Conduit Bend Calculator — Offsets, Saddles & Stubs
Get the exact marks for a hand-bender job: offset multiplier, distance between marks and shrink; three- and four-point saddles over a pipe or beam; and 90° stub-ups using the take-up for your EMT size. Every result comes with a to-scale drawing of the bend and reads in inches (as tape-friendly fractions) or centimeters.
Private by design. Every bend calculation and the to-scale diagram run entirely in your browser — nothing is uploaded to a server.
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Bender multiplier, shrink and take-up tables
Two numbers drive nearly every hand bend. The multiplier — 1 ÷ sin(angle) — turns an offset height into the distance between marks. The shrink — tan(angle ÷ 2) per inch of offset — is how much less far the finished run reaches. The field tables below are those functions rounded to something a tape measure can hit.
| Bend angle | Multiplier (field / exact) | Shrink per inch of offset | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10° | 6 / 5.76 | 1/16" | Long, gentle steps where wire pulls easily |
| 22.5° | 2.6 / 2.61 | 3/16" | Shallow offsets in tight parallel runs |
| 30° | 2 / 2.00 | 1/4" | The default — easy math, easy pulls |
| 45° | 1.4 / 1.41 | 3/8" | Short offsets where space is tight |
| 60° | 1.2 / 1.15 | 1/2" | Steep steps over a close obstruction |
- Three-point saddle: outer bends are always half the center bend, and the center-to-outer mark spacing follows the published field table — 5× for a 22.5° center, 3.8× for 30°, 2.5× for 45°, 2× for 60° (the exact 1 ÷ sin(outer) values are 5.13, 3.86, 2.61, 2.00).
- EMT 90° take-up, in order of trade size: 1/2" → 5", 3/4" → 6", 1" → 8", 1-1/4" → 11", 1-1/2" → 14", 2" → 16". Rigid and IMC benders differ; the value stamped on your shoe wins.
- Keep the bender rotated the same way for both bends of an offset. Rolling it even slightly between marks throws the offset out of plane, and no amount of correct math fixes a dogleg.
How to calculate a conduit offset bend
- Pick the bend type. Offset to step around an obstruction, three-point saddle to cross over a pipe, four-point saddle for a wide obstacle, or 90° stub for a turn up a wall.
- Measure the obstruction. For an offset, that is how far the run has to step over. For a saddle, the height of what you are crossing (and its width for a four-point). For a stub, the finished leg length.
- Choose a bender angle. Pick from the angles stamped on the bender — 10°, 22.5°, 30°, 45°, or 60°. Shallow angles need more conduit but pull wire more easily; 30° is the everyday default.
- Mark and bend. Transfer the mark spacing shown onto the conduit, line the bender arrow or teardrop up on each mark, and bend. Add the listed shrink back to your measurement before cutting.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the multiplier for a conduit offset?
- It is 1 ÷ sin(angle), rounded for field use: 10° → 6, 22.5° → 2.6, 30° → 2, 45° → 1.4, 60° → 1.2. Multiply the offset height by it to get the distance between the two bend marks. A 6" offset at 30° puts the marks 12" apart.
- What is shrink and why does it matter?
- A bent conduit reaches less far than the straight piece it came from, because the offset travels the hypotenuse while only advancing along the base. Shrink per inch of offset is tan(angle ÷ 2): 1/16" at 10°, 3/16" at 22.5°, 1/4" at 30°, 3/8" at 45°, 1/2" at 60°. Add it to your measurement before you cut, or the run comes up short.
- How do I lay out a three-point saddle?
- Mark the center of the obstruction, then measure out the multiplier × obstruction height each way for the outer marks — 2.5× for a 45° center bend. Bend the center mark to the center angle one way, and both outer marks to half that angle the other way.
- Why is your saddle shrink bigger than the 3/16" my table says?
- Field tables quote 3/16" per inch for a 45° saddle, which is the shrink of a single 22.5° offset. A saddle is two of those offsets back to back, so the conduit actually shortens twice as much. This calculator reports the real total and shows the single-offset figure next to it.
- What is take-up on a 90° stub?
- The bend itself consumes conduit, so the mark goes back from the end by the bender's take-up: 5" for 1/2" EMT, 6" for 3/4", 8" for 1", 11" for 1-1/4", 14" for 1-1/2", 16" for 2". A 12" stub in 1/2" EMT is marked at 7".
- Does this work for rigid, IMC, or PVC?
- The offset and saddle math is pure geometry and applies to any raceway. The take-up table is for standard EMT hand benders — rigid and IMC shoes, and other brands, have their own take-up values, so check the numbers stamped on your bender.
Use Cases
- Lay out an offset around a beam or box without trial and error
- Saddle a run over a water pipe or another conduit
- Get 90° stub marks right the first time on 1/2"–2" EMT
- Check a conduit run's shrink before cutting to length
- Teach or study bender math for an apprenticeship exam