How to Bend Conduit — Stub-Ups, Offsets & Saddles by the Numbers

A hand bender is a lever and a calibrated shoe — the skill lives in the pencil marks. Learn the three marks on the shoe and three bend families, and a stick of EMT stops being scrap-with-potential and starts being conduit.

Quick answer: 90° stub: mark = rise + take-up (1/2" = 5", 3/4" = 8", 1" = 11", 1-1/4" = 14") — a 25" rise on 1/2" EMT marks at 30". Offset: marks apart = rise × multiplier (30° = ×2.0), shrink = rise × 1/4" per inch — a 6" offset marks 12" apart and shortens the run 1-1/2". Saddle: center on the obstruction, sides at depth × side multiplier (45°/22.5° = ×2.6).

Know your bender's three marks

The arrow is the stub-up reference: measure from the conduit's end, put the arrow on the mark, bend. The star sits exactly one take-up behind the arrow and handles back-to-back legs — line it up and the deduction is automatic. The front rim is the reference for relative bends and for keeping a series of bends in one plane. Every number in the calculators on this site is arrow-method, measured from the end of the conduit.

The 90° stub-up

Decide the finished height (rise) and add take-up for your size: 1/2" = 5", 3/4" = 8", 1" = 11", 1-1/4" = 14".
Measure that total from the end of the conduit and pencil it — a 25" rise on 1/2" EMT marks at 30".
Line the arrow up on the mark, foot on the conduit, and pull to 90° in one smooth motion.
Check: the mark minus take-up equals the rise (30" − 5" = 25"). Standing stubs should look vertical — twist in the saddle makes them lean.

The offset

Pick the angle: 30° is the everyday default; 45° fits tight spots but shrinks nearly twice as much; 10°/22.5° for big gentle shifts.
Marks apart = rise × multiplier: 10° ×6.0, 22.5° ×2.6, 30° ×2.0, 45° ×1.4. A 6" offset at 30° marks 12" apart.
Add the shrink to your overall run — per inch of rise: 1/16" at 10°, 3/16" at 22.5°, 1/4" at 30°, 3/8" at 45°. That 6", 30° offset eats 1-1/2".
Bend mark A to the angle, spin the conduit exactly 180° keeping the same face in plane, bend mark B to the same angle the other way. A dogleg means the bends left the plane — roll it flat.

The 3-point saddle

Measure the obstruction's width and height; add 1/2"–1" of clearance to the height — that's the saddle depth.
Center mark on the obstruction's centerline; each side mark at depth × side multiplier: 45°/22.5° = ×2.6, 60°/30° = ×2.0, 30°/15° = ×3.9.
Check the footprint: side marks must clear the obstacle — spacing has to beat half the obstruction's width, or deepen the saddle.
Bend side–center–side on the arrow: first side to the side angle, center to the center angle, second side back to level. Total shrink = 2 × depth × side shrink rate (a 4" saddle at 45°/22.5° consumes 1-1/2").

The mistakes that burn scrap

Forgetting take-up — the stub comes out short by exactly the deduction (5" on 1/2").
Ignoring shrink — the offset looks great and the far box is 1-1/2" out of reach.
Twisting between offset bends — the 180° spin must stay in plane or the run dogs.
Bending with the wrong reference mark — arrow adds take-up, star absorbs it; mixing them doubles the error.

When a hand bender isn't the tool

Hand benders cover EMT, IMC and rigid from 1/2" to 1-1/4". Above that, mechanical and hydraulic benders with their own deduction charts take over, and pre-made factory elbows are often cheaper than the labor of bending large rigid on site. PVC isn't bent at all — it's heated and formed on a blanket or in an oven. The calculators and this guide cover the hand-bender range where the Benfield teaching numbers apply.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is take-up when bending conduit?

The conduit length a 90° bend consumes, from where the bend starts to the back of the stub. Teaching-standard values: 1/2" = 5", 3/4" = 8", 1" = 11", 1-1/4" = 14". It's why a stub's mark is take-up longer than its finished height.

How do you calculate a 90° stub mark?

Mark = rise + take-up, measured from the end of the conduit. A 25" rise on 1/2" EMT marks at 30" (25 + 5). After bending, the rise checks as mark − take-up: 30" − 5" = 25".

What multiplier do I use for a 30° offset?

2.0 — marks go twice the rise apart, so a 6" offset marks 12" apart. Shrink at 30° is 1/4" per inch of rise, so that offset shortens the run 1-1/2". Use 22.5° (×2.6) or 10° (×6.0) when you have room for gentler bends.

How do I bend a 3-point saddle?

Center mark on the obstruction's centerline; side marks at saddle depth × side multiplier (45°/22.5° → ×2.6). Bend side, center, side on the arrow — first side to 22.5°, center to 45°, second side back to level. A 4" deep saddle over a 4×3" pipe marks 10.4" either side of center.

Do these numbers work for IMC and rigid conduit?

The method and multipliers carry over to IMC and RMC in the hand-bender sizes (1/2"–1-1/4"), but each shoe's stamped chart is the authority for its own take-up. Above 1-1/4", mechanical and hydraulic benders with published deduction charts replace hand-bender math.