Conduit BendingBy Blissom · Updated 2026-10-23
Layout values: check them against your own bender, on scrap first.
Short answer: measure to the center of the obstruction and add the shrink (45° saddle: 3/16" per inch of depth) to get the center mark. Put the outer marks depth × 2.5 on either side. Bend 45° on the center, then 22.5° on each outer mark back toward level.
What a 3-point saddle is
A 3-point saddle lifts the conduit over a small round obstruction, usually another pipe crossing the run, and brings it back down to the same line. It is three bends: one center bend over the obstruction and one on each side at half the angle.
How to bend a 3-point saddle
- Measure the depth: the rise the conduit needs above its original path. For a round pipe on the same surface the conduit runs on, that is the pipe's outside diameter plus your clearance; if either is raised, measure their real relative heights.
- Measure to the center of the obstruction from the end of the conduit, and add the shrink to get the center mark.
- Mark the outer bends depth × multiplier on each side of the center mark.
- Bend the center with the bender's center-of-bend mark on the center mark, to the center angle. Use the indicator your bender's maker specifies for that angle; do not assume the mark used for a 45° center is right for a 60° one.
- Roll the conduit 180° and put the arrow on the first outer mark, so the bend turns the conduit back toward its original line; bend half the center angle. Repeat on the other outer mark, keeping all three bends in one plane. Hook orientation for the outer bends differs by maker, so follow your bender's guide.
3-point saddle multiplier and shrink chart
| Center / outer | Multiplier (center to outer mark) | Shrink per inch of depth |
|---|---|---|
| 45° / 22.5° | 2.5 | 3/16" |
| 60° / 30° | 2.0 | 1/4" |
These are field layout factors from bender guides, not guaranteed finished dimensions: the sharp-corner geometry gives 2.61 and 0.199" per inch at 45°, and 2.00 and 0.268" at 60°. The finished saddle also depends on the shoe's radius, its reference marks and spring-back. Bender guides document the 45° and 60° centers, so those are the only ones given here.
Bend budget for each saddle
| Saddle | Degrees toward the 360° limit |
|---|---|
| 45° center, 22.5° outer | 90° |
| 60° center, 30° outer | 120° |
The limit is 360° between pull points (NEC 2023 358.24(B) for EMT (358.26 in the 2020 and earlier editions)). The 2026 NEC adds 300.24, which applies the same limit across a run that changes raceway type. Follow the edition your jurisdiction has adopted; see bends between pull points.
Outer mark distance and center shift by depth
| Depth | 45° saddle: ± spacing / + center shift | 60° saddle: ± spacing / + center shift |
|---|---|---|
| 1" | ± 2-1/2" / +3/16" | ± 2" / +1/4" |
| 1-1/2" | ± 3-3/4" / +5/16" | ± 3" / +3/8" |
| 2" | ± 5" / +3/8" | ± 4" / +1/2" |
| 2-1/2" | ± 6-1/4" / +1/2" | ± 5" / +5/8" |
| 3" | ± 7-1/2" / +9/16" | ± 6" / +3/4" |
| 4" | ± 10" / +3/4" | ± 8" / +1" |
| 5" | ± 12-1/2" / +15/16" | ± 10" / +1-1/4" |
| 6" | ± 15" / +1-1/8" | ± 12" / +1-1/2" |
Each cell: outer-mark spacing (± from the center mark) / center-mark correction (+ added to the obstruction-center measurement). Values are rounded to the nearest 1/16", halves rounded up.
Worked example: 2" rigid conduit, 36" from the end
A nominal 2" rigid metal conduit (RMC), 2-3/8" outside diameter, rests on the same surface and crosses your run 36" from the starting end. Adding 5/8" clearance gives a saddle depth of 3".
- Shrink: 3 × 3/16" = 9/16". Center mark: 36" + 9/16" = 36-9/16".
- Outer spacing: 3 × 2.5 = 7-1/2". Outer marks: 29-1/16" and 44-1/16".
- Bend 45° on 36-9/16", then 22.5° on 29-1/16" and 44-1/16".
Measuring saddle depth
Saddle depth is the rise the conduit needs above its original path. For a crossing pipe resting on the same surface as the conduit, that is the pipe's actual outside diameter plus your clearance; where either is raised, work out the vertical difference from the real installation. Remember that nominal pipe size is not the outside diameter: 2" rigid is about 2-3/8" OD, 1" EMT about 1-3/16".
Mistakes
- Putting the center bend on the obstruction measurement without adding shrink: the hump lands short of the pipe.
- Using the arrow for the center bend. The center bend uses the notch or center mark so the middle of the bend lands on the mark.
- Letting the conduit roll between bends, which twists the saddle.
- Using a 3-point saddle over something wide like a duct. Use a 4-point saddle for flat-topped obstructions.
Sources: NEC 2023 358.24 and Chapter 9, Table 2; Klein Tools Conduit Bender Guide (stub take-up, offset multipliers and shrink, saddles). Method.
Questions electricians ask
What is the multiplier for a 3-point saddle?
For a 45° center bend with 22.5° outer bends the bender-guide multiplier is 2.5: the outer marks go 2.5 × the saddle depth either side of the center mark. For a 60° center with 30° outer bends it is 2.0. These are field layout factors; the sharp-corner geometry gives 2.61 and 2.00.
How much shrink does a 3-point saddle have?
With a 45° center bend, move the center mark 3/16" farther out for each inch of saddle depth. A 3" saddle moves the center mark 9/16". The total conduit shrink is twice that.
Which mark do I bend first on a 3-point saddle?
The center bend first, on the bender’s center-of-bend mark (the rim notch or teardrop on most shoes). Then roll the conduit 180° and make each outer bend with the arrow on its mark, at half the center angle, so both bends turn the conduit back toward its original line. Hook orientation differs by maker, so follow your bender’s guide.
Why use 45° and 22.5° for a saddle?
A 45° center with 22.5° outer bends makes a gentler, longer saddle and uses only 90° of the run’s bend budget. A 60°/30° saddle is shorter end to end but uses 120° and pulls harder.
Does a 3-point saddle count toward the 360° limit?
Yes, every degree counts. A 45° saddle adds 45 + 22.5 + 22.5 = 90° to the run, the same as one 90.
Saddles that fit your shoe
- Warns before you bend when a saddle is too tight for the bender radius
- Shows how much lower the hump really sits on a round shoe
- Guide mode: center bend first, then each outer bend, with the hook direction
- 4-point saddles with clearance, from the end of the pipe
Android only. There is no iPhone version yet; the free calculators on this site work on any phone.
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