How to finance home modifications for individuals with disabilities

Home renovation is rarely straightforward and always carries the risk of additional costs—and that’s particularly true for those who need accessible home modifications. Whether you need to build an entry ramp or adapt a bathroom, it helps to be aware of funding options that can help homeowners.

About 29% of the U.S. adult population has a disability, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And 14% of people with disabilities face a mobility issue that may impact walking, climbing stairs, or getting around the house. The good news: There’s help for millions of people to pay for renovations that make their homes more accessible, whether they have physical disabilities that impact mobility, are deaf or hard of hearing, are blind or have diminished vision, are neurodivergent, or have other disabilities that may require a home modification.

Funding resources can come from federal, state, and local government grants. Other options include private loans and nonprofit funding. This guide can make it easy to find the right funding source to help offset (and potentially cover) the cost of home modifications for accessibility.

Home modification costs at a glance

Starting a home repair project can seem daunting. “Home modifications for accessibility can range from simple changes like installing grab bars in bathrooms to more extensive renovations like widening doorways or installing ramps,” says Ladina Schöpf, founder of a Zurich-based architecture planning firm. “The costs can vary, depending on the scope of the modifications and the specific needs of the individual,” Schöpf says.

From minor modifications (some of which you may be able to handle yourself) to major structural changes, the cost of home remodeling for individuals with motor disabilities can range from less than $350 to more than $50,000.

Here are a few examples of common home modifications for people with disabilities and the average price, according to a disability remodeling cost guide from Fixr, an online resource center focused on home improvement and repair projects.  

• Install a chairlift: $3,000–$5,000
• Build a wheelchair ramp: $1,700–$5,000
• Widen a doorway: $300–$2,500
• Add grab bars: $85–$300
• Install a specialized doorbell (for people with hearing impairments): $50–$500
• Add auditory smoke detectors (for people with vision impairments): $70–$150
• Create wheelchair-accessible kitchen cabinets: $4,000–$9,000
• Raise a toilet seat: $100–$1,600
• Install an elevator: $35,000–$60,000

Federal home modification grants

One of the top sources for grants for home modifications for people with disabilities is the U.S. government, which has several programs to help homeowners cover the cost of their accessible home modifications.

U.S. Department of Agriculture

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) provides loans and grants for low-income rural residents through its Rural Development program. The maximum loan amount is $40,000, and the maximum grant allowance is $10,000. Loans and grants from this USDA program may be combined for up to $50,000 in assistance for home repairs. 

To qualify for the program, applicants must own their home and live in the house. Additionally, homeowners must prove they can’t obtain affordable credit elsewhere if they apply for the Rural Development program, also known as the Section 504 Home Repair program.

Further, this program only applies to single-family homes in select areas. Applicants should first check if their home is in an eligible area on the USDA website. For grants, applicants must be age 62 or older.

U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs

There are also grants available from the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs. As you might’ve guessed, applications for these grants are limited to veterans and service members with certain service-connected disabilities. Beyond those qualifiers, the grants vary depending on whether the applicant owns (or plans to own) the home being modified. Veterans who don’t own their home but need help modifying it for their disability can still apply for specific grants.

• Specially Adapted Housing (SAH) grant. It’s the most significant grant available, as successful applicants can receive up to $117,014 in 2024. This type of grant requires that applicants own or plan to own the home being modified.

• Special Home Adaptation (SHA) grant. This grant is designed for veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities who live in their own home or one owned by a family member. The grant provides up to $23,444 (as of 2024) and doesn’t need to be used within a single calendar year. This flexibility is nice in case future modifications are required.

• Temporary Residence Adaptation (TRA) grant. This type of grant caters to veterans and service members in temporary housing arrangements. Veterans need to qualify for either the SAH or SHA grant to apply for the TRA, which differs in that it doesn’t require the grant applicant to own the home and instead covers changes needed when the veteran is temporarily living with a family member. The amount of this grant depends on whether the applicant would qualify for an SAH or an SHA grant: if SAH, then the grant provides up to $47,130 in 2024; if SHA, then the grant provides up to $8,415.

