Landscape edging calculator
Measure the perimeter you actually want edged — often not all four sides — to get the pieces to buy, with about 10% extra for curves, corners and overlaps.
Enter your measurements
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- Pieces / rolls / edgers
- 2 pieces
- Measured length (no extra)
- 28 ft
20 ft + 2 × 4 ft = 28 ft
+ 10% = 30.8 ft ÷ 20 ft = 2 pieces
- Light plastic edging is fine against mulch and lawn, but gravel and pea gravel push it over. Use steel, aluminum or a heavy-duty edging there.
- Call 811 (in the US) or your local utility locate service before driving long stakes near buried lines.
Edging for a three-sided bed, by bed length (depth as above)
| Bed length | Edging to buy | Pieces / rolls / edgers |
|---|---|---|
| 8 ft | 17.6 ft | 1 piece |
| 10 ft | 19.8 ft | 1 piece |
| 15 ft | 25.3 ft | 2 pieces |
| 20 ft | 30.8 ft | 2 pieces |
| 30 ft | 41.8 ft | 3 pieces |
| 40 ft | 52.8 ft | 3 pieces |
Edging is sold by length, so getting that measurement right is most of the job.
How to measure for edging
Edging only goes where two surfaces meet: bed and lawn, path and lawn, gravel and anything. A bed along the house usually needs three sides, not four. A path needs both edges. For curves, lay a garden hose along the line, mark it, then straighten it and measure — it is more accurate than guessing arcs.
rectangle, four sides = 2 × (length + width) rectangle, three sides = length + 2 × width circle = 3.1416 × diameter pieces = total length × (1 + extra) ÷ piece length
| Edging type | Good for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| No-dig plastic | Mulch beds, quick installs | Too flexible to hold gravel; frost can heave it |
| Trenched plastic / rubber rolls | Long curvy lawn edges | Needs a trench and backfill |
| Steel or aluminum | Gravel paths, crisp lawn lines | Sharp top edge on thin steel — look for a rolled top |
| Brick, paver or stone | Formal beds, mowing strips | Needs a level base; grass creeps into gaps |
Stakes and joins
No-dig plastic edging is held down by spikes driven through tabs along its base. Master Mark’s instructions put a spike every 4 ft on straight runs and every 2 ft on curves; Dimex’s tell you to pull the edging tight between spikes and to join two pieces by overlapping the end tabs and driving one spike through both. Compact loose soil first, or the spikes work loose as the ground settles and freezes.
Patios are different
Bed edging is not the same thing as the edge restraint that holds a paver patio together. A patio needs a rigid restraint spiked into the gravel base all the way round, not a lawn edge: 40 ft of it for How many pavers for a 10×10 patio, and 48 ft for How many 16×16 pavers for a 12×12 patio. The paver calculator works out the length for any size.
Tips
- Round up to whole pieces, and keep one spare for the inevitable bent section.
- Leave the top of lawn edging about 1/2 in above the soil so the mower wheel can ride over it.
- Overlap or connect sections the way the maker intends; butted plastic sections drift apart.
- Let plastic edging warm in the sun before you lay it; it relaxes and straightens out.
- Edge first, then mulch or gravel — it is much easier to get a clean line.
What you’ll need
- No-dig landscape edgingBudget price
Plastic edging pinned with spikes — keeps mulch in beds and grass out. Fine for mulch; too flimsy for gravel paths.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab) - Steel or aluminum landscape edgingMid-range price
Rigid edging that holds gravel and pea gravel in place and keeps a clean line against lawn.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab) - Rubber malletBudget price
Taps pavers and wall blocks into line without chipping them. A white head won’t leave black marks.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab) - Measuring wheelBudget price
Rolls off long distances — driveways, lawn edges, fence lines — quicker and more accurately than a tape for one person.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab)
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Frequently asked questions
How much edging do I need for a 10 × 10 bed?
All four sides is 40 ft, or 44 ft with 10% extra. If one side is against the house, it is 30 ft (33 ft with extra).
How much edging for a tree ring?
Multiply the diameter by 3.14. A 6 ft ring is about 19 ft around, roughly 21 ft with 10% for overlaps; an 8 ft ring is about 25 ft.
How many bricks for garden edging?
A standard brick laid end to end is about 8 in long, so 1.5 bricks per foot: 30 ft of edging takes 45 bricks, about 50 with 10% extra. Laid on edge in a sawtooth pattern takes more.
Which landscape edging is best for gravel paths?
Rigid steel or aluminum, or a heavy-duty plastic made for pavers or gravel. Light no-dig plastic tends to lean over as gravel is pushed against it.
How many stakes does no-dig edging need?
Follow the package; a common spacing is one spike every 4 ft on straight runs and every 2 ft on curves. A 60 ft run (66 ft with 10% extra) takes about 18 at 4 ft spacing, more where it curves. Enter the spacing above to count them.
Related guides
Sources
- Westlake Dimex — No-Dig Landscape Edging installation instructions (PDF) (opens in a new tab) — Spike through the tabs, pull tight between spikes, connect ends by overlapping the final tab, compact the soil first, backfill to the top.
- Master Mark — How to install Dig-Free edging (opens in a new tab) — Anchor spikes every 4 ft on straight runs, every 2 ft on curves.