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Single-rectangle cut planner / Multiple beds

Landscape Fabric Roll Planner for Multiple Beds

Measure each rectangular bed separately, enter one roll size and the overlap from its product instructions, then get a shared roll cut plan. Each bed keeps its own strip direction.

Enter your roll and bed measurements

Shared roll and side overlap

Read these values from the roll label and current product instructions. No overlap or extra order allowance is assumed.

Separately measured beds

Enter one length and width for each flat rectangular bed. Add up to eight areas that will use the same roll size.

Inputs range from 0.001 to 10,000 in the selected unit. The calculator runs in your browser; measurements are not sent to a server.

Two separately measured rectangular beds produce continuous fabric strips, then strips from both beds are grouped into two shared roll cut tickets
Illustration of two separate measured beds sharing cuts from the same roll size. The roll packing pass is feasible but does not guarantee the fewest possible rolls.

How the shared cut plan works

For each bed, the planner compares strips running along its length with strips running across its width. It counts the strips needed to cover the other dimension after your entered side overlap, then keeps each strip at full roll width.

Strip count: when the bed span is wider than the roll, strips = 1 + ceil((span − roll width) ÷ (roll width − overlap)). If the span fits within one roll width, one strip is used. The strip run must fit within the roll length.

After selecting a direction for each bed, the planner sorts the required strips from longest to shortest and places each cut on the first roll with enough uncut length. This gives a concrete cut ticket for each roll. It is a packing heuristic, not a proof of the fewest rolls.

Example with two beds

With a 4 × 40 ft roll and 0.5 ft side overlap, an 18 × 9 ft bed can use three 18 ft strips when the runs follow its length. An 8 × 4 ft bed needs one 8 ft strip in that direction. The shared tickets are two 18 ft cuts on roll 1 and one 18 ft cut plus one 8 ft cut on roll 2. The plan uses two rolls and leaves 4 ft and 14 ft uncut, respectively.

Use one roll size for all beds in a plan. For a single rectangle, see the single-area fabric cut planner. For fasteners, enter the product's stated rate in the landscape fabric staple calculator.

Questions about multi-bed fabric planning

What is different from a fabric area calculator?

This planner keeps up to eight measured rectangles separate, compares two strip directions for each one and combines their cut lengths on shared rolls. It does not turn the areas into one connected rectangle.

Does the cut plan use the fewest possible rolls?

It gives a feasible plan using a longest-strip-first packing pass. A different cut arrangement may use the same or fewer rolls, so the plan is not a guarantee of the global minimum.

What overlap should I enter?

Use the overlap stated for the exact fabric and installation you chose. The calculator has no default overlap and does not recommend one. Enter zero explicitly when your plan uses no side overlap.

Can a strip join two pieces when the roll is too short?

No. Each strip is kept continuous and must fit within the roll length. End joins and their overlap are not included.

Does this planner decide whether landscape fabric belongs under mulch?

No. It only plans quantities after you choose a product and application. Check the product instructions for suitability and installation details.