Occupational Therapy • Home Modifications
Home Modifications
Your home should work around you.
Bridging function and the built environment to create safer, accessible homes for now and the future.
Intracare's occupational therapists assess how you move, complete everyday activities, use equipment and receive support - then translate those needs into clear functional requirements for the home. We support simple home adaptations, minor home modifications and complex structural modifications, and offer future-home access consulting for people planning a renovation, purchase or new build.
Our approach
We don't start with the modification. We start with what you need to do.
The occupational therapist first understands your goals, daily activities, mobility, assistive technology, support needs and environmental barriers - before determining what modification may be appropriate. Recommendations support informed choice, autonomy and dignity of risk while balancing foreseeable safety concerns and the needs of others who use or provide support in the home. Every home is treated with the same care and respect as our own, and the lived experience of the participant, their family, support workers, property owners and building professionals is valued throughout a collaborative process aimed at achieving a safe, workable and sustainable long-term outcome.
This philosophy is personal to me. Having designed and built my own home with ageing in place in mind, I genuinely practise what I recommend: think ahead, allow for change and, in the spirit of the Scout motto, "be prepared."- Derek Wang (Clinical Lead in Home Modifications).
Who this is for
NDIS participants aged 6 years and over
Including people whose needs are changing, who are planning a hospital discharge, or who need safer and more sustainable support at home. Private access consultancy is also available to individuals and families planning a renovation, home purchase or new build.
Commonly supported presentations
Where function meets environment
One home. Different activities. Different access needs.
Select a room to see the functional considerations an occupational therapist may assess in that environment.
The home modification continuum
From small adaptations to complex home modifications.
Complexity is determined by function, risk, structural and technical requirements - not cost alone.
Simple home adaptations
Low-cost, low-risk, easy-to-install products that generally cost less than $1,500 each and are commonly funded as low-cost assistive technology.
OT input helps ensure the item, position and installation respond to the participant's actual function and risks.
Examples
- Grab rails
- Accessible tapware
- Hand-held showers
- Lever door handles
- Threshold solutions
Minor home modifications
Straightforward, relatively low-risk and non-structural changes that generally cost less than $25,000 in total.
A quote is not usually required by the NDIA unless specific circumstances apply, but installer or trade input may still be needed for safe specification and implementation.
Examples
- Door widening
- Non-structural ramps
- Stair lifts (non-structural)
- Bidet installation (plumbing or electrical)
- Door automation
- Targeted bathroom or circulation changes
Complex home modifications
Higher-risk, customised or technical work that is often structural, may affect several areas of the home, and generally costs more than $25,000.
A modification below $25,000 can still be complex because of its structural, technical, approval or risk profile. The Occupational Therapy Australia framework uses the broader term major modification for structural work.
Examples
- Structural bathroom redesign with stepless shower
- Permanent structural ramps
- Lifts and platform hoists
- Wall or doorway alterations
- Extensive plumbing, electrical or circulation changes
The process
From functional need to finished environment.
Initial on-site assessment and consent
The OT confirms the participant's goals, informed consent, housing tenure and property-owner requirements, then assesses daily activities, transfers, mobility and assistive technology, reach, balance, circulation, support needs, risks and environmental barriers. Measurements and photographs are recorded with permission, including the space required by equipment and carers.
Determine pathway, complexity and risk
The OT considers whether the solution is a simple adaptation, a low-cost/high-risk adaptation, a minor non-structural modification, or a complex structural/custom modification. Triage is based on function, risk, structural and technical factors, approvals, affected areas and stakeholder needs — not cost alone — and includes current and anticipated future needs.
Determine external professional involvement
A simple adaptation may only require an appropriately qualified installer or trade and a site visit to confirm positioning or fixings. Minor work may need targeted builder or trade consultation and quoting. Complex or multi-trade work may require an independent building construction practitioner and project manager, with architects, designers, engineers, certifiers or other specialists engaged within their respective scopes.
