VOLUME / CUT-FILL

Cut and Fill Software for Earthwork Volume Calculation

STREAM is cut and fill software that computes earthwork volumes directly on your DEM. Choose the reference — the real terrain, a flat design level, or another surface — and get cut and fill volumes with a clear heat map showing where material is added or removed.

Download Free See editions

A cut and fill result in STREAM: cut shown in red and fill in blue inside a drawn area, computed against another terrain scenario.

What is cut and fill?

Cut and fill is the volume of earth that must be removed (cut) or added (fill) to reach a target surface. It is the core quantity in grading, road and mining earthworks.

The result depends entirely on the reference you compare against. STREAM lets you pick the reference explicitly so the numbers match your design intent.

Cut / Fill — three reference modes — Same terrain, three references → three different volumes. The most confusing point for users. — Cut / Fill — three reference modes
Same terrain, three references → three different volumes. The most confusing point for users.
**Existing terrain** — the surveyed surface
**Flat level** — a fixed design elevation
**Reference surface** — another scenario or design
**Cut** — above the reference → removed
**Fill** — below the reference → added

Cut and Fill Software in STREAM

Four reference modes

Compute cut/fill against a surface through the area's own corners, a flat design level, its minimum, or another terrain scenario — you choose the datum.

Cut/fill heat map

See exactly where cut and fill occur as a color overlay on the terrain, not just a single number.

Between two scenarios

Compare two terrain states (before/after) and get the net volume difference with cut and fill separated.

Export the result

Save the cut/fill heat map as a GeoTIFF raster or export figures for your report.

Switch the reference without re-exporting

Most cut and fill software locks the calculation to one fixed reference surface. STREAM switches between the live terrain, a flat design level, or a second scenario in the same view — every calculation runs on the DEM you already loaded.

How to calculate cut and fill in STREAM

1
Load the terrain
Open the DEM of the site (GeoTIFF), or import a LAS/LAZ point cloud and let STREAM rasterize it to a surface.
2
Draw the area
Outline the region that is being excavated or filled. The calculation runs inside that boundary.
3
Choose the reference
Decide what the terrain is measured against: the live terrain, a flat design level, or a second scenario such as an earlier survey.
4
Read the heat map
Cut and fill appear as a coloured layer over the terrain, so you see where the material is, not just the total.
5
Export
Save the heat map as a GeoTIFF raster and take the quantities into your report.

Cut and fill reference modes in STREAM — what each one measures against
Reference mode	Volume is measured against	Use it when	Watch out for
3D Surface	A TIN spanned by the corner points of the area you drew.	The ground around the excavation is uneven and one flat level would misrepresent it.	The corners define the reference — set them on ground you trust.
Flat	One elevation you type in.	The design has a single formation level: a platform, a pit floor, a pad.	The figure is only as good as that level — state it in the report.
Flat Min	The same flat reference, pre-filled with the lowest corner elevation of the area.	You want everything above the lowest point of the boundary.	It stays a flat, editable value — check it before you run the calculation.
Terrain Scenario	The DEM of another terrain scenario, usually an earlier survey of the same site.	Period quantities: what actually moved between two surveys.	Both surfaces must cover the same boundary, or missing data lands in the difference.

Supported formats

GeoTIFF

Source DEM, and the exported cut/fill heat map raster

Watch it

Stream - Cut & Fill Volume Calculation — 3D Surface, Flat, Flat Min & Scenario-to-Scenario

Frequently asked questions

What can I compute cut and fill against in STREAM?

Against the real terrain, a flat design level (or its minimum), or a comparative reference surface. You choose the reference so the result matches your design.

Can I compare two surveys for volume change?

Yes. Select two terrain scenarios and STREAM reports the net volume difference with cut and fill separated — useful for progress and earthwork tracking.