Landscape Edging Calculator
Pieces or rolls of edging by border length and product type.
Add up all bed edges; measure curves with a hose or rope.
You need
4 pieces
Includes 5% for overlaps and cuts.
- Edging length with allowance
- 63 linear ft
- Stakes (plastic coil, every 3 ft)
- 20 stakes
Estimates only. Verify quantities before ordering.
How this is calculated
Pieces = total border length x 1.05 (overlap and cuts) / piece length, rounded up. Plastic coil edging typically needs a stake every 3 to 4 ft; no-dig systems include spikes per section.
Measure the total length of the borders you want to edge, pick the product, and this calculator counts the rolls, sections, or blocks. For curved beds, run a garden hose or rope along the planned line and measure that; curves consume the same linear feet as straight runs with flexible products, but rigid sections lose length at every angle cut.
The 5% overlap allowance covers connector overlaps, cuts at corners, and closing the loop on island beds. Buy the round-up amount: edging products change styles and colors between seasons, and matching a short remainder next spring is surprisingly hard.
Edging for common projects
Rows include the 5% overlap allowance. Stake counts apply to plastic coil edging.
| Project | 20 ft rolls | Stakes |
|---|---|---|
| One 4 x 10 ft bed (28 ft) | 2 pieces | 10 stakes |
| Front walkway beds (50 ft) | 3 pieces | 17 stakes |
| Typical front yard (80 ft) | 5 pieces | 27 stakes |
| Front and back beds (120 ft) | 7 pieces | 40 stakes |
| Large property (200 ft) | 11 pieces | 67 stakes |
Common questions
How do I measure for edging around curved beds?
Lay a garden hose or rope along the exact line you want, mark it, then measure the hose. Curves are where eyeball estimates fail worst; a kidney-shaped bed's edge is often 30 to 40% longer than its straight-line dimensions suggest.
How deep should landscape edging go?
Standard plastic and metal edging sits with about 1 inch of reveal above grade and the rest below, so a 4 inch product is buried about 3 inches. The below-grade portion is what stops grass rhizomes, especially bermuda and quackgrass, from sneaking under into the bed.
Plastic, steel, or concrete edging?
Plastic coil is the cheapest and fine for gentle curves, but heaves in freeze-thaw climates unless staked well. Steel and aluminum give the crisp invisible line landscapers prefer and last decades. Concrete scallops and paver soldier courses are the most visible and double as a mower strip.
How many stakes does edging need?
Plastic coil edging wants a stake every 3 to 4 feet plus one at every joint, so a 60 ft run takes about 20. Metal edging systems typically include tapered stakes with each section. Skimping on stakes is why plastic edging pops out of the ground the first winter.