How do I calculate how much edging I need for a garden bed?

Measure the edge of the bed. For a rectangle add the length and width and double it; for a round bed multiply the diameter by 3.14. A 10 × 4 ft bed has 28 ft of edge, and three of them have 84 ft. Add 5 to 15% for cuts and curves, then divide by the length one piece adds and round up. Do not count the side where a bed meets a wall, fence or path if you will not edge it.

How do I measure a curvy or irregular bed?

Lay a garden hose or a rope along the line the edging will follow, straighten it and measure it, or lay a tape measure along it in short steps. Type the total into the extra edging length and set the bed length and width to 0. Choose the 15% waste option for many curves, and add stakes on tight curves.

How many 8 ft steel edging sections do I need?

Steel sections overlap where they join, so each adds less than its length. Col-Met’s 8 ft section laps 8 in, which leaves 7.33 ft, so divide the feet of edging by 7.33 and round up. For 100 ft that is 14 sections with no extra; the 92.4 ft in the example (84 ft plus 10%) takes 13. Other brands may join differently, so check the package.

How many stakes do I need for landscape edging?

Steel sections come with stakes: Col-Met’s 8 ft section has 4, so 13 sections come with 52. Plastic and no-dig kits include spikes too, about 6 with a 20 ft roll and 16 with a 50 ft roll, roughly 3 per 10 ft; the calculator shows about that as an estimate. Add stakes on curves and corners, and where the ground is soft.

How many 20, 40 or 60 ft rolls of edging do I need?

Divide the feet of edging, with waste, by the roll length and round up. A 6 ft round bed has 18.8 ft of edge, 20.7 ft with 10% extra, which is 2 rolls of 20 ft. Buying one longer roll can cost less per foot than two short ones, and it saves a connector, but you will have more left over.

How many pavers or bricks do I need for a bed edge?

Divide the feet of edge by the length of one paver or brick in feet and round up. An 8 × 4 ft bed has 24 ft of edge, and with 5% extra, laid end to end with 8 in pieces, it takes 38. Bricks set on end or on their side use their width instead; change the length to the side that runs along the edge.

Do I need landscape fabric and mulch with edging?

Edging keeps mulch in and grass out of the bed, so the two are usually bought together. The mulch calculator gives the bags for the bed, and the landscape fabric calculator the weed fabric under it. Tuck the fabric against the edging before you add the mulch.

How deep should landscape edging go?

It depends on the product and the job. Most steel and plastic edging is set with only its top lip above the soil and the rest in the ground, so a deep mulch bed may call for taller edging. Follow the instructions packed with the product; the calculator does not depend on depth.

Landscape Edging Calculator: How Much Edging for Garden Beds?

Three garden beds, each 10 × 4 ft, have 84 ft of edge. With 10% extra that is 92.4 ft, which takes 13 pieces of edging: 13 steel sections of 8 ft, each adding 7.33 ft after an 8 in overlap at the joint, and 52 stakes at 4 per section. Edging = beds × bed perimeter (a circle is π × diameter), plus waste; pieces = that ÷ the length one piece adds.

Figures based on the sources listed belowUpdated 2026-10-08How we calculate

Shape

Bed length

Bed width

Extra edging

Straight runs (5%)Standard: some cuts and curves (10%)Many curves and corners (15%)Custom

Number of beds

Beds the same size as the one above. Add different beds with the extra length below.

Extra edging length (curvy beds, other runs)

A measured total, such as a garden hose laid along a curved bed. Added once, not per bed. For a curvy bed only, set the bed length and width to 0.

Edging typeRolls are cut to length; sections overlap at each joint; pavers and bricks are laid end to end.

Section length

Overlap per joint (in)

Steel sections lap at each joint: 8 in for Col-Met’s 8 ft section, so each adds about 7.33 ft. Use 0 for butt-joined sections.

Stakes per section

Col-Met’s 8 ft steel section has 4 attached stakes. Check the package for other sizes and brands.

