What Is an NDIS Home Modification Assessment?

Reading time: 10 minutes  |  Updated: April 2026  |  Written by: TEAH Allied Health Team

For many Australians living with a disability, the home is the most important environment of all — and also the most likely to create barriers. Steps at the front door, a narrow bathroom, a shower without grab rails, a kitchen bench that can’t be reached from a wheelchair. These aren’t small inconveniences. They are daily risks that affect safety, independence, and dignity.

The NDIS funds home modifications to address exactly these kinds of barriers — but to access that funding, you first need an NDIS home modification assessment conducted by a qualified occupational therapist (OT). This article explains what that assessment involves, what kinds of modifications can be funded, how the process works from start to finish, and how to get started.

What Is an NDIS Home Modification Assessment?

An NDIS home modification assessment is a structured on-site evaluation carried out by a qualified occupational therapist to identify physical barriers in a participant’s home environment and recommend modifications to improve safety, access, and independence.

The OT visits the participant’s home, assesses how they move through and interact with each relevant area, identifies specific barriers created by the home’s layout or features, and then produces a detailed written report. That report forms the clinical evidence the NDIA uses to fund the recommended building works under the participant’s NDIS plan.

A home modification assessment is different from a Functional Capacity Assessment (FCA), which evaluates your overall daily functioning across all areas of life. A home modification assessment is specifically focused on the built environment — the physical features of your home — and how those features interact with your disability.

Who Needs a Home Modification Assessment?

You may benefit from a home modification assessment if your disability creates any of the following in your home:

• Difficulty or danger when entering or exiting the property (steps, uneven paths, heavy doors)
• Risk of falls in the bathroom or toilet area
• Inability to use a shower, bath, or toilet without assistance that could be reduced with the right equipment or structural changes
• Difficulty navigating between rooms due to narrow hallways or doorways
• Inability to access key areas such as the kitchen, laundry, or outdoor spaces
• Need for overnight support that could be reduced if the home environment were modified
• Dependence on a carer for tasks that structural modifications could make possible independently
• Use of a wheelchair, walking frame, or other mobility aid that does not fit safely through the current layout

Home modification assessments are particularly common for participants with:

What Does the OT Assess During a Home Modification Assessment?

The occupational therapist will assess the home systematically, moving through each relevant area and observing how the participant interacts with the built environment. They will consider the participant’s current and anticipated future needs — modifications should be appropriate not just for today, but for how the disability may progress.

Areas typically assessed

Entry and approach

The OT will assess how you approach and enter the property — including the path from the street or driveway, any steps or level changes, the front door width and weight, lighting, and whether a ramp, handrail, or intercom system is required.

Hallways and internal doors

Standard doorways (typically 820mm wide) are often too narrow for a wheelchair or walking frame to pass safely. The OT assesses internal door widths, hallway widths, turning radius requirements, and whether widening is needed to allow safe movement through the home.

Bathroom and toilet

This is the most commonly modified area in the home. The OT assesses shower access (step-over bath vs roll-in shower), toilet height and access, grab rail placement, floor surface, door swing direction, and whether a ceiling hoist or tracking system is required for transfers.

Bedroom

The OT looks at bed height, transfer space, access to wardrobes and storage, space for assistive equipment such as hoists or hospital beds, and safety considerations such as fall risk during the night.

Kitchen

Bench height, oven and stovetop access, sink depth, cupboard accessibility, and whether a modified or adjustable kitchen is needed to support independent meal preparation.

Laundry

Access to the washing machine and dryer, reach requirements, step-overs, and whether the laundry layout supports independent use.

Outdoor access

Steps, ramps, handrails, surface texture, and access to outdoor entertaining areas, letterboxes, or clotheslines — particularly relevant for participants wanting to maintain community connection and outdoor independence.

Garage and vehicle access

Where relevant, the OT may assess parking and vehicle access — particularly for participants who use modified vehicles or need sufficient space to transfer safely between a vehicle and a wheelchair.

What Home Modifications Does the NDIS Fund?