Co-design, document and review the solution
The OT develops the functional assessment, clinical rationale, measurable goals and recommendations. Concept diagrams, plan mark-ups, guidance documents, professional drawings, specifications, quotes and a scope of works are prepared or coordinated as required. The participant and relevant stakeholders review the proposal so the technical solution remains aligned with the agreed functional outcomes.
Approval, implementation, education and evaluation
Evidence is submitted for the relevant funding or approval pathway. Following approval, qualified providers complete the work with project management where required. The OT provides education about safe use, reviews the completed work against the functional guidance, evaluates occupational performance and participation outcomes, and documents any rectification or follow-up required within the funded scope.
This flow reflects the Occupational Therapy Australia environmental and home modifications process: assessment of the person and environment, collaborative goal setting and solution selection, concept development, implementation, education, outcome evaluation and documentation. The scope is tailored to the participant, property, risk and funding pathway.
Service packages
Indicative OT hours and fees by pathway
| Pathway / service | Indicative OT hours and fee* | Typical OT scope | Funding / package notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home adaptation - low risk | 3-5 h | Intake/file review, focused on-site assessment, brief recommendation or prescription, installer communication and proportionate follow-up. | Commonly an item below $1,500. Product, installation and travel are additional. |
| Low-cost / high-risk adaptation | 5-8 h | More detailed functional and risk assessment, positioning or transfer analysis, stakeholder liaison, documented controls and installer/site verification. | Item may remain below $1,500; low cost does not remove clinical or installation risk. |
| Minor home modification | 8-15 h | On-site assessment, measurements, functional report, concept diagram or mark-up where needed, trade/builder liaison, evidence review and outcome follow-up. | NDIS: non-structural, relatively low risk and generally below $25,000. Trade and installation costs are separate. |
| Complex / major - assessment and funding phase | 25-40 h | Detailed assessment, joint site work, functional report, concept documentation, stakeholder consultation, design and scope review, funding evidence and responses to queries. | NDIS public term: complex. Building construction practitioner, drawings, quotes and approvals are separately funded/quoted. |
| Complex / major - end-to-end OT involvement | 35-60 h | Assessment and funding phase plus iterative design review, construction liaison, education, functional inspection, outcome evaluation and rectification follow-up. | Use staged authorisation. Multi-area, contested or prolonged projects may require more than 60 hours. |
| Future-home access consultancy | 3-6 h initial 8-15+ h detailed | Plan/property review, consultation, written functional access brief and/or plan mark-ups. Detailed packages can include design meetings and staged reviews. | Generally private consultancy. Architectural, engineering, certification and drafting fees are separate. |
* Illustrative fees are rounded from the 2026–27 national NDIS maximum price for Occupational Therapist supports ($193.99/hr) and are not an Intracare quote. Apply the rate in the participant's service agreement. Figures exclude travel, non-labour travel costs, products, installation, building works and third-party professionals.
Terminology note: Current NDIS public guidance uses simple home adaptations, minor home modifications and complex home modifications. Cost is only one factor in determining the pathway.
Planning references: NDIS home modifications provider guide; NDIS pricing arrangements; Occupational Therapy Australia Environmental and Home Modifications Capability Framework.
Collaboration
The right expertise around one outcome.
Occupational therapy defines the functional requirements. Building professionals translate those requirements into appropriate technical design, compliance and construction. We work collaboratively and document agreed roles so the functional and technical elements remain aligned.
Participant & family
Goals and lived experience
Occupational Therapist
Functional assessment and requirements
Building practitioner / builder
Technical design and construction
Designer / architect
Spatial design and documentation
Engineer / certifier
Structural and compliance
Support team
Practical daily context
Participant & family
Occupational Therapist
Building practitioner / builder
Designer / architect
Engineer / certifier
Support team
Future-home access consulting
Planning a home? Think about access before you build it.
