Help & Getting Started
UtilityMap.nz helps you map underground services on a property, save that work to your account, print a clean site snapshot, and export a branded PDF handover report. This guide matches the current app interface and plan structure.
My Projects.
What UtilityMap.nz does
UtilityMap.nz is a browser-based mapping tool for documenting underground utilities such as power, water, fibre, gas, drainage, and custom service lines. You draw directly over the map, add notes and markers, then save the job or export it.
The current app includes account sign-in, saved projects, billing history, one-time PDF exports, monthly plans, and a landscape print preview that captures the visible workspace as a single snapshot.
Use it for homeowner records, contractor handovers, maintenance planning, excavation prep, and lightweight as-built documentation.
Launching the app
The launch screen asks for a LINZ Basemaps API key. This gives you higher-quality New Zealand aerial imagery.
Paste your LINZ key and click Launch Map, or click Skip to use OpenStreetMap instead.
Use the address search in the header, or pan and zoom manually until the site is framed the way you want.
You can start with OpenStreetMap immediately and switch to LINZ later by reopening the API key dialog from the header.
Interface overview
Search addresses, add your API key, start a new map, save the project, export PDF, print, open pricing, and access help.
Shows sign-in/register when logged out. After sign-in you get My Projects, Billing, and Sign Out.
Select utility types, tools, markers, areas, and layer visibility. This is where most drawing actions start.
The central workspace where utilities, comments, markers, labels, warnings, and shaded areas are drawn.
Drawing utilities
Map view tabs
Use the map view tabs above the workspace to keep several areas of the same project ready to revisit. Each tab remembers its own map position and zoom while utilities, markers, comments, and shaded areas remain shared across every tab. Add an area, pan or search to position it, then rename the tab for quick navigation. Use the padlock on a tab to fix its working position: panning and address movement are blocked, but zooming remains available until you unlock it.
Choose a utility type in the sidebar, then click Draw Utility. Click points across the map to trace the line. When you are done, use the floating finish bar to complete the shape.
Utility properties
After finishing the line, the utility properties modal appears. This is where you define the details that drive both on-map labeling and the exported schedule.
- Depth: optional burial depth in millimetres. Leave it blank when unknown.
- Conduit: conduit size/material or service type note, including
None. - Label: the main callout text shown on the map.
- Notes: extra schedule notes for the export.
- Warning: a specific caution to highlight for that service.
If a line is entered below 600mm depth, the app can place warning markers and flag the cable in the exported schedule.
Comments, markers, and areas
Comments
Use Add Comment to place arrow callouts with freeform text. These are useful for notes like “confirm route before trenching” or “existing service location only approximate”.
Markers
Use Place Marker for pits, valves, junction points, hazards, and other point features. Networking markers include Access Point, CCTV Camera, Intercom, Alarm, Light, and Bridge. You can set a color and optional label before placing any marker.
Areas
Use Draw Area to shade no-dig zones, easements, work boundaries, or investigation areas. Adjust fill color and opacity in the sidebar first.
Editing, deleting, undo, and redo
Switch to Pan / Select to inspect or edit existing items. Utility lines can be reopened for editing, and labels remain draggable so you can clean up the visual layout without changing the route.
- Delete Item removes selected items from the map.
- Undo and Redo are available in the sidebar and via keyboard shortcuts.
- Undo history is browser-memory based, so it is best to save important progress regularly.
Custom utility types
If the built-in list does not match the service you need, use Add Custom Type in the utility section of the sidebar. Custom types let you define your own label and color while keeping the rest of the drawing workflow the same.
Accounts and sign-in
You can explore the map as a guest, but saving projects requires an account. Use the top-right Sign In or Register buttons, or click Save Map and the app will prompt you.
Accounts are now backed by InstantDB. After sign-in, the header shows your email address and your plan tier badge.
Saving and loading projects
Click Save Map in the header to save the current workspace. When signed in, the project is stored in your account and can be reopened later from My Projects.
The app also performs background saves in some flows, especially when export-related actions depend on the current project state.
| Plan | Project storage | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Free | 1 saved project | Designed for trying the tool or keeping one active map. |
| Pro | Up to 5 saved projects | Also includes a monthly new-map limit. |
| Max | Up to 50 saved projects | Best for heavier ongoing use. |
Billing and plans
The Billing modal shows your current plan and purchase history. If your account has a Stripe customer profile, you can also open the billing portal from there.
How plans work
- Free: save one project and purchase one-time PDF exports as needed.
- Pro: subscription tier with more project capacity and included export workflow.
- Max: highest-capacity subscription tier for larger workloads.
Print preview
Click Print in the header to open the print preview. The current version no longer prints the raw live map layout directly. Instead, it captures the visible app screen as a single snapshot and opens that in a landscape print sheet.
- The preview is intended to match what you currently see on screen.
- Landscape layout is forced for more usable site plans.
- Free accounts still see branding in the print flow.
Before printing, frame the property the way you want it to appear. Print now uses the visible workspace snapshot, so composition matters.
PDF export
Use Export PDF for the polished deliverable. The PDF workflow supports report branding, schedule pages, map capture, markers, comments, and supporting project details such as project name, location, preparer, company details, and logo.
Depending on your plan, PDF export is either purchased one-off or included through the subscription flow. The export modal is also where you set cover-sheet branding information.
Keyboard shortcuts
Built-in utility types
The exact list may evolve, but the app is designed around common underground service categories such as power, communications, water, drainage, and gas. Each type uses its own color so the map remains readable at a glance.
| Type | Typical use |
|---|---|
| Power / electrical | Mains, submains, lighting feeds, and similar electrical services. |
| Water | Potable water lines, supply runs, and related services. |
| Wastewater / sewer | Foul lines, disposal runs, and drainage-related services. |
| Stormwater | Stormwater pipes, runoff paths, soak pits, and related assets. |
| Fibre / comms | Telecom, data, fibre, and other communications routes. |
| Wireless | Wireless links and coverage routes, shown as a pink dashed line. |
| Ethernet | Wired network and data runs, shown as a dark blue line. |
| Gas or custom | Gas lines or any special case you define with a custom type. |
Troubleshooting
The map tiles look wrong or empty
Wait for tiles to finish loading, then zoom or pan slightly to refresh the view. If you are using LINZ and tiles do not load, recheck your API key.
Print preview does not look right
Because print now uses a screen snapshot, try reframing the map and waiting for all visible layers to settle before printing again.
I cannot save a new project
Check your plan limits. Free accounts are limited to one saved project, while higher plans allow more stored work.
Billing portal button is unavailable
The billing portal only opens once your account has an associated Stripe customer record, which usually happens after a purchase or subscription setup.
I still need help
If the app behavior does not match this guide or something seems broken, contact [email protected].