How to Shut Off the Water to Your House (Find the Main Valve)
By Mike Holt, NJ Master Plumber · November 1, 2026 · 3 min read · Updated November 1, 2026
Quick answer
Find the main shut-off valve where the water line comes into the house, usually on the basement wall facing the street, next to the water meter. If it has a lever, turn it a quarter turn so it sits across the pipe. If it has a round wheel, turn it clockwise until it stops. Then open the lowest faucet in the house to drain the pipes.
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time
- About 5 minutes
- You need
- Flashlight, old towels
Rather not risk it? A licensed plumber can handle this for you, with written upfront flat-rate pricing options before any work starts.
Water pouring out right now? Go straight to the main valve, usually on the basement wall facing the street, and turn it off. If you can't find it or it won't turn, call us. 908-873-6686
Every adult in the house should know where the main water valve is and how to close it. When a pipe bursts, the minutes it takes to find the valve decide how much of the house gets wet. Take five minutes now, find it, and make sure it turns.
How to shut off the water to your house
Step 1: Find the main shut-off valve
Go to the basement and look at the wall facing the street. The water line comes in through the foundation there, and the main valve sits on that pipe, right before or after the water meter. Some homes have a valve on each side of the meter; either one stops the water. Handle colors vary, so follow the pipe from your water meter. No basement? Check a utility closet, the garage, the crawl space or the area around the water heater.
Step 2: Turn it off the right way for your valve
A lever handle means a ball valve: turn it a quarter turn until the lever sits across the pipe. A round wheel means a gate valve: turn it clockwise until it stops, then stop. Don't force a wheel that won't move or hang on it with a wrench. Old gate valves can break inside, and then the water won't shut off at all.
Step 3: Open a faucet to drain the pipes
Open the lowest faucet in the house, like a basement laundry sink or an outside spigot, and let it run until it stops. That takes the pressure off the pipes and drains the water that's left in them, so a leak slows to a stop. If water keeps flowing for more than a few minutes, the main valve isn't sealing.
Step 4: For one fixture, use its own valve
If only one toilet, sink or appliance is leaking, you may not need to shut off the whole house. Toilets have a valve on the wall behind them, sinks have two under the cabinet, and the water heater has one on the cold pipe at the top. Turn these clockwise to close.
Step 5: If the main valve won't close, call the water company
There's one more valve, the curb stop, in a small round box near the sidewalk or street. It belongs to the water company in most towns and needs a long key to reach. If your inside valve won't turn or won't seal, call the water company to shut it off at the curb, then call us to replace the main valve.
Gate valve or ball valve: which do you have?
| Gate valve | Ball valve | |
|---|---|---|
| Handle | Round wheel | Straight lever |
| To shut off | Turn clockwise several times until it stops | Quarter turn, lever across the pipe |
| Common in | Older homes | Newer homes and recent repairs |
| Weak spot | Can stick open or stop sealing with age | Very reliable; can get stiff if never used |
If your main valve is an old gate valve that's stiff or leaks at the stem, it's worth replacing with a ball valve before an emergency. That's a job for a plumber, with the water shut off at the curb. Call 908-873-6686 or see our pipes and plumbing service.
What to do after the water is off
- If the water will be off for a while, switch off the breaker for an electric water heater. For a gas heater, follow the label on the unit or ask us.
- Move valuables and electronics away from any wet area if it's safe. Don't step into standing water near outlets or electrical equipment.
- Take photos of the damage for your insurance company before you clean up.
- When the repair is done, open the main valve slowly and let air out through a faucet until the water runs smoothly.
If a pipe burst, our burst pipe guide covers the next steps.
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Stop and call us if
- You can't find the main shut-off valve.
- The valve won't turn, or the handle feels like it could snap.
- Water keeps running after the valve is closed.
- The valve drips from the stem or has green or white crust on it.
- Turning it off is part of a burst pipe or a flood.
Call 908-873-6686.
Michael Holt
Owner and operator of Plumbing Doctor, NJ Master Plumber (Lic. #36BI01345600) and U.S. Marine Corps veteran.
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