Price per piece (optional)

Buy 13 pieces

84 linear ft + 10% waste = 92.40 linear ft

Sections: 13 sections (each 8 ft)
Stakes: 52 stakes

Low

$130.00

Expected

$234.00

High

$390.00

Includes 8.40 linear ft waste

How this number is calculated

84 linear ft + 10% waste = 92.40 linear ft ÷ 7.33 linear ft per piece = 13 pieces

Shopping list

Landscape edging, no-dig kit
Steel landscape edging
Landscape edging stakes
Rubber mallet
Edging spade (half-moon edger)
Landscape fabric

Show diagram

Saved projects

No saved projects yet.

Pieces to buy by length of edging

Total edge with 10% extra, worked by this calculator. Steel sections lap 8 in at each joint (7.33 ft per 8 ft section, 9.33 ft per 10 ft section); the stakes shown are 4 per 8 ft section. Paver column: 8 in pavers or bricks laid end to end.
Edge of the beds	20 ft rolls	40 ft rolls	60 ft rolls	8 ft steel sections	10 ft steel sections	8 in pavers
25 ft	2	1	1	4 (16 stakes)	3	42
50 ft	3	2	1	8 (32 stakes)	6	83
100 ft	6	3	2	15 (60 stakes)	12	165
150 ft	9	5	3	23 (92 stakes)	18	248
200 ft	11	6	4	30 (120 stakes)	24	330

Edge of one bed by shape and size

Perimeter of a rectangle (2 × (length + width)) and circumference of a circle (π × diameter), before any waste, worked by this calculator.
Bed	Feet of edging
4 × 4 ft rectangle	16
4 × 8 ft rectangle	24
3 × 10 ft rectangle	26
4 × 12 ft rectangle	32
5 × 10 ft rectangle	30
6 × 12 ft rectangle	36
3 ft circle	9.4
4 ft circle	12.6
6 ft circle	18.8
8 ft circle	25.1
10 ft circle	31.4
12 ft circle	37.7

Methodology & assumptions

Edging is the edge of the beds: for a rectangle 2 × (length + width), for a circle π × diameter, times the number of beds, plus any length you type in for curvy or irregular edges (measure those with a garden hose or a string laid along the edge and then straightened). A waste percentage is added for cuts, corners and curves. The pieces to buy are that total divided by the length one piece adds to the run, rounded up once for the whole job. A roll adds its full length (rolls are cut and joined with connectors). A steel or aluminum section adds its length less the overlap at the joint: Col-Met’s 8 ft section laps 8 in, so each adds 8 − 0.67 = 7.33 ft, the divisor Lowe’s gives for it, and a 10 ft section with the same lap adds 9.33 ft. A paver or brick adds its own length, laid end to end with no joint. Stakes for sections are the sections bought times the stakes per section (4 for Col-Met’s 8 ft section, which has them attached). Stakes for rolls are an estimate: about 3 per 10 ft, from the spikes that come in Dimex EasyFlex No-Dig kits (6 with 20 ft, 16 with 50 ft, 30 with 100 ft; a 40 ft kit has 16); add more on tight curves. Pavers and bricks need no stakes, only a shallow trench and, for a firm edge, a little base. The waste percentages (5, 10 and 15%) and the prices are rules of thumb, not manufacturer figures. The metric toggle shows lengths in m and cm.

Lowe’s product page for Col-Met 8-ft landscape edging section (3044562): divide linear feet by 7.33, which allows for the 8 in overlap at each joint
Super Arbor listing for an 8 ft × 14-gauge × 4 in steel landscape edging section: four attached stakes per section
Do it Best listing for the Dimex 50 ft EasyFlex No-Dig edging kit: 50 ft of edging, 16 anchoring spikes and 2 connectors
Ace Hardware listing for the Dimex EasyFlex No-Dig 20 ft kit: 1 coil and 6 anchoring spikes
Typical US retail prices for landscape edging by roll, section and paver, 2026 (estimate)
Waste allowances of 5, 10 and 15% for cuts, corners and curves (rule of thumb, estimate)

How to calculate landscape edging

Measure the beds. For a rectangular bed, measure its length and width. For a round bed, measure the diameter. For a curvy bed, lay a hose along the edge and measure it.
Work out the edge. Rectangle: 2 × (length + width). Circle: π × diameter. Multiply by the number of beds and add any measured curvy length.
Add waste. Add about 5% for straight runs, 10% for some cuts and curves, and 15% for many curves and corners.
Divide by the length one piece adds. A roll adds its full length. A steel section adds its length less the overlap at the joint (7.33 ft for an 8 ft Col-Met section with an 8 in lap). A paver adds its own length. Round up.
Count the stakes. Sections come with stakes (4 per 8 ft Col-Met section). Roll kits include about 3 spikes per 10 ft. Add extra on curves.

