The short answer
In a Las Vegas house, look for the main shutoff in the garage, in a box in the front yard near the sewer riser cap, or on the manifold inside the house. Turn the handle clockwise until it stops. A round handle may need several full turns. A straight lever only needs a quarter turn. If you cannot find it or it will not move, skip to what to do if the valve is stuck. We answer 24/7 at (702) 840-5037.
Nobody looks for their water shutoff until they need it, which is usually the worst moment to start hunting. The good news is that homes in this valley follow a fairly predictable pattern, because almost all of them are slab-on-grade with no basement. That rules out the place most of the country looks first and narrows it down to a short list.
Where the main shutoff is in a Las Vegas home
The Las Vegas Valley Water District describes the customer shutoff as usually being in your front yard near the sewer riser cap, in your garage, or in your home manifold system. In practice, check them in this order, because the first one is the easiest to reach and the most common.
- The garage. Look on the wall the house shares with the garage, often near the water heater or directly behind it. You are looking for a valve on the pipe that feeds the house, usually within a few feet of the floor.
- A box in the front yard. Look for a rectangular plastic or concrete lid set flush with the dirt or gravel, often near the sewer riser cap and usually between the house and the street. Lift the lid and look inside for a valve. In a landscaped yard it can be buried under a layer of rock, so feel around if you do not see it.
- An interior manifold. Some newer homes run a central manifold, often in a utility closet, a laundry room, or a wall panel, with a labeled main and individual lines branching off it.
The meter box is not the same thing
You may also find a meter box closer to the street with the water meter and a valve inside it. That valve belongs to the water district, not to you. Use your own shutoff if you have one. The district asks that customers do not operate equipment in the meter box, and a valve down there can be stiff enough to break, which turns a leak into a much bigger problem.
Which way do I turn it?
Clockwise to close, the same as a garden hose faucet. Righty tighty still applies. Which handle you are holding changes how far you turn it.
- A round wheel handle, called a gate valve, needs several full turns clockwise before the water actually stops. Keep going until it will not turn any further without force.
- A straight lever handle, called a ball valve, only needs a quarter turn. When the lever sits across the pipe instead of along it, the water is off.
Once it is closed, go open the lowest faucet in the house, such as a tub spout or an outside hose faucet, and let the remaining water in the pipes drain out. That takes the pressure off and tells you whether you really got the right valve. If water keeps running steadily after a minute or two, the valve did not fully close or it is not the main.
You may not need the whole house
If the leak is at one fixture, shutting off that fixture is faster and leaves the rest of the house with water. Most fixtures have their own stop valve within a few feet of them.
| Where the water is coming from | Look for the shutoff here |
|---|---|
| Toilet | A small oval or lever handle on the wall or floor behind the toilet, on the line feeding the tank |
| Sink, kitchen or bathroom | Two small valves under the sink, hot and cold. Close both |
| Water heater | A valve on the cold inlet pipe at the top of the tank, usually the right-hand side |
| Washing machine | Two valves on the wall behind the machine, sometimes in a recessed box |
| Outdoor faucet or irrigation | The faucet itself, or an irrigation valve box in the yard |
| No idea, or water is in the walls or ceiling | Use the main shutoff. Do not spend time guessing |
What to do if the valve will not move
This happens a lot, and it is not your fault. A valve that has sat untouched for fifteen years in hard water can seize up, and the mineral scale in Las Vegas water makes it more likely here than in most places.
- Do not force it with a wrench or a cheater bar. An old gate valve can snap off at the stem, and then you have a leak you cannot stop at all.
- Try steady, even pressure by hand first. If it gives slightly, work it gently rather than yanking.
- If it will not budge, call us. We can shut the water off at a point upstream of the stuck valve and replace it.
If the valve is broken, buried, or nowhere to be found, that is an emergency call and not something to work around. We answer 24/7, a real person picks up, and you get an upfront flat-rate quote you approve before any work starts. Call (702) 840-5037 or see emergency plumbing.
After the water is off
Shutting the water off stops the damage. It does not fix what caused it, and the cause matters, because that decides whether this is a small repair or something that will come back.
If you never saw where the water was coming from, you may have a hidden leak. Those show up here as a warm spot on the floor, a sound of running water with everything turned off, or a water bill that jumped for no reason. Our leak detection service locates it without opening up walls on a guess. If the water was under the slab, the signs of a slab leak are worth reading, because that is a different repair.
Find your shutoff before you need it
The best time to do this is a calm afternoon, not an emergency. Go find your valve, make sure it actually turns, and tell everyone else in the house where it is. A valve you have tested once is worth far more than one you are looking for with water coming through the ceiling.
Talk to a licensed Las Vegas plumber
Kingdom Plumbing is a family-owned, licensed, bonded and insured plumbing company (NV Contractors License #0085422) with offices across the valley, including Farm Road in Centennial, West Cheyenne serving Summerlin, and two locations in Henderson. We are available 24/7, a real person answers, and you approve a flat-rate quote before work begins. Call (702) 840-5037 or request service online.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the main water shutoff in a Las Vegas house?
Which way do I turn the water shutoff valve?
Can I turn off the water at the meter in the street?
What if the shutoff valve is stuck or will not turn?
Do I have to shut off the whole house for one leaking fixture?
Should I turn the water off when I leave town?
Have a plumbing question or a problem right now?
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