The Fix-It Playbook — Find Your Main Shutoff & Burst-Pipe Plan

Fifteen minutes on a dry Saturday buys you the one thing you cannot buy at 2 a.m. — knowing exactly where the water stops, and that the valve still turns.

Inside: Step 1: Find it · Step 2: Work out which valve you have · Step 3: Confirm it actually works · Step 4: The plan, before you need it · The other shutoffs worth knowing · The meter trick · The honest cost comparison · When to stop and call a pro · Troubleshooting · Printable panel-door card.

Doing it yourself: nothing. Finding and tagging the valve costs fifteen minutes and a luggage tag.

Calling a pro: $150–600 to replace a main shutoff valve.

8 pages of labeled diagrams, parts lists and real numbers — no filler, no 40-minute video. Temperatures and measurements in both Fahrenheit/Celsius and feet/meters, so it works wherever you are. Ends with a printable checklist.

Instant PDF download: print it for the garage or follow it on your phone with the parts in hand. Yours to keep, no subscription.

Need more than this one job? The Freeze-Proof Plumbing Kit bundles all 5 winter plumbing guides — 35 pages — for $14.