What does CAPS stand for?

Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist. It is a designation run by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), created with AARP, earned by completing 3 courses on marketing, design concepts, and solutions for homes that need to work as people age.

Is CAPS a contractor license?

No. CAPS is training, not a license. A CAPS remodeler still needs the state contractor license and insurance that any remodeler needs, and in Florida that means a DBPR license for structural, plumbing or electrical work.

Who can hold the CAPS designation?

Remodelers, general contractors, designers, architects and occupational therapists all hold it. Some CAPS holders design or assess but do not build, so ask what the person actually does.

How do I find a CAPS remodeler near me?

NAHB runs a directory searchable by ZIP code. Use it to build a shortlist, then check each name against your state's license search and ask for proof of insurance and photos of similar projects.

Does a CAPS remodeler cost more than a regular remodeler?

There is no set premium. Quotes vary by home and region, so get 3 written quotes for the same scope and compare them line by line. The designation tells you who has trained for the work, not what the work costs.

Do I need a CAPS remodeler or an occupational therapist?

Often both. The occupational therapist is a licensed clinician who evaluates what the person can do and needs; the CAPS remodeler turns that into changes to the house and builds them. Medical questions always go to the occupational therapist or doctor.

What Is a CAPS Remodeler? The Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist

A CAPS remodeler is a remodeler or contractor who holds the Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist designation, a training program run by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and created with AARP. Earning it takes 3 courses covering marketing, design concepts, and solutions, and it means the person has studied how to make a home work for someone as they age: grab bars that hold, showers without a step, doorways a wheelchair fits through, lighting, a main-floor suite. CAPS is training, not a license, so a CAPS remodeler still needs the state contractor license and insurance any remodeler needs.

Ready to talk to a certified aging-in-place remodeler? Start with a walk-through of the house and get matched with a CAPS remodeler serving your area.

Who runs CAPS and who holds it

The designation belongs to NAHB, the national trade association for home builders and remodelers, and was created with AARP. The 3 courses cover marketing to the aging-in-place market, design concepts, and solutions (the products and construction methods that make a home safer and easier to use). Holders are not only remodelers: general contractors, designers, architects and occupational therapists complete the same courses, and NAHB keeps a directory of all of them searchable by ZIP code.

The designation matters because aging-in-place work is now ordinary. In NAHB's 2026 data, 56% of remodelers do aging-in-place work and 73% say requests have increased over the past five years. Most remodelers will take the job; CAPS is one way to tell who has trained for it.

What a CAPS remodeler does differently

A good CAPS remodeler starts with the person, not the room. Before quoting, they ask how you move through the house, what the occupational therapist has recommended, and what is likely to change in the next few years. The quote that comes back is usually broader than the one you asked for, in a useful way: the shower conversion comes with blocking inside the walls so a grab bar can go anywhere later, a wider bathroom door, a light switch you can reach from bed.

They know the solutions by trade. A curbless shower that drains properly without a step is a plumbing and tile problem, not a fixture choice. A doorway widened to the 32 to 36 inch clear opening a wheelchair needs is a different job in a load-bearing wall with wiring inside it. Lever handles, comfort-height toilets, non-slip flooring, even lighting without glare, and grab bars installed into studs or with proper anchors are the vocabulary.

They plan in stages: the work that matters now first, and the cheap preparation for later (blocking, wiring for a future stair lift) while the walls are open. And the result should look like a home. Grab bars now come in finishes that match towel bars, and a CAPS remodeler should not need to be told that.

What CAPS does not guarantee

This is the part the directories leave out.

Not a license. CAPS is coursework. Structural, plumbing and electrical work needs a state license regardless. In Florida that is a DBPR license (Certified General, Building or Residential Contractor, with plumbing and electrical under their own licenses), and handyman work without a license is limited to non-structural tasks.
Not insurance. The designation says nothing about whether the business carries liability insurance or covers its workers.
Not a clinical credential. A CAPS remodeler is not an occupational therapist unless they also hold that license. Questions about what your parent can safely do go to the occupational therapist or doctor.
Not experience. Completing 3 courses, one of them about marketing, is not the same as having built a dozen accessible bathrooms. Ask for photos and references from projects like yours.
Not a price. There is no CAPS rate. Quotes vary by home and region, so get 3 written quotes and compare the line items.

Some CAPS holders design or assess but do not build, and some remodelers without the letters are excellent at this work. Treat CAPS as a strong signal, not a verdict.

How to verify a CAPS remodeler

Find them in the NAHB directory. Search by ZIP. If a remodeler claims CAPS and is not listed, ask why.
Check the state license. In Florida, search the name or license number at the DBPR license search and confirm the license type matches the work. A bathroom remodel that moves plumbing needs a plumber's license on the job, not just a general one.
Ask for the insurance certificate. Current general liability and workers' compensation, sent from the insurer or agent, not a photocopy from the contractor.
See the work. Photos of similar projects and a reference you can call.
Get it in writing. A detailed quote, a payment schedule tied to milestones, and never full payment up front. Florida does not cap deposits, but a contractor who takes more than 10% of the contract price up front must apply for permits within 30 days and start work within 90 days after they are issued (Florida Statutes 489.126), and a demand for most of the money before work starts is a red flag anywhere.

Our guide on how to choose an aging-in-place remodeler has the full question list.

Where the CAPS remodeler fits with the occupational therapist

The occupational therapist tells you what the person needs; the CAPS remodeler tells you what the house needs and builds it. An OT home evaluation, often arranged through the hospital or primary care doctor, produces specific recommendations (grab bar placement, toilet height, a shower seat or transfer bench). A whole-home safety assessment by a CAPS remodeler turns that into a prioritized, quoted plan for the house. Many families use both.

Who pays for the work

Most aging-in-place remodeling in the US is paid directly by the homeowner or family, which is also the fastest route: no pre-approval, your choice of contractor, work can start as soon as the quote is signed. Paying out of pocket explains the tools. If a long-term care insurance policy exists, call the carrier before buying anything, because home modification benefits usually require pre-approval and a clinician's documentation. Original Medicare does not pay for remodeling at all; Medicare and Medicare Advantage has the honest detail.

Ready to talk to a certified aging-in-place remodeler? Describe the house and the person who lives there, and get matched with a CAPS remodeler serving your area.