How to Find Your Water Shut Off Valve

Written by Dave Jones | Edited by Eric McClure

Last Updated: October 25, 2022

It’s important to know how to shut your main water valve off in case you have an emergency or need to make repairs. We totally understand if you’re frustrated while looking for this valve since there is no standard location for it. We’ve got your back. Read on to find out all the possible locations for your home’s main water supply shut-off valve.

This article is based on an interview with our professional plumber, Dave Jones. Check out the full interview here.

Things You Should Know

Your shut-off valve is likely in your basement on the wall closest to the street.
If the valve isn’t in your basement, it may be on an exterior wall or under a panel in your front yard.
For round valve handles, turn clockwise to shut off the water and counter-clockwise to turn it back on.
With straight valve handles, the water is on when it’s parallel to the pipe and off when the valve is perpendicular to the pipe.

1

Look for a round, spigot-style valve or a quarter-turn ball valve.

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Water main shut-off valves come in a few styles. In older homes, the valve will usually be a round, spigot-style valve. You’ll see this style of valve on some newer homes too, but it’s pretty rare. Newer homes typically use a lever-style valve that won’t turn more than 90 degrees.
- For round valves, turn the valve all the way clockwise to shut your water off, and all the way counterclockwise to open your water supply.
- With lever valves, the water is off when it’s perpendicular to the pipe. Turn the lever so that it’s parallel to the pipe to turn the water back on.

2

Look around in the basement.

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Search for a pipe coming in from the front of your home. Stroll down to the basement and orient yourself so that you’re facing whichever interior wall is closest to the street. Look at the bottom 1/3 of the wall for a pipe that feeds into your home. If it’s not there, look at the other adjacent walls. The valve will almost certainly be on top of this water supply pipe near the wall.
- If your home hasn’t been worked on in a long time, this pipe is very likely going to look older than a lot of the piping in your basement.
- This pipe will probably be copper or cast iron. In a newer home (or a home that has been recently renovated), this pipe may be rigid plastic or PVC.

3

Track the pipes from your water heater.

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If the pipe isn’t in the front of your home, follow the heater’s pipes. If you don’t see a pipe coming into your home, work in reverse. Look at your water heater and follow each individual pipe. If you find a pipe that feeds into the wall, it’s near the floor, and there is a valve on top of the pipe, you’ve found the main shut-off valve.^{[1]
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- If you live in a slab home with no basement, the shut-off valve should be in the closet next to your heater.

4

Inspect the area around your water meter.

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In some older homes, the valve sits right next to your water meter. If your home is super old and the pipe layout feeds into the ceiling or you can’t follow what’s going on, look for your water meter instead. The meter looks like a round, metal container in the middle of a pipe with a dial on top. If there is a valve right before or after the meter, that’s your shut-off valve.
- The meter is normally in your basement, but it may be outdoors if you live in a warmer climate.
- When your city started installing water meters, they would have put it right next to the shut-off valve on the supply pipe.

5

Investigate your exterior walls for the valve.

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In warmer climates, the shut-off valve is often outside. If the temperature never drops below freezing where you live, your building’s shut-off valve may be outdoors. Take a walk around the exterior of your building and look for a pipe that feeds into the ground. It will almost certainly be near your water meter. If you find a pipe with a valve on top, that’s your shut-off valve.
- Water meters typically look like round metal containers with a little dial on top.

6

Look for a panel on the ground near the curb.

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In some cities, the valve is buried outdoors. Are you totally stumped here? If you can’t find a shut-off valve anywhere, walk out to your front yard or sidewalk. Look on the ground for a panel that’s flush with the ground. You may need a wrench or meter key to open this panel, but your shut-off valve is almost certainly inside this compartment.
- In extremely rare cases, the valve will be buried underground. Unfortunately, you’ll need to contact your city or the water department to find out where your valve is located.

7

Call your city if you can’t find the meter.

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Depending on how old your home is or where you live, there may not be a shut-off valve you have access to. In this case, contact your water department and ask them to shut your water off. If it’s an emergency, explain what’s going on and ask them to shut the water off ASAP.

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Tips

Keep in mind that you’ll still have water in your pipes after you shut the water off, so turn a sink on to drain your system entirely once the valve is closed.

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If you bought your home, the inspector should have shown you where the shut-off valve is. You can refer to your inspection report to find your shut-off valve.

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