Library search
Find saved cards by address or registry number. The library holds the records saved on this Windows account.
Water service tie-card records
Field measurements in. Finished tie cards out.
UtiliFolio is a Windows application for water departments that keep service tie cards. Enter the ties you measured, attach photos, adjust a schematic sketch, and save the card in the established front-and-back format, on one laptop, without an internet connection.
Windows preview 0.3.0 The installed app window is still titled “UtiliVault” while the product name changes. This site does not offer downloads.
At a glance
- Runs on
- A Windows laptop, installed per user, with its backend included
- Needs for local work
- No internet, home PC, Python, AI model or Tailscale
- Keeps records
- In a records folder on that Windows account, with version history
- Saves cards as
- Printable 2-page or digital 3-page TIFF, 300 DPI, LZW compressed
Product tour
One window: the library, the record and the card.
The library, the entry form and the card preview sit side by side, so the record and the drawing are checked together. This is the installed Windows preview 0.3.0, running offline.
- Records library. Start a new card, search saved cards by address or registry number, and see each card’s current version.
- Record tabs. Measurements, Photos and History for the open card. Shown here: the two separate photo slots.
- House style and Edit sketch. Pick one of the 23 presets, then adjust connected points and measurement text on the tie sketch.
- Card preview. Switch between Front, Back · tie sketch and Property photo before you save anything.
- Generate and save. Generate the preview, choose the printable (2-page) or digital (3-page) TIFF, then Save TIFF opens the Windows Save dialog.
- Workspace status. “Offline · saved on this computer” confirms the local workspace is running without a network.
Workflow
One record, six steps, start to finish.
Most cards follow the same path. You can go back to any step, and each saved change is kept in the record’s history.
Find or start the record
Search the local library by address or registry number, open an existing card, or start a new one.
Enter what was measured
Fill grouped fields for the record, tie measurements, main, service and notes. Choose standard sizes and materials from lists, or type a custom value.
Attach the two photos
Keep the annotated measurement photo with the record for checking, and attach the clean property photo used on the digital card.
Pick a house style
Choose one of 23 schematic house-family presets, then adjust its geometry to suit the sketch.
Adjust the sketch
Move the connected curb stop, house entry and main points, and place each named measurement label where it reads clearly.
Review and save
Preview front and back, check the revision history, then save a printable or digital TIFF with Windows' own Save dialog.
Features
What the Windows preview does today.
Everything in this section ships in Windows preview 0.3.0 and works offline.
Grouped measurement entry
Fields are grouped the way a tie card is read. Size and material fields offer standard choices, plus “Not recorded” and “Custom value” for anything the list does not cover, such as an old material description copied from the original card.
| Group | Fields |
|---|---|
| Record | Address, registry number, date, signed by (back of card), contractor, inspector |
| Tie measurements | Left tie, right tie, main to curb, curb to house |
| Main | Main size, main material, optional main line label override |
| Service | Service material main to curb, service material curb to house, service diameter |
| Reference and notes | Reference label, reference number, comments |
Standard choices, with room for old records
Every list also includes “Unknown”. Choosing “Custom value” opens a text box.
- Main size
- 2″, 4″, 6″, 8″, 10″, 12″, 16″, 20″, 24″, 30″, 36″
- Main material
- Cast iron, ductile iron, asbestos cement, steel, PVC, HDPE, copper
- Service material
- Copper, lead, galvanized steel, HDPE, PE, PVC, brass
- Service diameter
- ½″, ⅝″, ¾″, 1″, 1¼″, 1½″, 2″, 3″, 4″, 6″
Two kinds of photo
The measurement reference photo stays with the record for checking and is never printed. The property photo becomes page 3 of the digital TIFF only.
Back-of-card details
You enter who signed the back of the card. It is never filled in from the inspector field. The record date fills the existing date line, and the main label is written from main size and material unless you type your own.
House presets
23 schematic house styles, drawn by the app.
These previews come straight from the app’s house renderer. They are based on house families common in Framingham, Massachusetts, including Campanelli-type L-ranches, Capes and Colonials.
Schematic, not surveyed. A preset is an architectural reference symbol. It is not a model of a particular address or a measured property survey. Its geometry can be edited on each card.
Original (1)
Original
Established simple house symbol.
Postwar ranches (8)
Ranch
Low single-story frontage and broad roof.
Split level
Offset roof heights and staggered window rows.
Campanelli-type · garage left
L-shaped ranch family with a projecting left garage, low roof, and picture window.
Campanelli-type · garage right
L-shaped ranch family with a projecting right garage, low roof, and picture window.
L-ranch · converted left garage
General altered-ranch variant with windows replacing the left garage opening.
L-ranch · converted right garage
General altered-ranch variant with windows replacing the right garage opening.
Gable ranch
Single-story frontage with an end-gable roof and broad living-room window.
