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Does SDA funding cover home modifications?

By The Find My SDA Team · Published 07 Sep 2026 · Updated 11 Sep 2026

Short answer

No. SDA funding pays for a home that is enrolled as SDA, not for changes to the home you live in now. Home modifications are a separate NDIS support, funded under the Home Modifications category of your plan's Capital supports budget. A simple change costing less than $1,500, like a grab rail, is usually funded as low-cost assistive technology.

SDA and home modifications are two different NDIS supports with separate funding. If you are weighing up a move against changing the home you have, this guide explains what each one pays for and how the NDIS sorts home modifications by size and cost.

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What SDA funding pays for

SDA funding is for the building only. The NDIS describes it as capital funding for bricks and mortar, not for person to person support. It sits in a participant's plan, and the SDA provider can only claim it once the home is enrolled as SDA and an eligible participant lives there under a service agreement.

To get SDA in your plan you need an extreme functional impairment or very high support needs, a specialist disability accommodation needs requirement, and SDA has to meet the NDIS funding criteria for you. Our guide on who is eligible for SDA covers this in more detail. Help with personal care and daily tasks is funded separately, often as Supported Independent Living, explained in our guide to the difference between SDA and SIL.

What counts as a home modification

A home modification changes part of your home, such as its structure, fixtures or fittings, so you can move around it safely. The NDIS gives this example: a non-slip mat you buy and put on the floor is assistive technology, while a non-slip treatment an installer applies to the floor is a home modification.

If a home modification meets the NDIS funding criteria, the funding goes in the Home Modifications category of your Capital supports budget. SDA funding sits in that same support category, but capital funding is stated. That means it can only be spent on the specific supports written in your plan, so SDA funding can't be used to pay for home modifications.

Simple, minor and complex changes

Simple home adaptations cost less than $1,500 each and are usually funded as low-cost assistive technology. Minor home modifications don't change the structure of your home and cost no more than $20,000. Category A minor modifications cost under $10,000. Category B cost between $10,000 and $20,000, or involve minor changes to a bathroom floor.

Complex home modifications change the structure of your home or need custom or more technical work. They usually need building approvals and certified work such as plumbing and electrical. A home modification assessor, who is an occupational therapist with the right experience, assesses and recommends the changes.

Renting or living in social housing

You don't have to own your home. The NDIS will consider home modifications whether you own or rent, but it can only pay for changes to a home you own, or a home where the owner agrees it can be modified. You need written permission from the owner or their representative for the specific changes recommended for you.

If you rent, the NDIS needs to know whether your landlord will want the changes removed at the end of your lease. In public or community housing, the NDIS looks at modifications case by case, and you are responsible for getting the owner's written agreement.

Home modifications or SDA

Most NDIS participants don't need to live in SDA. When the NDIS looks at an SDA request, it asks what stops you living in a standard home and whether something it could fund, such as home modifications, would make that possible. If SDA isn't right for you, the NDIS will talk to you about other supports such as assistive technology or home modifications. Our guide to NDIS housing options lists what else is available.

Find My SDA and other SDA providers don't decide what gets funded. The NDIS does. Start with your support coordinator or your my NDIS contact. If SDA is already in your plan, our guide to finding SDA vacancies in South Australia shows where to look.

Common questions

Will the NDIS pay for a grab rail in my current home?

Possibly. A simple change costing less than $1,500 is usually funded as low-cost assistive technology. Bigger changes are funded as home modifications. Neither comes out of SDA funding.

Do I need to move house to get SDA funding?

Only if your current home isn't enrolled as SDA. Funding can only be claimed for an enrolled SDA home, so if yours isn't, using SDA funding means moving to one that is.

Can I get home modifications if I rent privately?

Yes, the NDIS will consider it. You need the owner's written permission for the specific changes, and the NDIS will ask whether your landlord wants them removed when your lease ends.

Who decides whether I get SDA or home modifications?

The NDIS decides, based on your support needs and its funding criteria. Your support coordinator or my NDIS contact can help you put the request together.

Sources

We check the facts in this guide against these official sources before it goes live.

This article is general information only, not advice. The NDIS makes all decisions about what it will fund, and its rules and price limits change. Check your own plan and talk to your support coordinator or the NDIS about your situation.

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