KMZ vs Shapefile for Utility Data: Formats and Limits

What is the difference between KMZ and shapefile?

A shapefile stores geometry and attribute data for GIS software, in any coordinate system declared in its .prj file. A KMZ stores placemarks, lines and polygons with styles, labels, notes and images for map viewers, always in WGS84. A shapefile is for analysis and editing; a KMZ is for looking at a route on a phone or in Google Earth.

Side by side

Both formats are included with mapping work at no extra charge; scan length sets the price, as details on the GPR survey cost calculator show.

KML became an Open Geospatial Consortium standard in 2008. Newer formats such as GeoPackage remove some shapefile limits, and many authorities still ask for shapefiles or DWG.

What should a utility layer contain?

Separate layers per utility type, with attributes for all utility lines. We include utility type (for example power cable or water pipes), size, material, number of ducts, depth, quality level, confidence, survey date and drawing reference. Ground penetrating radar (GPR) is a geophysical survey method that maps buried services from radar echoes. Every line in such a layer starts as data collected in the field, often from a GPR Hyperbola picked on screen. The finished set becomes part of the record covered under As-Built Drawing.

A worked attribute schema for a utility layer

Short field names and fixed types keep a shapefile readable in any GIS. Because a .dbf field name is limited to 10 characters, a field called QUALITY_LEVEL is silently cut to QUALITY_LE on export. We use names that fit from the start:

Common file-handling mistakes

Most problems arise in transit, not in the data itself.

• Sending only the .shp. Without .shx and .dbf the file will not open; without .prj it opens in the wrong place.
• Garbled text. Hindi or special characters in attributes need a .cpg file declaring the encoding.
• Mixed geometry. Points and lines cannot share one shapefile; KMZ allows it, so conversion splits them.
• Lost styling. Converting KMZ to shapefile drops colours and icons, which must be rebuilt in the GIS.

How Mezux packages GIS deliverables

One shapefile per utility type, one KMZ per route, and matching layer names in the DWG. Shapefiles come in the project's UTM zone with .prj and .cpg files, zipped together so nothing goes missing. Each KMZ uses folders by utility type, one colour per type, and pop-up descriptions carrying the same attributes. The shapefile format is documented in Esri's 1998 technical description, and KML 2.2 is an Open Geospatial Consortium standard. GeoPackage, adopted by the OGC in 2014, is the modern single-file alternative we can supply on request.

Which format should you ask for?

Ask for the format your next step needs, and accept that most projects need more than one. If the data will be loaded into a city or utility GIS, analysed or edited, ask for shapefiles or GeoPackage in the project's coordinate system. If the main use is for engineers and supervisors to see the services on site, a KMZ is quicker and needs nothing but a free viewer. If a designer will draw a new alignment against the services, ask for DWG as well. We deliver all three from one set of coordinates, so asking for each is cost-effective, with no risk of one copy drifting from the others.

A route example

A 3 km fibre route is mapped with the underground utilities along it. The site team receives a KMZ to open on their phones, with each crossing labelled. The client's GIS team receives shapefiles in UTM zone 43N with full attributes, and the design consultant receives DWG. All three come from the same coordinates, so they agree. Our CAD and GIS utility mapping service, through which we detect and map such corridors, sets out the standard layers.

For the utility detection work behind such files, see SUE survey, in short, or send your drawings for a quote for your project.

Frequently asked questions

Can I convert a KMZ to a shapefile?

Yes, most GIS software can, but styling is lost and text descriptions may need splitting into proper fields.

Why does my shapefile land in the wrong place?

Most often because the .prj file is missing or wrong, so the software guesses the coordinate system.

Can boundary surveys be delivered as KMZ too?

Yes; see land survey services by Mezux Touch.

Which file should go to the site engineer?

The KMZ: it opens on a phone, shows each service in colour and needs no GIS software.

Why is the text in my shapefile garbled?

The attribute table was saved in one character encoding and read in another. A .cpg file stating the encoding fixes it in most cases.

Can a KMZ carry site photographs?

Yes. Images can be packed inside the KMZ and shown in a placemark's pop-up, which is useful for test holes and chambers.

Can a shapefile hold depth as a third coordinate?

It can store 3-D geometry, but many tools ignore it. We keep depth in an attribute field as well, so it is never lost in conversion.

Is a DWG a substitute for a shapefile?

Not for GIS. A DWG holds lines and layers well, but attributes such as depth and quality level travel poorly; shapefiles or GeoPackage keep them as proper fields.

Written by Saniya Parveen · Technically reviewed by Rahul Rai · Updated 8 November 2026