How to Shut Off Water, Gas, and Electricity in a Home Emergency

The main water shutoff controls all water entering the home. In most US homes it sits on the interior side of the wall where the supply line enters — often in a basement, utility room, crawl space, or under a kitchen sink. In warmer climates, it may be outside near the foundation or at the street in a covered curb box.

Turn the valve clockwise (gate valve) or rotate the lever 90 degrees so it runs perpendicular to the pipe (ball valve) to stop flow. Attach a labeled tag reading MAIN WATER SHUTOFF and note its location on your phone.

Every toilet, sink, dishwasher, washing machine, and water heater should have its own supply valve directly behind or beneath it. These let you isolate a single fixture without cutting water to the whole house — useful for a leaking toilet or burst supply line under a sink.

Turn each valve clockwise to close. If a fixture valve is stuck or corroded, replace it at your next maintenance opportunity rather than forcing it and risking a break.

The main electrical panel — sometimes called the breaker box or load center — is typically mounted on an interior wall in a garage, basement, laundry room, or hallway. It contains individual circuit breakers for each area of the home, plus a large main breaker at the top or bottom that cuts power to the entire panel.

To shut off all power: flip the main breaker to the OFF position. To isolate one room or appliance, flip only that circuit's breaker. Fill in the directory card inside the panel door so every circuit is labeled.

The gas meter is almost always on the exterior of the home — typically on a side wall or near the foundation. The shutoff valve sits on the incoming supply pipe just before the meter. It is a small rectangular or square tab (a ball valve stem).

When the tab runs parallel to the pipe, gas is flowing. Rotate it 90 degrees with a wrench so it runs perpendicular to the pipe — this closes the valve and stops gas flow. Keep a dedicated wrench attached nearby (a hanging hook on the meter cage works well).

Walk every adult in your household through all three shutoff locations. Make it a brief, hands-on tour — not just a conversation. Post a simple index card inside a kitchen cabinet or on the utility room door with shutoff locations, your gas utility's emergency number, and your local fire department's non-emergency line.

Understanding your home's systems goes deeper than just shutoffs — our plain-language guide to home systems explains how plumbing, HVAC, and electrical infrastructure work together. And just as preparation matters at home, it matters on the road — see our car emergency kit guide for vehicle readiness tips.