• Home Improvements/Structural Alterations grant. This grant provides up to $6,800 to pay for modifications for service-related disabilities and up to $2,000 for other disabilities.

State and local home modification grants

The federal government isn’t the sole funding source for costs associated with home modifications for individuals with disabilities. There are also state and local programs that provide financial assistance when modifying a home for accessibility.

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) website has a state-by-state breakdown of homeowner assistance programs. Loan amounts and qualifying criteria will vary by state, so it’s best to research your home state to determine how much money is available for homeowners making repairs or modifications for accessibility.

The Independent Living Research Utilization program was started in the late 1970s and, in the decades since, has provided a comprehensive list of resources for people with disabilities who strive to live independently. Like the HUD resource list, this is organized by state and includes local funding options.

The National Directory of Home Modification and Repair Resources has an interactive map with many resources that homeowners can explore while researching funding options.

Nonprofit resources for home modifications

Homeowners can apply for funding from nonprofits as they modify their homes and make them more accessible.

Habitat for Humanity

This nonprofit is well known for building homes for low-income families. The Habitat approach relies on both volunteer workers and the homeowners themselves taking an active role in building for their future through a process known as “sweat equity.” Even though a prospective homeowner’s disability may limit their ability to participate in construction work, Habitat for Humanity has ways for all future homeowners to take an active role through means like homeowner education courses or volunteering at Habitat’s storefronts.  

The National Disability Institute

The National Disability Institute is another nonprofit group, and its Assistive Technology Loan Program provides loans up to $45,000 to help pay for hearing and vision aids, communication devices, environmental adaptations, wheelchairs, and home or vehicle modifications for New York and New Jersey residents.

Other financing options for home modifications

Many homebuyers may face headwinds from high interest rates and limited supply, and the added cost of home remodeling for disability modifications compounds the pressures that disabled homebuyers face.

Brady Bridges is a real estate broker/owner in the Fort Worth, Texas area, and he encourages homebuyers to think outside the box if they need additional funding options for home modifications. “In the current housing market climate, the Fannie Mae HomeReady loan program is a viable financing option for home modification for individuals with disabilities,” Bridges says. “Disabled homebuyers who earn less than area median income and with a credit score of 620 or higher can benefit from a low down-payment requirement, as low as 3%,” Bridges says, “with the option to use grants or assistance funds for the entire down payment.”

Every extra bit of financial wiggle room helps in purchasing a new home, and it’s especially useful when budgeting for accessible home remodeling projects that may be required after the home purchase.

Putting it all together

Once you research the price ranges of common accessibility modifications and clarify how much your projects will cost, you can effectively and realistically start to budget for these updates. But you’re not necessarily on your own when it comes to paying for these modifications. There are many funding options for accessible home modifications out there that can lessen the financial burden of making a home comfortable for a differently abled person.

Make a plan to start your project on the right foot and proceed confidently. To kick-start your savings, consider a Discover® savings account, which offers over 5X¹ more interest than the National Savings Average. 

Articles may contain information from third parties. The inclusion of such information does not imply an affiliation with the bank or bank sponsorship, endorsement, or verification regarding the third party or information.

The information provided herein is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be construed as professional advice. Nothing contained in this article shall give rise to, or be construed to give rise to, any obligation or liability whatsoever on the part of Discover Bank or its affiliates.

¹ The Annual Percentage Yield (APY) for the Online Savings Account as of XX/XX/XXXX is more than five times the national average APY for interest bearing savings accounts with a balance of $500 as reported by Curinos as of XX/XX/XXXX. National average is based on information regarding the top 50 banks (by deposit size) and may not include information from variations in regional pricing at such banks or information from products that may not be widely available to their customers. Rates were obtained from Curinos, who relies on the data from the banks it tracks and such information cannot be guaranteed. APYs are subject to change at any time.