EMT Bending Guide: Take-Up and Gain for 1/2, 3/4 and 1 in Benders, 90s, Offsets, Saddles, Kicks, Multiplier Table and the NEC 358.26 Bend Limit

Summary: Every stub-up bend is laid out with the bender's take-up: 5 in for a 1/2 in EMT bender, 6 in for 3/4 in, 8 in for 1 in, 11 in for 1-1/4 in. Mark the stub height minus take-up, put the arrow on the mark, and bend to 90. Gain, the amount of conduit saved by the radius, is about 2-1/2 in for 1/2 in EMT, 3-1/4 in for 3/4 in, 4 in for 1 in. Offsets use the multiplier for the bend angle: 10 degrees × 6, 22.5 degrees × 2.6, 30 degrees × 2, 45 degrees × 1.4, 60 degrees × 1.2, with shrink of 1/16, 3/16, 1/4, 3/8 and 1/2 in per inch of offset respectively. A three-point saddle for a 1 in obstruction uses a 45 degree center bend with two 22.5 degree side bends spaced 2.5 in each side per inch of obstruction, with 3/16 in shrink per inch. NEC 358.26 limits bends between pull points to 360 degrees total, and 358.24 requires bends that do not reduce the internal diameter, which a listed bender guarantees.

Bender data

Take-up and gain are stamped on the bender head; use the bender's numbers where they differ. Sizes above 1-1/4 in use a mechanical or hydraulic bender with its own chart.

The 90 degree stub

1. Decide the stub height, the distance from the end of the conduit to the back of the 90.
2. Subtract the take-up: for a 12 in stub on 3/4 in EMT, mark at 12 − 6 = 6 in from the end.
3. Place the bender's arrow on the mark with the hook toward the short end; foot pressure on the heel, steady pull on the handle, bend to 90. Check with a level or the bender's 90 mark.
4. Back-to-back 90s: the second bend uses the star or the back-of-90 mark on the bender, not the arrow. Measure from the back of the first 90 to the back of the second and place the star on that mark.

Offsets

Distance between the two bend marks = offset depth × multiplier. A 4 in offset at 30 degrees: marks 8 in apart, and the conduit shrinks 1 in (4 × 1/4), so add 1 in to the measurement before the first mark. Bend both marks to the same angle in opposite directions, keeping the bends in the same plane; sight down the conduit to check for dogleg.

Box offset: the 1/2 in offset that lets a conduit lie flat against a wall while entering a surface box. Two 10 degree bends about 2 in apart on 1/2 in EMT, 3 in apart on 3/4 in. Many benders have a box offset mark.

Saddles

Three-point saddle (over a pipe or small obstruction): center bend 45 degrees, side bends 22.5 degrees. Mark the center at the obstruction, then side marks at 2.5 in per inch of obstruction height each side (a 2 in pipe: 5 in each side). Shrink is 3/16 in per inch of obstruction; add it before the center mark. Center bend on the bender's saddle mark or teardrop, side bends on the arrow, bend the center first, then rotate 180 degrees for the two sides.

Four-point saddle (over a wide obstruction such as a duct): two offsets back to back, typically 22.5 or 30 degrees, laid out with the offset multiplier for the obstruction height and with the two inner bends spaced the obstruction width apart plus clearance. Shrink per the offset table.

Kicks and rolling offsets

A kick is a single bend under 90 degrees, usually 10 to 30 degrees, to change direction without an offset; lay out with the multiplier for the angle. A rolling offset clears an obstruction in two planes: the true offset depth is the hypotenuse of the two offsets (rise² + roll²), and the bend marks are rotated so the plane of the bends matches the diagonal; square the measurement before applying the multiplier.

Code limits

• NEC 358.26: no more than 360 degrees of bend (four quarter bends) between pull points, boxes, conduit bodies or fittings. Offsets and saddles count: a 30 degree offset is 60 degrees of the budget.
• NEC 358.24: bends made so the conduit is not damaged and the internal diameter is not effectively reduced; use a listed bender of the correct size, no pipe wrenches or knee bends.
• Chapter 9 Table 2: minimum bend radius for field bends, 4 in centerline for 1/2 in, 4-1/2 in for 3/4 in, 5-3/4 in for 1 in, which a hand bender meets by design.
• 358.28: ream all cut ends; a burr strips conductor insulation on the pull.

Common layout errors

1. Forgetting shrink on offsets and saddles, so the conduit comes up short at the box.
2. Using the arrow instead of the star for the second bend in a back-to-back 90.
3. Bending an offset out of plane (dogleg); sight the conduit before the second bend.
4. Kinked 90s from bending too fast or without foot pressure on the heel; the reduced ID violates 358.24 and snags the pull.
5. Exceeding 360 degrees between boxes because saddles were not counted; add a pull box or an LB.
6. Cutting to length before bending; bend first, cut last.

Quick answers

What is the take-up on a 3/4 in EMT bender? 6 in. Mark the stub height minus 6 in, put the arrow on the mark, bend to 90.

What is the multiplier for a 30 degree offset? 2. Distance between marks equals twice the offset depth; shrink is 1/4 in per inch of offset.

How many bends are allowed in EMT between boxes? 360 degrees total per NEC 358.26, the equivalent of four 90s; offsets and saddles count toward the total.

How do I lay out a three-point saddle? 45 degree center bend at the obstruction, 22.5 degree bends 2.5 in per inch of obstruction height on each side, add 3/16 in per inch for shrink.

Conversions Tech stocks EMT connectors, couplings, LB, LL, LR, T and C conduit bodies for runs that exceed the bend budget, straps and hangers, and electrician tools. Fill limits: conduit fill chart; fitting choice: compression vs set-screw.