Stop and Waste Valve Repair & Replacement

We service all cities within Utah County and Salt Lake County, including Payson, Springville, Spanish Fork, Mapleton, Provo, Orem, Lehi, Vineyard, Pleasant Grove, American Fork, Eagle Mountain, Saratoga Springs, Salem, and Santaquin in Utah County, and Salt Lake City, West Valley City, Herriman, Draper, Sandy, West Jordan, Cottonwood Heights, South Salt Lake, Riverton, South Jordan, Murray, Magna, Kearns, Millcreek, Midvale, Bluffdale, Taylorsville, and Holladay in Salt Lake County. Call if you are unsure. Many cities on pressurized irrigation (secondary) water do not use a deeply buried stop and waste valve; Lehi is an exception, where pink secondary water meters can appear alongside a deeply buried stop and waste on culinary systems.

Stop and waste valves are also called main shutoff valves or irrigation shutoff valves. They are brass valves attached to your culinary main water line, usually deep underground, and are where you turn water on and off to your landscape sprinkler system and drip irrigation. They are designed to release a small amount of water temporarily when the valve closes, and also when the stem is not fully open or fully closed—even about five percent open can leak continuously. Replacement should be done only by experienced professionals. We only replace a valve when it truly needs replacement; if it is simply not fully closed, you would typically pay a small service fee and our team will correct it for you.

They can be three to eight feet deep but are usually closer to four or five feet. They are buried deeply so they do not freeze. The valve is usually in a direct path between the water meter and the home, often near the meter; the closer the valve is to the home, the deeper it is often buried. The access cap can sit flush with the lawn while the brass body sits far below.

Prices depend on depth and obstacles when digging and generally range from about $1,950 to $3,500, with most jobs toward the lower end of that range. Galvanized main lines that require a full main line replacement as well are a separate scope, often roughly $5,000 to $20,000 depending on the property, and should be completed by a licensed plumber. See our online pricing page for published ranges and detail.

All of our repairs, including stop and waste valves, are backed by a five-year parts and labor warranty when you winterize your sprinkler system with Storm Sprinklers.

Check for water in the access tube or puddling around the shutoff. If the valve is close to the water meter, it can also fill the meter box with water. You can also watch your water meter while the valve is open and no sprinklers are running: if the dial counts up, that points to a leak on the irrigation side. Low pressure can sometimes be related but is not always obvious.

Time depends on depth, soil, roots, rocks, and how the valve is piped. Straightforward exposures often take on the order of part of a day; difficult digs can take a full day or more. Our technicians are trained to work quickly and effectively once the valve is located and exposed.

Stop and waste valves are very common on Utah culinary water systems. Some homes have a sprinkler shutoff in the basement instead of an outdoor stop and waste. Commercial and multi-family properties may have more than one stop and waste valve. Secondary-water cities often use shallower or different shutoff arrangements; Lehi is a notable exception with deep stop and waste setups alongside pink secondary meters.

Yes. We install stop and waste valves for homeowners adding a new sprinkler system or converting from secondary to culinary water, in addition to repair and replacement on existing systems.

Sometimes. A leak does not always reduce pressure noticeably, but it can contribute to low pressure in sprinkler systems in Utah.