Would you use a fast, low-cost service to get farm contours (from public LIDAR/DEM)?

Hi all,

I’m exploring a tiny service (website) for homesteaders/permaculture folks: I generate farm contours from public DEM and send you clean files you can use right away for planning terraces, ponds, access roads, or water harvesting.

What you’d get
Contours: 1 ft / 5 ft / 10 ft intervals (matched to data resolution in your area).
Formats: GeoJSON, DXF others
Coverage: Wherever public DEM is available (e.g., US 3DEP; other regions case-by-case).
Turnaround: typically 24–72 hours.
Pilot price: about $25 per 100 ha (fixed square/rectangle).

Why I’m asking here
Before I build more, I want to see if this is actually useful to you.

If you’re interested, a quick reply helps a lot:

1.What would you use the contours for?

2.Which interval helps most (1/5/10 ft)?

3.Your typical area size (acres/ha)?

4.Preferred format (GeoJSON/GeoTIFF/DXF/QGIS/others)?

5.Would ~$25 per 100 ha feel fair for you?

If you want to try the beta, DM me with a rough location (bounding box or pin), area size, and desired interval. I’ll confirm what DEM is available and send a sample before doing anything paid.

Thanks! If there’s real interest, I’ll formalize this and keep it lightweight and affordable.

You have an interesting concept.  But, to answer your question, I would not use the service. I find the fun is in doing the research and work myself …even if I do mess it up.

John F Dean wrote:You have an interesting concept.  But, to answer your question, I would not use the service. I find the fun is in doing the research and work myself …even if I do mess it up.

Totally fair—thank you for the honest answer. I get the “do-it-yourself” joy; I’m the same way with mapping.

I don't anything about those formats, would you also provide information on how to use those files?

Alex Ronan wrote:I don't anything about those formats, would you also provide information on how to use those files?

Which format would suit your needs?

Adrian, perhaps an explanation of the formats etc will help.
Its all mumbo jumbo to myself.
Perhaps a minimum fee as well.
I have 20 Acres in Australia it would be handy to have contoured.

In my area, contour maps can be purchased easily. And Google Earth also provides any elevation details I might want.