Worked examples

Project	Result
Three 10 × 4 ft beds, 8 ft steel sections with 8 in overlap, 10% extra	84 linear ft + 10% extra → 13 pieces (13 sections), 52 stakes
One round bed 6 ft across, 20 ft plastic roll, 10% extra	18.85 linear ft + 10% extra → 2 pieces (2 rolls), about 6 stakes
A curvy bed measured at 45 ft with a hose, 40 ft plastic rolls, 15% extra	45 linear ft + 15% extra → 2 pieces (2 rolls), about 14 stakes
One 8 × 4 ft bed edged with 8 in pavers laid end to end, 5% extra	24 linear ft + 5% extra → 38 pieces (pavers or bricks)

Frequently asked questions

How do I calculate how much edging I need for a garden bed?: Measure the edge of the bed. For a rectangle add the length and width and double it; for a round bed multiply the diameter by 3.14. A 10 × 4 ft bed has 28 ft of edge, and three of them have 84 ft. Add 5 to 15% for cuts and curves, then divide by the length one piece adds and round up. Do not count the side where a bed meets a wall, fence or path if you will not edge it.
How do I measure a curvy or irregular bed?: Lay a garden hose or a rope along the line the edging will follow, straighten it and measure it, or lay a tape measure along it in short steps. Type the total into the extra edging length and set the bed length and width to 0. Choose the 15% waste option for many curves, and add stakes on tight curves.
How many 8 ft steel edging sections do I need?: Steel sections overlap where they join, so each adds less than its length. Col-Met’s 8 ft section laps 8 in, which leaves 7.33 ft, so divide the feet of edging by 7.33 and round up. For 100 ft that is 14 sections with no extra; the 92.4 ft in the example (84 ft plus 10%) takes 13. Other brands may join differently, so check the package.
How many stakes do I need for landscape edging?: Steel sections come with stakes: Col-Met’s 8 ft section has 4, so 13 sections come with 52. Plastic and no-dig kits include spikes too, about 6 with a 20 ft roll and 16 with a 50 ft roll, roughly 3 per 10 ft; the calculator shows about that as an estimate. Add stakes on curves and corners, and where the ground is soft.
How many 20, 40 or 60 ft rolls of edging do I need?: Divide the feet of edging, with waste, by the roll length and round up. A 6 ft round bed has 18.8 ft of edge, 20.7 ft with 10% extra, which is 2 rolls of 20 ft. Buying one longer roll can cost less per foot than two short ones, and it saves a connector, but you will have more left over.
How many pavers or bricks do I need for a bed edge?: Divide the feet of edge by the length of one paver or brick in feet and round up. An 8 × 4 ft bed has 24 ft of edge, and with 5% extra, laid end to end with 8 in pieces, it takes 38. Bricks set on end or on their side use their width instead; change the length to the side that runs along the edge.
Do I need landscape fabric and mulch with edging?: Edging keeps mulch in and grass out of the bed, so the two are usually bought together. The mulch calculator gives the bags for the bed, and the landscape fabric calculator the weed fabric under it. Tuck the fabric against the edging before you add the mulch.
How deep should landscape edging go?: It depends on the product and the job. Most steel and plastic edging is set with only its top lip above the soil and the rest in the ground, so a deep mulch bed may call for taller edging. Follow the instructions packed with the product; the calculator does not depend on depth.

Handy tools

Feet and Inches Calculator: Add up bed sides measured in feet, inches and fractions, and get decimal feet for the fields above.