How many rolls of landscape fabric do I need for a 30 × 10 ft bed?
For the worked example (30 × 10 ft bed, 3 ft × 50 ft roll, 6 in overlap) the material list is Landscape fabric: 3 rolls (calculated 12 strips ÷ 5 per roll = 2.4 rolls, based on 3 ft × 50 ft roll, 6 in overlap, strips along the width). Quantities to buy are whole units rounded up from the calculated amounts. Enter your own measurements in the calculator above for your exact list.
How to use this calculator
- Enter the bed length and width. For several beds or an odd shape, calculate each section separately.
- Enter the roll width, the roll length and the overlap your fabric’s instructions give.
- Leave the layout on “Best of the two”, or choose the direction the strips should run.
- Copy, print or share the roll count.
How this is calculated
- Strips cover n × roll width − (n − 1) × overlap, so strips = round up ((width across − overlap) ÷ (roll width − overlap))
- Strips per roll = round down (roll length ÷ strip length)
- Rolls = round up (strips ÷ strips per roll)
- Best of the two compares strips along the bed length with strips along the bed width
Geometry is deterministic. Material coverage, density, installation waste and product yield can vary. We expose those assumptions so you can replace them with the values printed on the products you are actually buying. Treat every result as an estimate. Items on your list are labelled Calculated (straight from your measurements) or Estimated (depends on an assumption), and “Buy” quantities are whole units rounded up.
Sources
No third-party figure is built into this calculator. Quantities come from geometry and from the values you can see and edit under “Assumptions” below, each labelled by where it comes from.
Last reviewed: . See the methodology.
Assumptions
These starting values are used until you change them. They are typical, not universal. Check the label on the product you are buying.
| Assumption | Starting value | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Strips cover | n × roll width − (n − 1) × overlap | Mathematical – Neighboring strips share the overlap, so it is taken off once per join |
| Roll width | You enter it | You enter it (product / supplier) |
| Roll length | You enter it | You enter it (product / supplier) |
| Overlap between strips | You enter it | You enter it (product / supplier) |
Worked example
A 30 × 10 ft bed with 3 ft × 50 ft rolls and a 6 in overlap, strips run along the length:
- Landscape fabric: 3 rolls (12 strips of 10 ft, 5 per roll) · 3 ft × 50 ft roll, 6 in overlap, strips along the width
Common questions
Why not divide the area by the roll area?
Because strips overlap and each strip is a piece of the roll. Area ÷ roll area ignores both, and short leftovers of a roll cannot be joined into a full strip, so it can under-count rolls.
What if a strip is longer than the roll?
That layout is marked unavailable. If the other direction works, it is used; if neither does, you need a longer roll, or to split the bed, because this version does not model seams.
What overlap should I enter?
The overlap in your fabric’s instructions. We do not assume one. Enter 0 if none is needed.