A private consultancy service for people considering a renovation, home purchase or new build. We can review plans and proposed layouts against your current and anticipated needs, identify costly access barriers before construction, and prepare a functional access brief for the design team.
Advice can address entrances, parking, circulation, thresholds, bathroom and bedroom layouts, kitchen and laundry access, reinforcement for future equipment, home automation and provision for changing mobility or care needs. Professional drawings and technical scopes of works can be coordinated on request through appropriately qualified and insured building professionals and are separately quoted.
Property suitability
Sometimes the right answer is a different property.
Where extensive work is proposed, we consider tenure, consent, property condition, expected length of residence, future needs, alternative solutions and whether another property, SDA or home-and-living option may be safer or offer better long-term value.
Why Intracare
More than accessible features. Functional design.
We bridge function and the built environment.
Not simply dimensions.
Our OTs move beyond a list of building features. We analyse what the participant needs to do, how they move, the equipment and assistance involved, and exactly where the environment creates effort, risk or dependence. This becomes a functional brief that building professionals can understand and apply.
Our recommendations are evidence-based and measurable.
Grounded in occupational science.
We draw on occupational therapy models, activity and occupational-performance analysis, ergonomics, anthropometry, transfer biomechanics, reach and circulation requirements, assistive technology, risk assessment and the best available evidence. Recommendations link the participant's goals to expected functional outcomes, implementation requirements and proportionate post-modification evaluation.
We combine standards knowledge with real-world judgement.
Minimum standards are a floor, not a ceiling.
Our advice is informed by relevant legislation, accessibility principles, the National Construction Code, Australian Standards and other technical guidance - while recognising that minimum standards do not automatically meet an individual's functional needs. Where an individualised solution varies from general guidance, the OT provides a clear, defensible functional rationale and collaborates with the responsible building professional on technical and compliance implications.
We are clear about professional scope.
Function and technical design stay aligned.
The OT assesses occupational performance and participation, recommends functional access outcomes, and evaluates whether the completed solution addresses the participant's clinical goals. Architects, engineers, builders and certifiers retain their respective responsibilities for technical design, structural adequacy, statutory compliance and construction. We document agreed roles so nothing falls between the cracks.
Professional documentation can be coordinated.
One point of contact for the full picture.
On request, we can coordinate appropriately qualified building professionals to prepare drawings, technical specifications or a scope of works. OT sketches, mark-ups and functional briefs communicate the participant's access requirements but are not represented as architectural, engineering, construction or certification documents. Professional deliverables, responsibility and fees are confirmed in the service agreement.
We think ahead.
Not only about today's needs.
Recommendations are practical, versatile and sustainable - designed to remain useful as circumstances, equipment or support needs change. A good modification should not serve only one narrow purpose.
Qualifications and experience
AHPRA-registered occupational therapists with relevant experience assessing home adaptations and minor and complex home modifications.
Clinical Lead Derek W holds the CPP50711 Diploma of Access Consulting and has experience across environmental adaptations, complex home modifications, assistive technology, complex physical disability and home-and-living assessment.
Working knowledge of the NDIS home adaptation and modification pathways, the National Construction Code and relevant Australian accessibility standards and adaptable-housing principles, applied within professional scope.
Ongoing professional development in access consulting, universal and adaptable design, assistive technology, manual handling, neurological conditions and safe support at home.
Practice informed by the Occupational Therapy Australia Capability Framework for occupational therapists supporting people with environmental and home modifications (2025), including person-led and ethical practice, environmental measurement, drawings and documentation, risk assessment, outcome evaluation, and collaboration with building professionals and other stakeholders.
Referrals triaged by both modification type and case complexity. Lower-complexity work may be completed by appropriately supported clinicians; medium-complexity work requires independent environmental-modification capability; and complex, structural, high-risk or novel work is led or overseen by a senior practitioner with relevant expertise.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about home modifications.
Let's make home work better.
Whether the change is small, structural or still only an idea, it starts with understanding what you need your home to help you do.