Where is my main water shutoff
Your main water shutoff is where the water line enters the building: usually on the basement or crawlspace wall facing the street, in a utility closet or garage, or near the water heater in homes built on a slab. Find it before you need it. A round wheel turns clockwise to close; a lever turns a quarter turn until it sits across the pipe.
About 15 minutes to learnEveryday skill
Mark it once you can do it without this page open.
How to do it
- Look for the water meter or the pipe coming through the wall or floor on the street side of the home.
- Check the basement, crawlspace, utility room, garage, laundry area and the closet near the water heater.
- In an apartment, ask the building manager where the unit shutoff is, and look under sinks and behind the toilet for the local valves.
- Identify the valve: a round wheel handle or a straight lever handle on the main pipe.
- Test it: close it, turn on a faucet to confirm the water stops, then reopen it.
- Hang a bright tag on it and tell everyone in the home where it is.
- Note it on your readiness card, and check it still turns twice a year.
Common mistakes
- Waiting for a leak to go looking, with water already spreading.
- Forcing a stiff, old wheel valve so hard its stem breaks.
- Assuming the curbside box is yours to operate; it often needs a special key and belongs to the utility.
- Forgetting the individual valves under sinks and behind toilets, which stop a small leak without shutting the whole house.
Quick self-check
Three questions. Your last score is kept in this browser.
Teach this to someone
A one-page sheet for showing a friend, a roommate or a kid: what to say, what to show, and one question to check it landed.
Teach: Where is my main water shutoff
What to say
Your main water shutoff is where the water line enters the building: usually on the basement or crawlspace wall facing the street, in a utility closet or garage, or near the water heater in homes built on a slab. Find it before you need it. A round wheel turns clockwise to close; a lever turns a quarter turn until it sits across the pipe.
What to show, in order
- Look for the water meter or the pipe coming through the wall or floor on the street side of the home.
- Check the basement, crawlspace, utility room, garage, laundry area and the closet near the water heater.
- In an apartment, ask the building manager where the unit shutoff is, and look under sinks and behind the toilet for the local valves.
- Identify the valve: a round wheel handle or a straight lever handle on the main pipe.
- Test it: close it, turn on a faucet to confirm the water stops, then reopen it.
- Hang a bright tag on it and tell everyone in the home where it is.
- Note it on your readiness card, and check it still turns twice a year.
The check question
Ask: Which way do you turn a round wheel valve to close it?
Related skills
- How to reset a tripped breaker or GFCI outlet
- How to winterize outdoor faucets
- How to fix a dripping faucet
- Every skill in Home Fixes
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