If water is actively leaking in your home this minute: go find your main water shut-off valve. The detail on where it usually is and what it looks like is below — but the most important thing is to find yours before you need it, and ideally practice turning it off once a year. The middle of a flood is the wrong time to learn where it is.
The two levels of shut-off you need to know
Every house has two levels of water shut-off, and you should know both:
1. Fixture shut-offs (small, local)
Behind every sink and toilet (and at washing machines, ice makers, and water heaters), there are small valves that shut off water just to that fixture. These are perfect for: a leaking toilet supply line, a faucet that won't stop dripping, or a washing machine hose burst. Turn off just the affected fixture, no need to disrupt the rest of the house.
2. The main shut-off (big, whole-house)
This is the master valve that controls water to the entire house. Use it for: any burst pipe inside walls, slab leaks, water heater failures, anything you can't isolate to a single fixture, or whenever you'll be gone for more than a week.
Where to find your main shut-off (in OKC-metro homes)
Most homes in the OKC metro have their main shut-off in one of three places, depending on how the house was built:
Location 1: At the water meter (at the curb or in the yard)
This is the city-side shut-off, and almost every house has one. Look for a rectangular metal lid in the ground near the curb, marked "Water Meter" or just "Water." Inside the box, you'll see a meter and a valve.
The valve is usually a ball valve (a lever you turn 90 degrees) or a gate valve (a wheel handle you turn clockwise multiple times). Turn the lever perpendicular to the pipe to close, or turn the wheel fully clockwise.
You may need a water meter key (a long T-shaped tool) to reach down into the box and turn it. They're cheap at Lowe's or Home Depot — get one and keep it in the garage. In a pinch, a pair of long-handled pliers can work but a key is much easier.
Location 2: Inside the house at the perimeter (most common in OKC)
Many OKC-metro homes have a house-side main shut-off where the water line enters the house. Common locations:
- In the garage, usually on the wall closest to the front of the house
- In a utility closet near the water heater
- In a laundry room near the washing machine connections
- On older homes, in the basement or crawl space at the front of the house
Look for a pipe coming up through the floor or in from the wall, with a valve attached. It's usually about 3 to 4 feet off the ground.
Location 3: In a separate "stop box" in the yard
Some older homes and some newer construction has a third option: a small plastic or metal box in the yard between the meter and the house, with a shut-off valve specifically for the house. Often labeled "House Stop" or just a small green or black lid in the lawn.
The three types of valves you'll encounter
Ball valve (modern, easiest)
Looks like a lever or a paddle handle. Turn it 90 degrees. When the handle is perpendicular to the pipe, water is OFF. When it's parallel to the pipe, water is ON. These are the easiest valves to operate and are now standard in newer homes.
Gate valve (older, sometimes stuck)
Looks like a small steering wheel. Turn it clockwise (righty-tighty) to close. May take 5 to 10 full turns to fully close. Common in homes built before 2000.
Warning: Old gate valves often get stuck open. If you've never operated yours and it doesn't turn with hand pressure, do not force it with a wrench — you can break the stem inside the valve and turn a leak into a flood. Call us instead. Better yet, replace it with a ball valve before you need it. A valve swap runs $185 to $295.
Globe valve (less common but exists)
Similar to a gate valve in appearance, but with a slightly different internal design. Operates the same way — turn clockwise to close.
The full emergency procedure
When water is actively flooding your house:
- If safe, kill electricity to any area where water is reaching outlets, light fixtures, or electrical panels. If water is reaching the breaker panel itself, do NOT touch it — call us and the fire department.
- Locate the main shut-off (you've already done this in advance, right?). Turn it clockwise (gate valve) or 90 degrees perpendicular (ball valve).
- Open a downstairs faucet — kitchen sink, basement utility sink, exterior hose bib. This drains the lines in your house and stops continued water flow from gravity pressure.
- If the leak involves hot water, also shut off the water heater. Gas: turn the dial to "off." Electric: kill the breaker.
- Call us (or any plumber). 24/7: (405) 446-2078.
- Document the damage for insurance — take photos before cleanup, save invoices, note times.
- Move what you can from the affected area while waiting. Wet drywall and carpet can be replaced, but damaged contents are often non-recoverable.
Test your shut-off once a year
Gate valves seize up. Ball valves can develop sediment buildup. If you've never operated your main shut-off, you don't actually know if it works. Twice-a-year ritual: pick a Saturday, find the valve, turn it off, run a downstairs faucet to verify water stops, then turn it back on.
If the valve doesn't fully close or won't turn, call us before you need it to work. We can replace a balky main shut-off in under an hour for $185 to $295 — way cheaper than discovering it's stuck during a 2am pipe burst.
Other shut-offs worth knowing
Water heater shut-off
There's a dedicated valve at the cold-water inlet to your water heater (the pipe going INTO the heater, not the one coming out). Turning this off stops new water from entering the tank — useful when the tank itself is leaking. Doesn't drain the tank, but stops the leak from getting worse.
Toilet shut-off
Behind every toilet, you'll see a small valve on the wall or floor where the supply line connects. Turn this clockwise (or 90 degrees perpendicular for a ball valve) to stop water to just that toilet. Useful when a toilet won't stop running, a tank cracks, or the fill valve fails.
Sink shut-offs
Under every sink, you'll see one (cold-only sinks) or two (hot and cold) small valves where the supply lines come out of the wall and connect to the faucet. Turn clockwise to close.
Washing machine shut-offs
Behind every washing machine, there are usually two valves (hot and cold) where the hoses connect. It's a good habit to close these between loads — washing machine hoses are one of the most common sources of major home water damage, and closed valves prevent damage if a hose bursts while you're not home.
Outside hose bibs
Some homes have a separate shut-off for outside hose bibs and irrigation, usually in the garage or basement. Useful to close before freezing weather in winter.
A 30-minute home prep that pays for itself
Take 30 minutes one Saturday and do these five things. They'll save you thousands the day something goes wrong:
- Locate your main water shut-off. Take a photo of it on your phone for reference.
- Test it. Make sure it closes fully and turns easily.
- Buy a water meter key ($10–$15) if your meter is in a ground box.
- Label fixture shut-offs — masking tape and a Sharpie. "Toilet," "Kitchen Sink — Hot," etc.
- Save our number in your phone: (405) 446-2078. The middle of an emergency is the wrong time to be Googling for a plumber.
When to call us
Any of the following means you should call instead of trying to handle it yourself:
- You can't find your main shut-off
- Your main shut-off doesn't fully close (water keeps flowing after you turn it off)
- You smell gas anywhere in the house — leave the house first, then call from outside
- Water is reaching electrical outlets or panels
- The leak is inside a wall, ceiling, or floor and you can't see the source
- You've turned everything off and water is still coming somewhere
Save us in your contacts now. Hope you never need us at 2am — but if you do, we'll be there.