How to shut off water to the house: main valve, curb stop, fixtures and a checklist

Main water shut off valve location

There is no single spot. Utility pages describe these common places:

• North Penn Water Authority (Pennsylvania) says the valve is usually where the water service enters the home, next to or near the water meter, and that an indoor meter is usually where the pipe comes through the foundation.
• The City of Apple Valley, Minnesota says the main valve is generally found in the mechanical room near the furnace and water heater, with the meter usually there too.
• The City of Fairview, Oregon lists the meter box at the street (on the house side of the meter), a crawl space or basement where the line enters, the garage near the water heater or laundry hookup, and outside near the foundation, often protected by a concrete ring or clay pipe.
• San Francisco Public Utilities Commission says the main may be in a garage, basement or closet, is usually the largest valve coming out of the wall and may be painted red. Most are on the exterior or just inside the property in line with the sidewalk meter.
• Western Water, a California water district, says the house valve is usually outside the home or in the garage, and suggests opening the hose bib next to it, or testing a fixture inside, to verify it.

The City of Fairview says that if you cannot find a shutoff valve you may want to have one installed. If you cannot find yours, check your home inspection report, ask a licensed plumber, or call your water utility. San Francisco offers a free courtesy site visit to help locate the valve, so ask yours whether it does the same. Do this before an emergency. For what to do when a pipe has already burst, read burst pipe: what to do.

Main valve, meter valve and curb stop: who may operate which

These are three different valves.

• Main shutoff valve (house valve): yours. The City of Joliet, Illinois says the homeowner maintains the valves next to the meter. Apple Valley says there should be a valve on each side of the meter, and either will shut off water to the home if operable.
• Meter valve: San Francisco's utility says water meters should only be accessed by its field staff, to prevent injury and damage to its equipment. Lakehaven Water and Sewer District (Washington) tells customers with older angle-rod style valves to shut water off at the meter. Rules differ, so ask your utility before you operate a meter valve.
• Curb stop: usually near the curb or in the front yard. Joliet says the city maintains it. Talmont Resort Improvement District (California) says its street valve is not to be operated by the homeowner and that doing so could expose the homeowner to liability. Apple Valley says if a main valve will not shut off, Public Works shuts the water at the curb stop, with at least 48 hours' notice for a scheduled job. In an emergency, call the utility.

Keep your utility's 24-hour emergency number where everyone can find it. North Penn Water Authority adds that its customers can call for a site visit before plumbing repairs, free during business hours.

How to turn it off and back on

Valves are usually one of two types. Western Water says ball valves have a straight handle turned a quarter turn, and gate valves have a wheel turned several times. Apple Valley says a ball valve handle should rotate 90 degrees between on and off, and that gate valves need a little more attention because the stem can corrode. SF Public Utilities says a ball valve with a blue handle turns off at a 90-degree angle to the pipe.

1. Turn the handle or wheel clockwise until it stops. Lakehaven and Western Water both say clockwise is closed.
2. Open a faucet or the hose bib to confirm the water has stopped. North Penn says to confirm water to your fixtures has stopped completely. A trickle can mean the valve needs repair.
3. To restore water, turn the valve back slowly. Western Water warns that opening the valve too quickly can damage the pipes, and says to run water at the hose bib until air is released.

North Penn adds that closing the main can stop water in an emergency or during plumbing work, and can limit damage from unnoticed leaks when a property is vacant. Washington's Department of Health lists turning off water at the main as part of its guide on turning off utilities in an emergency.

How to turn off water to a toilet, sink or other fixture

Western Water says supply shutoff valves control individual fixtures, such as sinks, toilets and washing machines. A fixture valve stops water to that fixture only, so you can fix a leak or replace a part without closing the whole house.

• Toilet: look for the small valve on the supply line, low on the wall or floor near the toilet. Turn it clockwise until it stops, and do not force it. Check that the tank stops filling. If the toilet is overflowing, see toilet overflowing: what to do, and for a toilet that keeps running, running toilet fix.
• Sink: look in the cabinet under the sink for the hot and cold valves. Close both for a leak at the faucet.
• Washing machine: Western Water lists washing machines among the fixtures with their own supply valves. Look for the hot and cold valves where the hoses connect, and close both.
• Water heater: the Department of Energy's Building America Solution Center, via PNNL (updated September 2025), says to turn off power or gas first, using the breaker for electric units, and to close the valve on the cold-water inlet pipe. If there is no valve, it says to shut off water to the whole house. See how to flush a water heater and water heater leaking: what to do.

Test your valves once a year

North Penn Water Authority says shutoff valves should be operated at least once a year by turning them off and on to be sure they work. Talmont says the same for the main valve. Joliet says older gate valves should be turned periodically because corrosion can build up, and that newer Teflon-coated ball valves generally stay in working order without regular turning. North Penn warns that a valve that is never used can get stuck or break off when you finally try it.

A practical way: close the valve, confirm the water is off, open it again slowly, and look for drips at the stem. Do the fixture valves too. If a valve will not move, go to the next section. Put a reminder in your calendar for the same week as your smoke alarm check, or before winter, using the winter plumbing and septic checklist.

If a valve is stuck or leaks

• Do not force it. Apple Valley says not to force the operation of the valve or the packing nut. Lakehaven says not to use extreme force, because older valves may not turn easily and could be damaged.
• A drip at the stem can come from the packing nut. Apple Valley describes gently tightening it with the valve partly closed, but if you are not confident, call a plumber.
• If the main will not close, Apple Valley says repair or replacement is the homeowner's job and that Public Works can shut the water at the curb stop first. Call your plumber and your utility.
• If water is flooding now, call the utility's emergency line and a plumber, and stay out of standing water near electrical equipment.

Household water shutoff checklist

Copy this list, print it and tape it somewhere visible.

• Main shutoff valve is located. Location: ______________
• The valve has a tag or label (North Penn and Lakehaven both encourage this).
• Everyone in the household, including older children, knows where it is.
• The valve has been turned off and on in the last 12 months.
• The valve closes fully and does not leak at the stem.
• Meter valve and curb stop: asked the utility who may operate them. Answer: ______________
• Water utility 24-hour emergency number: ______________
• Plumber's number: ______________
• Toilet, sink and washing machine valves tested this year.
• Water heater cold-water inlet valve located, and power or gas shutoff known.
• Main valve closed during long absences. North Penn notes this can limit damage from unnoticed leaks.

What to look up where you live

• Your water utility: its 24-hour emergency number, where its responsibility ends, and whether customers may operate the meter valve or curb stop.
• State or provincial plumbing or contractor licensing board: to confirm a plumber's licence and check complaints.
• Your insurance agent: what your policy says about water damage and what to document.
• County or municipal emergency management: local guidance for severe weather and freezing.

For Canadian readers. Plumbing is regulated by each province or territory, and municipalities set their own water utility rules. Check your provincial regulator and your city. Costs are in Canadian dollars and cannot be compared directly with US figures.

More reading

• Burst pipe: what to do
• Toilet overflowing: what to do
• Winter plumbing and septic checklist
• How to flush a water heater
• Water heater leaking: what to do

Frequently asked questions