4-Point Saddle Calculator

A 4-point saddle is two offset bends placed back to back — four bends total — that box conduit around a wide obstruction like a duct or a pipe rack. Think of it as an offset up, a straight section across the obstacle, and an offset back down.

The layout

Each half is a standard offset: pick one angle (30° is typical) and one height (the clearance you need over the obstruction). Mark spacing inside each offset is height × multiplier — at 30°, that is simply height × 2. The distance between the two offset centers must clear the obstruction's width plus a little breathing room. And remember: shrink applies twice, once per offset, so a pair of 4" offsets at 30° eats 2" of run length.

Feasibility: the tight-bend check

The classic failure of 4-point saddles is spacing the two offsets too close together: the bends overlap, the conduit kinks, or the second bend lands on top of the first. If the calculator flags a bend as too tight, widen the saddle, drop to a shallower angle, or find clearance another way. Never force a tight bend — kinked EMT is scrap, and a kinked run has to come out.

How to bend a 4-point saddle, step by step

1. Measure the obstruction's width and the clearance height you need.
2. Mark offset #1's two bend points (height × multiplier apart).
3. Mark offset #2 as a mirror image, leaving enough straight conduit between the two offset centers to clear the width.
4. Bend offset #1, then bend offset #2 as its mirror.
5. Test-fit over the obstruction before cutting to final length — shrink has already shortened the run.

Tips

• Mark all four points before bending anything. It is easy to mirror-image the second offset the wrong way once you are holding the bender.
• Keep the same angle on all four bends — that is what keeps both ends of the run parallel.
• When the obstruction is both tall and wide, do the math first: the combined shrink of two tall offsets surprises a lot of people on their first 4-point saddle.