The NDIS funds home modifications that are directly related to a participant’s disability and are “reasonable and necessary” to support their independence, safety, or capacity to receive care at home. Here are the most commonly funded modifications:

Minor vs Major Modifications — What’s the Difference?

The NDIS categorises home modifications as either minor or major, and the approval and funding process differs significantly between the two.

Minor home modifications

Minor modifications are lower-cost, lower-complexity structural changes — typically costing under $20,000 per item and not requiring significant building work. Examples include grab rails, non-slip flooring, lever-style door handles, ramps, handrails, and threshold ramps.

Minor modifications can be approved by your support coordinator or plan manager and funded directly from your Capital Supports budget with minimal documentation. For some minor modifications, a quote from a certified installer and a letter of support from your OT may be sufficient without a full home modification report.

Major home modifications

Major modifications involve more significant structural changes — typically costing over $20,000 or involving changes to the structure, fixtures, or fittings of the building. Examples include widening doorways, converting a bath to a roll-in shower, installing a ceiling hoist, modifying a kitchen, or constructing a ramp.

Major modifications require a comprehensive OT home modification report before the NDIA will approve funding. The report must include a detailed clinical justification for each modification, relevant standards references, a functional description of how the modification addresses a specific disability-related need, and typically two builder quotes.

How the Process Works, Step by Step

Getting home modifications funded through the NDIS involves a clear sequence of steps. Understanding the process helps you manage expectations around timeframes and know what to prepare at each stage.

How NDIS Funding Works for Home Modifications

Home modifications are funded under the Capital Supports — Home Modifications budget in your NDIS plan. Capital Supports funding is different from your Capacity Building and Core Supports budgets — it is a separate allocation specifically for one-off capital items like modifications and assistive technology.

Does home modification funding need to be in my plan already?

For your plan to fund home modifications, you generally need to have Capital Supports funding included. If your current plan does not include this, you have two options:

• Request a plan variation — if you have a clearly identified and urgent need, your support coordinator can request the NDIA add Capital Supports funding outside of your regular review cycle.
• Wait for your next plan review — and submit the OT home modification report as supporting evidence to ensure Capital Supports funding is included in your new plan.

How much funding is available?

There is no fixed cap on home modification funding — the amount is determined by what the NDIA considers reasonable and necessary for your specific situation, based on your OT report and the builder quotes. Minor modifications might be funded at a few hundred dollars; major modifications for complex needs can reach tens of thousands of dollars or more.

What If I Rent My Home?

Renting does not automatically exclude you from NDIS home modifications — but it does add complexity. Here is what you need to know:

Landlord consent is required

For any structural modification, you need written consent from your landlord before works can proceed. Many landlords will agree when the modifications are funded by the NDIS and carried out by a licensed builder — particularly if the modifications are reversible or add value to the property.

Some modifications are reversible

Grab rails, threshold ramps, and many minor modifications can be removed at the end of a tenancy with minimal impact on the property. Your OT report can specify whether modifications are reversible, which helps when negotiating with a landlord.

If a landlord refuses

If a landlord refuses consent for modifications that are clinically necessary, you may have grounds to pursue a resolution through the relevant state tenancy authority. In some states, anti-discrimination legislation supports a tenant’s right to make reasonable modifications related to disability.

Consider whether moving is a better solution

If your current rental property has significant structural limitations and your landlord is unlikely to consent to the modifications you need, your OT and support coordinator may recommend exploring Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) — housing built specifically to meet the access needs of participants with high support requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Summary

An NDIS home modification assessment is the clinical foundation for getting your home environment right. It identifies the specific barriers your disability creates in your home, recommends the modifications that would best address those barriers, and produces the written evidence the NDIA needs to fund the works.

Done well, a home modification assessment can unlock funding that meaningfully reduces your reliance on support workers, improves your safety, and lets you live more independently in a home that actually works for you. At TEAH, our OTs conduct in-home assessments across Darwin (NT), Perth (WA), Brisbane (QLD), and Victoria — with a deep understanding of the specific access challenges in each region.