Conduit BendingBy Blissom · Updated 2026-10-23
Layout values: check them against your own bender, on scrap first.
Short answer: exact travel = rise ÷ sin(angle), exact run = rise ÷ tan(angle), exact shrink = rise × tan(angle ÷ 2). For quick field estimates the rounded bender multipliers are 22.5° ≈ 2.6, 30° = 2 and 45° ≈ 1.4; do not combine them with the exact run and shrink as if they described one triangle. To find the angle from a rise and run: atan(rise ÷ run).
What a kick is
A kick is a single bend, usually 10° to 45°, that angles the conduit away from the surface it runs on: out of a floor, off a wall, or into a box set at a different depth.
Kick table per inch of rise
| Angle | Field multiplier | Exact travel (1 ÷ sin) | Run (1 ÷ tan) | Field shrink | Exact shrink (tan ½θ) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10° | 6.00 | 5.759 | 5.671 | 1/16" | 0.087 |
| 15° | 3.86* | 3.864 | 3.732 | 1/8" | 0.132 |
| 22.5° | 2.60 | 2.613 | 2.414 | 3/16" | 0.199 |
| 30° | 2.00 | 2.000 | 1.732 | 1/4" | 0.268 |
| 45° | 1.40 | 1.414 | 1.000 | 3/8" | 0.414 |
Per inch of rise. Field values are the rounded constants in bender guides; *the 15° multiplier is calculated, as the Klein guide does not list 15°. The field and exact values describe the same bend only approximately: at 10° the field multiplier of 6 against the exact 5.759 adds about 1/4" of travel per inch of rise, so a 10" rise is off by about 2-7/16". For a precise layout use the exact column, which is what the calculator shows.
Finding the kick angle from rise and run
When the kick has to hit a point (a box, a hole), you know the rise and the run, not the angle. The angle is the arctangent of rise over run.
- 3" rise over 17" run: atan(0.176) ≈ 10°.
- 3" rise over 7-1/4" run: atan(0.414) ≈ 22.5°.
- 3" rise over 3" run: 45°.
Odd angles are fine: bend to the calculated angle with a protractor or level. Angles outside the presets can be valid, but check the measurements, the straight conduit available and your bender's supported angles before bending. See the formulas for the full derivation.
Kicked 90s
A kicked 90 is a 90° stub plus a kick in its horizontal leg, bent in a plane at right angles to the 90. The stub stays plumb while the run angles off the wall, so the stub can come up away from the wall, at a box or past a baseplate.
- Bend the 90 to the stub height as a normal stub-up.
- Roll the conduit 90° so the stub lies flat on the floor, pointing sideways. Draw a line along the conduit first so you can see the roll.
- Work out the kick. The ideal travel from the kick to the stub's centerline is rise ÷ sin(angle). That is a geometric distance, not automatically the mark for your bender's arrow: measure from a defined reference on the finished 90, apply your bender's marking procedure, and check that both bends and the shoe have room. Then bend the kick angle.
- Stand it up and check: the stub is plumb, and the run leaves the wall at the kick angle.
Example: a stub must come up 3" out from the wall it would otherwise sit against, and you choose 22.5°. Travel = 3 ÷ sin 22.5° = 7.839", about 7-13/16"; the run along the wall is 3 ÷ tan 22.5° = 7.243", about 7-1/4". The ideal travel is about 7-13/16". The actual kick mark depends on your bender and the reference you measure from, so verify the mark and the finished 3" on a test piece first.
Mistakes
- Measuring the rise along the conduit instead of square to the original line.
- Letting the conduit roll between the 90 and the kick by something other than the 90° you meant, which throws the stub off plumb (a dog-leg). Keep a line on the conduit and check it before bending.
- Forgetting that a kick moves the end of the run: allow for the shrink when cutting to length.
- Mixing rounded field constants with exact trigonometry. Use the calculator's exact travel, run and shrink together; the field multiplier and field shrink are approximate trade references for comparison, not a second set of exact dimensions.
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
How do you calculate a kick in conduit?
Travel along the conduit = rise ÷ sin(angle); the bender multipliers (22.5° ≈ 2.6, 30° = 2) are rounded versions of the same number. Horizontal run = rise ÷ tan(angle), and the shrink is travel − run = rise × tan(angle ÷ 2). These are ideal sharp-corner values; a real bend has a radius, so check with a test bend.
What is the difference between a kick and an offset?
A kick is one bend that changes the direction of the run; an offset is two equal bends that move the run over and bring it back parallel. A kick is often the first bend of a kicked 90, lifting the conduit off a wall before it turns up.
How do I find the angle of a kick?
Divide the rise by the horizontal run and take the arctangent: angle = atan(rise ÷ run). A 3" rise over a 5-3/16" run is 30°. Switch the calculator to "Rise and run known" and it does this for you.
What is a kicked 90?
A 90° stub with a kick in its horizontal leg, bent in a plane at right angles to the 90, so the run angles off the wall while the stub stays plumb. It is used to bring a stub out to a box or past a baseplate. See the section below for the order and an example.
Kicks for a whole rack
- Parallel kicks with the adjustment for each conduit in a rack
- Level screen that buzzes when you hit the angle
- Kicked 90s with the stub and kick laid out together
- Every bend type, offline, saved as jobs
Android only. There is no iPhone version yet; the free calculators on this site work on any phone.
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