About the Landscape Edging Calculator
This landscape edging calculator works out how much edging you need to outline a garden bed, tree ring, path or lawn border. Pick a rectangular bed (and which sides need edging), a round bed, or enter a length you measured along an irregular border, and the tool returns the linear footage, the number of sections, rolls or bricks to buy, the stakes to secure them and an estimated cost.
It is useful whether you are installing plastic coil edging, steel or aluminum strips, composite boards, or a row of bricks and pavers. Beds against a house or fence often need edging on only three sides, so you can leave out the sides that do not need it.
Curvy beds use more material than their straight-line length suggests. If you measured a curved border with a straight tape, add a curve allowance of roughly 10–20%; a garden hose laid along the edge and then measured gives a more accurate length. A waste allowance covers cuts, overlaps between sections and mistakes.
With the default inputs, the edging to buy is 35.2 ft. Change any value above to recalculate instantly.
How to use the landscape edging calculator
- 1Choose a rectangle, circle or a measured length for irregular borders.
- 2Enter the dimensions in feet and, for rectangles, which sides need edging.
- 3Add a curve allowance for wavy edges and a waste allowance for overlaps.
- 4Pick the product size you plan to buy and the stake spacing it needs.
- 5Enter the price per piece to see the total cost.
Formula and method
For a rectangular bed the edge length is the sum of the sides you choose to edge: the full perimeter 2 × (length + width), three sides (one long side plus both ends) for a bed against a wall, two sides for a corner bed, or one long side. A round bed uses the circumference π × diameter, and an irregular border uses the length you measured.
A curve allowance is added for wavy edges measured in straight lines, giving the installed length used to count stakes: one per stake-spacing interval for a closed loop (a full rectangle or a circle), plus one extra for the far end of an open run. A waste allowance for overlaps, cuts and breakage is then added to get the length to buy, which is divided by the length of one piece, roll or brick and rounded up to whole units.
- L, W
- Bed length and width, ft
- D
- Diameter of a round bed, ft
- Curve%
- Extra length for curves not captured by straight measurements
- Waste%
- Extra for overlaps, cuts and breakage
Worked examples
20 × 6 ft bed against the house, steel edging
Edging the front and both ends is 20 + 6 + 6 = 32 ft. With 10% for overlaps you need 35.2 ft, which is five 8 ft sections ($125 at $25 each). An open 32 ft run staked every 3 ft needs ⌈32 ÷ 3⌉ + 1 = 12 stakes, counting both ends.
10 ft tree ring with a 20 ft roll
The circumference is π × 10 ≈ 31.4 ft; adding 5% for overlap gives about 33 ft, so you need two 20 ft rolls ($60). A closed ring has no loose ends, so ⌈31.4 ÷ 3⌉ = 11 stakes.
Curvy 45 ft border edged with 8-inch bricks
A 15% curve allowance turns 45 straight-line feet into 51.75 ft of edge, and 10% waste brings it to 56.9 ft. At 8 inches per brick that is 86 bricks, about $64.50 at $0.75 each.
Frequently asked questions
How do I measure a curved garden bed for edging?+
Lay a garden hose or rope along the edge, following every curve, then straighten it and measure it with a tape. If you measure in straight segments instead, add about 10–20% to allow for the curves.
How many stakes do I need for landscape edging?+
Plastic coil edging is typically staked every 3–4 ft and steel or aluminum edging every 30–36 inches, plus one stake at each joint and end. Check the product instructions for its recommended spacing.
How many bricks do I need for garden edging?+
Divide the edge length in inches by the brick length laid end to end. A standard 8-inch brick laid lengthwise needs 1.5 bricks per foot, so a 30 ft edge takes 45 bricks plus a few spares for cuts.
What is the best landscape edging?+
Steel and aluminum edging give crisp, long-lasting lines and handle curves well. Plastic coil is cheapest and easy to install, pavers and bricks look formal, and composite boards suit raised edges. Choose based on look, budget and how much mowing contact it gets.
How deep should edging be installed?+
Most strip edging is set so that about half an inch to an inch shows above the soil, deep enough to stop grass roots spreading underneath. Typical 4–6 inch tall edging is buried around 3–5 inches.