Water Shut Off Valves: Info for San Francisco Homes

Joe Tinsley • July 17, 2026

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A water shut off valve is used to shut off the water to an individual plumbing fixture or your whole house. Many common fixtures in your house have water shut off valves including sinks, toilets, modern showers, modern bathtubs, water heaters, gas lines, and sprinkler systems. You can also find a water shut off to your entire house. Usually in San Francisco you can find them in your garage by the front of the house. Finally, there is a water shut off for your house located in the sidewalk for the city meter.

There are different types of shut off valves. The most common straight valves you will see around your home in San Francisco are gate valves and ball valves. Gate valves move up and down to block water flow. Ball valves have a rotating ball that prevents water flow. Ball valves are more modern and overall have a better design making them easier to turn off. They also typically fail less. For the most part, gate and ball valves are interchangeable.

Angle stops have a 90 degree angle and are usually found underneath bathroom, kitchen, or laundry room sinks as well as toilets.

Angle stop shut off valve under a bathroom sink

Angle stop

Quarter turn angle stop connected to a water supply line

Angle stop

FAQs from Homeowners

Do you need a specific tool to open or close water shut off valves?

The only water shut off that needs a special tool is the one in the sidewalk near the water meter. We carry the tool on our trucks and are able to turn these off if necessary.

Water meter shut off valve in a San Francisco sidewalk box

Water meter shut off valve

City water meter and shut off valve below sidewalk level

Water meter shut off valve

What is the point of a shut off valve?

Water shut off valves are great for turning off the water to only the fixture that needs to be worked on rather than always turning the water off to an entire house or apartment building.

How do I know if my valve is open or closed?

With a ball valve you can tell if the handle is parallel with the pipe, then water is flowing; however if it's perpendicular, then it's closed or the water is stopped. With a gate valve you cannot tell visually. Turning it all the way to the left, allows water to flow, and conversely turning it all the way to the right, stops the flow of water. With angle stops, it will depend on the style. You will either be able to allow the flow of water by turning it to the left and stopping water by turning it to the right or if you have a quarter turn angle stop then if you turn it perpendicular to the connected water supply line that will stop the flow of water whereas parallel allows for water to flow.

What should I do if I can't get my valve to shut off?

We recommend contacting a professional. Unfortunately, you can break water shut off valves, and if you break them, you will have more problems. Usually, water shut off valves should be easy to move and turn, so if there's resistance, they likely should be replaced. It is best to have a working water shut off valve at all times in case you have a flood.

What happens if I break my valve?

You will need to have it replaced. If you're unable to turn off your water shut off valve then you won't be able to effect whatever repair needs to be completed or stop an emergency. If the shut off valve breaks in the closed position, then you won't have any water from that point forward in the system.

How do I find my water shut off valves?

Some water shut off valves are obvious, they can be found underneath a sink or by the toilet. They can be hidden behind the shower or bathtub plates on modern fixtures which allows you to turn the water off to your shower or bathtub fixture only. You can find one on your water heater, usually on the cold inlet. The house shut off valve is generally located on the front side of the building facing the street where the water meter is, usually in San Francisco they're in the garage.

If I buy an old house, should I change my water shut off valves?

It is probably a good idea to have them inspected by a plumber to see if they're too old especially if it wasn't completed during your home inspection. I typically would recommend changing old angle stops and updating your house shut off valve from a gate valve to a ball valve when applicable.

An older gate valve — a good candidate for a ball valve upgrade

When is the shut off at the street used?

The city uses it as a surface point so they can change your water meter. The only time a plumber would use the street water shut off would be when the house shut off valve was not working or couldn't be found and repairs needed to be completed.

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