Raised ranch · split entry
General variant with upper living windows, lower-level windows, and a split-entry stair.
Traditional houses (12)
Cape
Steep roof with two dormers and a centered entry.
Colonial
Two-story frontage with a centered entry and porch.
Garage on left
Two-story frontage with an attached left garage.
Garage on right
Two-story frontage with an attached right garage.
Cape · without dormers
Compact steep-roof Cape with a centered door and no dormers.
Dutch Colonial · gambrel
Two-slope gambrel roof, broad eaves, and a centered entry.
Garrison Colonial
General Colonial variant with an overhanging upper story and supporting brackets.
Greek Revival · front gable
Front-facing pediment, corner pilasters, and a side entry.
Bungalow · front porch
Low broad gable with a full-width porch and tapered square posts.
Queen Anne · tower and porch
Asymmetric tower, steep gable, projecting bay, and wraparound-style porch.
Italianate · bracketed eaves
Low hipped roof, paired cornice brackets, and tall narrow windows.
Second Empire · mansard
Mansard roof with dormer windows, corner turret, and a recessed entry.
Multi-family (2)
Duplex
Paired entries and mirrored frontages.
Three-decker · stacked porches
General multifamily variant with three window rows and stacked front porches.
Sketch editing
Arrange the drawing. Keep the numbers.
Connected points
The curb stop, house entry and main connection are linked. Move one and its attached lines follow, so the sketch stays connected.
Readable measurement text
Each label is named, so two identical distances can be told apart. Pick a label from the Move measurement text list or drag it, then use arrow keys or the movement buttons to fine-tune. Undo steps back; Reset returns a label to its default place.
Placement only. Dragging points or labels changes where things are drawn. It does not measure or recalculate lengths. The numbers on the card are always the ones you entered.
Try it here
Move measurement text on a sample sketch.
A small, simulated version of the label controls, using the fictional values from card A below.
Simulated example. Runs only in this page. It does not open, save, render or upload records, and refreshing the page resets it.
Move measurement text
Choose a label, then use the direction buttons. With a mouse, pen or touch you can also drag a label on the sketch.
| Measurement | Recorded value | Text offset |
|---|---|---|
| Left tie | 38′ 7″ | original position |
| Right tie | 61′ | original position |
| Curb to house | 38′ 6″ | original position |
| Main to curb | 18′ 8″ | original position |
No labels moved yet. Recorded values never change when text moves, in this demonstration or in the app.
Outputs
The card format your records already use.
Preview the front, the back tie sketch and the property photo before saving. Each saved change is kept in the record’s history, and any earlier version can be restored as a new version.
Printable TIFF
2 pages
Front record and back tie sketch. No property photo. LZW compressed at 300 DPI.
Digital TIFF
3 pages
Front, back, and the clean property photo as page 3. LZW compressed at 300 DPI.
Saved with the Windows Save dialog (Downloads by default). The examples below are web copies of real renderer output with fictional addresses; their original text is unchanged.
Card A · DEMO-0000
Read card a as text
- Address
- 100 UtiliVault Demo Way
- Registry number
- DEMO-0000
- Main
- 8″ ductile iron
- Service
- 1″ copper main to curb; black plastic curb to house
- Left tie
- 38′ 7″
- Right tie
- 61′
- Main to curb
- 18′ 8″
- Curb to house
- 38′ 6″
- Contractor, date, inspector, signer
- Left blank on this sample
- Banner
- Marked as a fictional website demonstration
Card B · DEMO-0001
Read card b as text
- Address
- 102 UTILIVAULT DEMO WAY
- Registry number
- DEMO-0001
- Main
- 8″ ductile iron
- Service
- 1″ copper main to curb; steel curb to house
- Left tie
- 21′ 3″
- Right tie
- 15′ 4″
- Main to curb
- 16′ 4″
- Curb to house
- 8′ 9″
- Contractor, date, inspector, signer
- Left blank on this sample
- Banner
- Marked as a fictional website demonstration
First use
Before your first real card.
A short checklist for a department trying the preview. The installer is supplied during a pilot, not from this site.
Check with IT first
The preview is an unsigned, per-user Windows app. Confirm your workplace allows it before the pilot starts; the FAQ below has the details.
Install on the work laptop
Run the per-user installer, or extract the whole ZIP and keep its files together. Nothing else to install: the backend is included.
Make a practice card
Use made-up values first. Enter measurements, attach both photos, pick a house style, generate the preview and check every page.
Save, then export
Fields and sketch edits are saved separately. Save the sketch, generate the preview again, then use Save TIFF.
Set up backups
UtiliVault › Storage details shows where records are kept; Open records folder opens it. Close the app and copy the whole folder, and do it again before every update.
Status
What is shipped, what is separate, what is planned.
