How far from the edge should a robot mower boundary wire be?

Husqvarna says 10 cm (4 in) from a flat path, 30 cm (12 in) from obstacles 1 to 3.5 cm high and 35 cm (14 in) from walls. Worx says 26 cm from an edge with a step or gravel and 10 cm where there is no step.

Should I bury a robot mower boundary wire?

You can. Husqvarna says to bury it 1 to 20 cm (3/8 to 8 in) deep if the lawn is uneven or you want it hidden. Otherwise pegs work; Worx says about 80 cm apart.

How much does professional boundary wire installation cost?

Gardena's US site lists $350 plus $1.25 per linear foot, including buried wire and setup. Husqvarna dealers quote per job.

How long can a robot mower boundary wire be?

Worx says up to 350 m for a Landroid loop. Husqvarna says to keep a guide wire loop under 400 m, or 150 m on the Aspire R4.

Do I need a boundary wire for a robot lawn mower?

Not for any of the 12 models in our list. They use RTK, LiDAR or both to set virtual boundaries. The Husqvarna 410 iQ can use a wire as an option.

Robot lawn mower boundary wire installation: steps, distances and cost

Robot lawn mower boundary wire installation takes a charging station, a loop of wire pegged or buried around the lawn, and the right distance from each edge. Here are the steps from Husqvarna and Worx, what pros charge, and the wire free models that skip it.

Researched by Riley Hart · updated Oct 15, 2026 · How we research

Prices from maker stores as of October 15, 2026, and specs from our robot data. You draw the boundary in the app, usually by driving the mower around the edge once.

Wire free model	Price	Rated area	How it sets boundaries
Segway Navimow i206 AWD	$849	Up to 0.15 acre	Network RTK plus camera vision
Segway Navimow i210 AWD	$1,049	Up to 0.25 acre	Network RTK plus camera vision
Airseekers Tron SE	$1,099	0.37 acre	Network RTK plus VSLAM
Dreame A3 AWD Pro 2500	$1,699.99	Up to 0.62 acre	3D LiDAR plus AI vision
Mammotion LUBA mini 2 AWD	$1,799	Up to 0.37 acre	LiDAR plus dual cameras
Segway Navimow X430	$2,499	Up to 1.0 acre	Network RTK plus VSLAM
Husqvarna Automower 410 iQ	$2,599.99	Up to 0.5 acre	EPOS virtual boundaries; physical wire optional, not included

Before you start

Mow the lawn first. Husqvarna says long grass can lift the wire, and recommends starting the robot at its highest cutting height and lowering it one step a week for the first 6 to 8 weeks. Remove rocks and sharp objects along the wire path, since Husqvarna says they can break the wire over time.

Check that you have enough wire. Husqvarna sells a 50 m spool of 2.7 mm boundary wire for $42.99 (MSRP as of October 15, 2026), and its Large Installation Kit, with 600 stakes plus couplers and connectors, is rated for open lawns up to 5,000 m² (about 1.2 acres) or complex lawns up to 2,500 m². Worx says a Landroid loop can be up to 350 m long.

Use the gauge in the box. Both makers include a ruler or gauge for setting the distance from the edge, which saves measuring every peg.

Step by step

Place the charging station. Husqvarna says it should sit on a flat, level surface with an open area in front, plugged into a wall socket through its low voltage power supply. Some Husqvarna models also want Wi Fi coverage at the station for automatic updates.
Connect the first wire end. On a Worx Landroid, strip the wire and clamp it in the red left terminal. On a Husqvarna, press an Automower connector onto the end with pliers and attach it to the station pin.
Lay the loop at the right distance. Husqvarna: 10 cm (4 in) from obstacles under 1 cm high such as a path, 30 cm (12 in) from obstacles 1 to 3.5 cm high such as a flowerbed edge, and 35 cm (14 in) from anything taller, such as a wall. Worx: 26 cm where the edge has a step or gravel, 10 cm where it does not, and 1 m from a neighbor's robot mower wire.
Secure the wire. Worx says to place pegs about 80 cm apart and keep the wire in close contact with the ground. Husqvarna says to add extra stakes on uneven ground, or bury the wire 1 to 20 cm (3/8 to 8 in) deep if the lawn is uneven or you want it hidden.
Make islands. Run the wire out to flower beds, ponds, trees and exposed roots, and loop around them at the same distances as the outer edge. Husqvarna says to avoid sharp angles, and Worx offers a ruler to help with 90 degree corners.
Lay the guide wire (Husqvarna). Run it straight out from under the charging station for at least 2 m (6.5 ft), or 1 m on the Aspire R4, then to the far side of the lawn. Keep it at least 30 cm (12 in) from the boundary wire, never cross the boundary wire, avoid turns sharper than 45 degrees and keep the guide loop under 400 m. Join it to the boundary wire with a coupler pressed fully with pliers.
Close the loop. Bring the wire back to the station, cut off the surplus (Husqvarna says 1 to 2 cm above the connector) and connect it: the black right clamp on a Worx, the other pin on a Husqvarna.
Power up and check the light. Husqvarna says a solid green station light means a good boundary signal. Worx says a green LED means setup is correct and red means a problem such as a broken wire or a poorly clamped end.

Narrow passages and slopes

Husqvarna says a guide wire can lead the mower through passages as narrow as 60 cm (2 ft), and strongly recommends one for any passage narrower than 2 m (6.5 ft). On slopes, it says to lay the guide wire diagonally for better traction.

The mower always drives to the left of the guide wire when facing the charging station on Husqvarna systems, so keep that side clear.

What installation costs

Doing it yourself costs the wire, stakes and a weekend. Husqvarna does not publish an install time and says it depends on the size and complexity of your lawn.

For a professional install, Gardena's US site lists a setup fee of $350 plus $1.25 per linear foot, including materials, labor, buried wire and initial setup. On a square quarter acre lawn, about 417 feet around, that works out to roughly $870 by our arithmetic, before any islands. The cost site LatestCost estimates $500 to $1,500 for a pro Husqvarna install on a standard yard, but cites no sources. Husqvarna says to ask an authorized dealer for a quote.

Compare that with the wire free table above. The Navimow i206 AWD costs $849 as of October 15, 2026, about the same as the Gardena install fee alone on a quarter acre.

Keep the wire working

Husqvarna says to push stakes back down periodically, since soft, mossy, dry or compact soil can make them rise, and to check after winter that staples are deep in the ground. Avoid sharp bends, which stress the wire. Husqvarna says the loop wire can stay in the lawn over winter; see our winter storage guide for the mower and station.

If a wire breaks, Worx includes two waterproof connectors for repairs or layout changes, and Husqvarna sells couplers. The station light tells you when the loop is broken.

Should you install a wire at all?

Every one of the 12 robot mowers in our list works without a boundary wire. RTK models such as the Navimow range and LiDAR models such as the Dreame and Mammotion let you draw the boundary in the app. The Husqvarna 410 iQ uses virtual boundaries but can also run on a physical wire, which Husqvarna offers as Support By Wire for areas with weak satellite coverage, such as narrow passages or spots near dense trees.

A wire still makes sense if you already own a wired mower, or for a hybrid setup in a shaded corner where satellites drop out. For a new purchase, read our RTK vs LiDAR guide first.

Robot lawn mower boundary wire installation: steps, distances and cost

Before you start

Step by step

Narrow passages and slopes

What installation costs

Keep the wire working

Should you install a wire at all?

Wire free mowers that skip installation

Questions people ask

Related

Sources