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 |
Edging materials and how long each lasts
Plastic and poly edging is the cheapest option and the one most often regretted. It works where the ground stays stable and the line is gently curved, but it heaves out of the soil after a few freeze and thaw cycles unless it is staked heavily, and the exposed lip goes brittle in sun. If you buy it, choose the thicker commercial grade rather than the thin coiled roll, and plan on a stake every 3 feet rather than the spacing printed on the package.
Steel and aluminum edging holds a crisp line for decades and bends into smooth curves without kinking. Steel weathers to a dark patina that most people like, though it will eventually corrode through in constantly wet soil; aluminum will not rust at all and weighs far less to carry, at a higher price. Both come in 8 or 16 foot lengths that overlap at the joints, so order by total run and let the overlap absorb the offcuts.
Paver, brick, and natural stone edging is the most durable and the most work, because it wants a compacted base and a level line the same way a walkway does. Its advantage is that a mower wheel can ride along it, which no thin edging allows. Count these by the piece rather than by length: divide your run by the width of a single unit and add a few for breakage.
Depth, staking, and curves
Set edging so only about half an inch to an inch stands above grade. Higher than that and it catches string trimmers, mower decks, and shins; lower and mulch simply washes over the top. The buried portion is what resists frost, so a 5 inch profile buried 4 inches will stay put far better than a 4 inch profile buried 2, whatever the material.
Curves consume more material than a tape measure across the bed suggests. Lay a garden hose along the intended line first and measure the hose, not the straight distance between bed corners; a bed that reads 30 feet across can easily need 40 feet of edging once the curve is followed. For tight radii, steel bends more willingly if you relieve the top edge with a few shallow cuts, and paver units need a slight wedge gap between them rather than being forced together.
Ordering and installing without gaps
Order total linear feet plus about 10 percent. Overlapping joints consume a few inches each time, ends get trimmed, and one length usually gets bent past saving while being persuaded around a corner. Edging is also awkward to top up later because colors and profiles change between production runs, so the spare is cheaper bought now than matched in a year.
Cut the trench with a flat spade held vertically against a marked line rather than digging a wide channel, which leaves the edging leaning. Backfill and tamp both sides, and drive stakes angled away from the bed so they pull against undisturbed soil rather than sliding out with the loose fill. Where two runs meet, overlap them by a few inches rather than butting the ends, since a butted joint opens into a visible gap by the second season.
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.