We would rather you know exactly what exists than be surprised during a pilot.
| Capability | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Offline Windows app with included local backend | Shipped in the Windows preview | Windows preview 0.3.0. No internet, home PC, Python, AI model or Tailscale needed for local use. |
| Library search by address or registry number | Shipped in the Windows preview | Searches records saved on this Windows account. |
| Grouped measurement entry with standard dropdowns and custom values | Shipped in the Windows preview | Sizes and materials listed above, plus “Not recorded” and “Custom value”. |
| Separate measurement photo and property photo | Shipped in the Windows preview | Measurement photo stays with the record; property photo is page 3 of the digital TIFF. |
| 23 schematic Framingham-area house-family presets | Shipped in the Windows preview | Editable geometry. Schematic references, not property surveys. |
| Connected curb stop, house entry and main points | Shipped in the Windows preview | Attached lines follow when a point moves. |
| Named measurement labels: drag, keyboard nudge, undo, reset | Shipped in the Windows preview | Moving text never changes recorded lengths. |
| Explicit signer and date; automatic main label | Shipped in the Windows preview | Main label comes from size and material unless you type an override. |
| Front/back preview, revision history and restore | Shipped in the Windows preview | Restoring saves the earlier version as a new version. |
| Native Save dialog: printable and digital TIFF | Shipped in the Windows preview | 2-page printable and 3-page digital, LZW compressed, 300 DPI. |
| Local records folder, backups guidance, Storage details menu | Shipped in the Windows preview | Records live under the app's per-user data folder. |
| Online phone workspace | Separate online tool | Needs a running host computer and a connection. Uses its own records. |
| Automatic phone, laptop or Google Drive sync | Planned, not available | Not available. Libraries stay separate. |
| Offline phone submission | Planned, not available | Not available yet. |
| CADCraft and OpenForma integrations | Explored, not shipped | Feasibility work only. Not part of any release. |
Not included
- No AI is needed or included for the manual workflow.
- No automatic import of an existing remote library.
- Records made on different computers stay separate.
Questions
Frequently asked questions.
Does it really work without an internet connection?
Yes. Once installed, the Windows app creates, previews and saves cards with no internet connection. It does not need a home PC, Python, an AI model or Tailscale, because its backend is included. Only getting the installer requires contact with us, through a pilot.
Is the phone workspace the same app?
No. A phone-friendly workspace exists as a separate online tool. It needs a running host computer and a network connection, and it keeps its own records. Nothing syncs automatically between the phone workspace, the laptop app and Google Drive. Offline phone submission is planned, not available.
Where are records stored?
In a records folder inside the app’s per-user data folder, so each Windows account has its own library. Storage details shows the path. Saved TIFF files are separate: they go wherever you point the Save dialog, Downloads by default.
How do we back up, restore or move to another laptop?
- Back up: close the app, then copy the whole records folder. TIFF files are finished outputs, not a backup; the folder also holds photos, editable fields and history.
- Restore: keep a copy of the current folder, then replace it with a complete backup. Do not mix individual files from different backups.
- Another laptop: copy the folder across deliberately. There is no account sign-in, cloud restore or sync.
What if the app stops responding?
Choose UtiliVault › Restart local workspace. Save field and sketch changes before closing, because unsaved drafts may not survive a restart. Never delete the records folder to troubleshoot; updates keep it.
Will a house template match the actual property?
Only roughly. The 23 presets are schematic symbols of common house families. Choose the closest one and adjust its geometry so the sketch reads clearly. The tie distances on the card always come from the numbers you enter, never from the drawing.
Which photos do I need?
Two, in separate slots. The measurement reference photo is your annotated field photo; it stays with the record for checking and is never printed. The property photo is a clean photo of the house and becomes page 3 of the digital TIFF. The printable TIFF does not need it.
Which file should we print, and which should we keep digitally?
Print the 2-page printable TIFF: front record and back tie sketch, no photo. The 3-page digital TIFF adds the property photo as page 3. Both are 300 DPI with LZW compression. If a sketch change is missing from the file, save the sketch and generate the preview again before saving.
Why does the app window say UtiliVault?
The product is being renamed to UtiliFolio. Preview 0.3.0 still shows “UtiliVault” in its window title and in About UtiliVault, which also show the exact version that is running. Before updating, save your work and quit every open copy of the app.
Does our IT department need to approve it?
Often, yes. The preview installs per user and is not code-signed, so Windows or workplace application policies may block the installer or the ZIP copy. Ask your administrator to review it. Neither package is designed to get around those policies, and you should not try to.
How do we get it, and what does it cost?
The preview is available through a pilot; this site does not offer downloads. There are no published plans or prices yet. Get in touch and tell us how your department keeps tie cards today.
Pilots
Talk to us about a pilot.
UtiliFolio is in a preview stage. There are no published plans or prices. If your department keeps tie cards and would like to try the workflow on sample records, get in touch to discuss a pilot.
It helps to mention how your cards are kept today (paper, scans or both), roughly how many there are, and who would use the laptop.