What home modifications are
Home modifications are custom-built changes to where you live that help you access and use areas of your home.
NDIS funding can only pay for modifications to a home if you own, or to a home if the owner agrees it can be modified.
What home modifications are for
You may need home modifications if you:
- have safety concerns or difficulty moving around your home
- have trouble getting in or using your shower
- can’t use or enter the rooms you need to use in your home
- have difficulty working towards your goals in your home because of your disability
- need changes to your home so your carers can support you safely.
Your my NDIS contact can explain the different home modification options to you if you would like them included in your plan.
What home modifications are like
They can be minor
Minor home modifications are changes to your home that are straightforward and don’t affect the structure of your home.
They're:
- relatively low risk
- generally, cost less than $25,000 in total.
Examples include:
- adding or removing taps
- constructing simple ramps
- installing non-slip floor treatments
- installing lever door handles.
They can be complex
Complex home modifications are changes to your home that affect its structure or need custom or more technical work.
They're:
- a higher risk
- often impact several areas of the home
- generally, cost more than $25,000 in total
- need approvals and certificates of completion.
Examples include:
- installing permanent ramps that need building permit approval
- installing elevators or lifts
- extensive electrical, plumbing or structural work.
Home modification assessments
We need a home modification assessor to recommend what changes are needed to your home. If your home modification is complex, we'll fund a building construction practitioner to work with you and the home modification assessor to plan the recommended scope of works.
We'll also fund a building works project manager, when the modifications are very expensive and involve major structural work. Your project manager must be independent of any of the builders who quote for the work.
Tip: You must use qualified builders and tradespeople.
We'll only pay for home modifications completed by a qualified builder, and tradespeople who are qualified to complete the type of work you need. For example, plumbers and electricians.
What we won’t fund
We don’t generally fund:
- standard furniture, fixtures, or fittings, including cosmetic finishes like tiles or tapware, which aren’t needed as part of a home modification
- swimming pools and spas, including those used for hydrotherapy
- modifications that make your house bigger, like adding another storey
- repairs to pre-existing damage to your home outside the immediate area where you need home modifications
- insurance premiums to insure your home after it has been modified
- standard living costs or routine repairs and maintenance that landlords or homeowners are usually responsible for
- fixing home modifications that don’t follow Australian standards.