How Much Landscape Edging Do I Need? (2026 Guide)
How much landscape edging do I need? A rectangle takes 2 × (length + width) and a circle takes π × diameter: a 20×10 ft flower bed needs about 60 ft of edging — around 10 six-foot sections.
Perimeter, not area: the two formulas
Landscape edging traces the outline of a bed, so what you buy is the perimeter — the total distance around the outside — not the area inside it. Measure the bed's runs in feet, pick the formula that matches the shape, and add a little waste for corners, curves and seams.
Rectangle or square: 2 × (length + width). Circle: π × diameter, or about 3.14 × diameter. Free-form bed: measure each straight or gently curved run along the ground and add them together. Feeding your numbers into the landscape edging calculator totals the footage for any shape.
Worked example: a 20×10 ft flower bed
The bed runs 20 ft long and 10 ft wide, so the perimeter is 2 × (20 + 10) = 60 ft of edging around the outline.
Allow about 5% for seams, corner cuts and measuring: 60 × 1.05 ≈ 63 ft. Landscape edging commonly comes in 6-ft sections, so divide and round up: 63 ÷ 6 = 10.5, so round up to 11 sections, leaving a spare section or two for future repairs.
Edging for common bed sizes
Values below add the 5% allowance and round up to whole 6-ft sections:
| Bed size | Edge length | With 5% waste | 6-ft sections needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 × 10 ft rectangle | 40 ft | 42 ft | 7 |
| 20 × 10 ft rectangle | 60 ft | 63 ft | 11 |
| 30 × 20 ft rectangle | 100 ft | 105 ft | 18 |
| 10-ft diameter circle | 31.4 ft | 33 ft | 6 |
Check the math: a 10 × 10 ft square is 2 × (10 + 10) = 40 ft, and 40 × 1.05 = 42 ft, which is exactly 7 sections of 6 ft. A 10-ft circle runs 3.14 × 10 ≈ 31.4 ft — about 33 ft with waste, or 5.5 sections, so it rounds up to 6. Doubling one dimension scales the edge in step: the 30 × 20 ft bed needs 100 ft versus 60 ft for the 20 × 10 ft bed.
Measuring and installing tips
- Free-form curves: measure on the ground — lay a flexible tape measure flat against the bed's edge and follow the curve instead of stringing a straight line. For long wavy borders, press a rope or garden hose into the shape, then measure that; straight-line readings undercount a curving edge.
- Allow for the seams between sections — rigid strips join end to end with connectors or a short overlap at every joint, so budget a couple of inches per seam on top of the 5% allowance and the run stays continuous.
- Space stakes the way the manufacturer says — most edging is pinned at each joint and at set intervals between, and that spacing varies by product, so follow the kit's instructions before buying stakes.
Planning the whole border? The same measure-then-add-waste playbook works for mulch for a 10×10 garden and the pavers for a 4×8 walkway too.
FAQ
How do I measure edging for an irregular or curved bed?
Lay a flexible tape measure on the ground and follow the bed's outline instead of cutting across corners; for long wavy runs, lay a rope or garden hose along the edge and measure its length. Curves take more edging than the straight-line distance, so keep the 5% allowance.
How much edging does a circular flower bed need?
Multiply the diameter by pi (about 3.14): a 10-ft diameter circle is 10 × 3.14 ≈ 31.4 ft of edging. Add the 5% allowance — about 33 ft total — and round up to whole sections: about 6 six-foot sections.
Do I really need the extra 5% of edging?
Yes. Seams between sections, cuts at corners, curves that dip tighter than planned and a few inches of measuring error all eat real footage, and edging usually comes in fixed-length sections so you round up anyway. Buying 5% extra turns a just-too-short run into a complete one.
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