Garden Edging Calculator — How Much Edging Do I Need?

Metal lawn edging (such as EverEdge or Corten steel) is the most popular professional choice for UK gardens. It creates a clean, crisp line between lawns and borders that lasts for decades. Timber edging is cheaper and works well for raised beds and rustic gardens. Stone edging suits traditional or cottage garden designs.

Timber edging stakes should be placed at 600mm (2ft) centres. This provides adequate support to keep the edging boards straight and prevents them from bowing under soil pressure. At corners and curves, add extra stakes for additional support. Use 25mm x 50mm x 450mm pointed stakes for standard 150mm high edging boards.

There is no British Standard for curve wastage, so treat these as rules of thumb. As a guide, allow roughly 15% extra per curve for thin metal edging and about 10% for flexible plastic, both of which bend easily. Timber is less flexible — allow around 20% per curve, as you may need shorter cut pieces and extra stakes, or to kerf (saw-cut) the back of the board so it curves smoothly. The most reliable method is to measure a flexible tape along the actual curved line rather than across it, then order to that figure.

Metal lawn edging should be buried 75-100mm (3-4 inches) into the ground, leaving 25-50mm visible above the lawn surface. Timber edging is typically 150mm tall with 75mm below ground. Stone edging kerbs should be set on a concrete bed at least 100mm deep for stability.

The most popular UK metal edging — EverEdge — does not use separate joiners. Each 1m section interlocks and overlaps into the next, and the spikes are integral to the strip, so there are no loose stakes or clips to buy. Because of the overlap, EverEdge advise adding 6% to your measured run (about 6cm per metre); a 5 × 1m pack covers 4.75m. A few other systems do sell separate joiner clips or sleeves, so check your specific brand before ordering.

EverEdge-style steel edging interlocks with an overlapping joint, so you lose a little length at every join. The manufacturer's rule is to add 6% to your actual requirement — roughly 6cm per metre. A 5 × 1m pack therefore covers 4.75m, not 5m. This calculator adds that 6% automatically for metal edging. Flexible plastic edging joins by cutting and overlapping the ends too, so we add about 10% for plastic. Timber boards and concrete edging units are butt-jointed or bedded end-to-end, so no overlap allowance is needed.