Conduit Bending Reference Field Reference
Multipliers, shrink, deducts, shoe clearance, and bend radius for EMT conduit bending.
Multiplier Table
Distance between marks = obstruction height × multiplier
| Bend Angle | Multiplier | Common Use |
|---|---|---|
| 10° | 6.0 | Shallow offsets, rolling offsets |
| 22.5° | 2.613 | 4-point saddles, medium offsets |
| 30° | 2.0 | Most common offset angle |
| 45° | 1.414 | Tight offsets, saddles |
| 60° | 1.155 | Very tight offsets |
Shrink Per Inch of Offset
Total shrink = obstruction height × shrink per inch
| Bend Angle | Shrink Per Inch | Fraction |
|---|---|---|
| 10° | 0.0625" | 1/16" |
| 22.5° | 0.1875" | 3/16" |
| 30° | 0.25" | 1/4" |
| 45° | 0.375" | 3/8" |
| 60° | 0.5" | 1/2" |
90° Stub Deduct (Take-Up)
Mark position = desired stub length − deduct. Standard EMT hand benders.
| Conduit Size | Deduct (EMT) |
|---|---|
| 1/2" | 5" |
| 3/4" | 6" |
| 1" | 8" |
| 1-1/4" | 11" |
| 1-1/2" | 13" |
| 2" | 15" |
Deduct values are for standard EMT hand benders (Ideal, Klein, Greenlee). Always verify with the markings on your bender shoe.
Bender Shoe Clearance
Minimum distance between adjacent bend marks. If marks are closer than this, bends will physically interfere.
| Conduit Size | Shoe Length (approx) |
|---|---|
| 1/2" | 6" |
| 3/4" | 6" |
| 1" | 8" |
| 1-1/4" | 11" |
| 1-1/2" | 11" |
| 2" | 14" |
Shoe lengths are approximate and vary by manufacturer. When planning multiple bends on a single stick, ensure marks are at least this far apart.
Centerline Bend Radius
Minimum bend radius measured to the centerline of the conduit. Per NEC Chapter 2 for one-shot bends.
| Conduit Size | EMT | IMC | RMC |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1/2" | 4" | 4.5" | 4.5" |
| 3/4" | 4.5" | 5.25" | 5.25" |
| 1" | 5.75" | 6" | 6" |
| 1-1/4" | 7.25" | 7.25" | 8" |
| 1-1/2" | 8.25" | 8.25" | 9.5" |
| 2" | 9.5" | 9.5" | 11" |
Values are for one-shot (field) bends using hand benders. Factory elbows and mechanical benders may have different minimums.
30° offset: multiply by 2, shrink 1/4" per inch. That covers 90% of field offsets. For the rest, keep this page bookmarked.
Need exact mark positions? Use the Conduit Bending Calculator to compute distances, shrink, and plan full sticks with multiple bends.