://mapscaping.com), which produces geospatial tools, writing and a long-running podcast about the geospatial industry.
Built by MapScaping.