VA Grants for Home Modifications: HISA, SAH and SHA (2026 Guide)

The VA has three grants that can pay for home modifications. The Home Improvements and Structural Alterations (HISA) grant pays for medically necessary alterations prescribed by a VA clinician, with a lifetime benefit of $6,800 for a service-connected condition and $2,000 for a non-service-connected one (the higher amount also applies to a non-service-connected condition when the veteran has a service-connected disability rated 50% or more). Specially Adapted Housing (SAH) and Special Home Adaptation (SHA) grants exist for specific service-connected disabilities and pay up to $126,526 and $25,350 respectively in fiscal year 2026. Every path runs through the VA: HISA starts with a VA clinician's prescription, SAH and SHA start with a VA housing grant application, and the VA approves before the work starts.

Ready to talk to a certified aging-in-place remodeler? Tell us about the home and get matched; a certified aging-in-place remodeler serving your area will reach out once matched.

HISA: the grant most veterans use

HISA is a VA health care benefit, which is why the prescription comes from a VA clinician. It pays for alterations to the veteran's primary residence, owned or rented, that a VA clinician says are necessary to continue home treatment of the disability or to give the veteran access to the home, a bedroom and the bathroom. Bathroom access, entrances and doorways are the usual focus, because that is where the medical need shows up: a veteran who cannot step over a tub wall, climb the front steps, or fit a wheelchair through a door.

Key points:

• Who. Veterans eligible for VA health care, and service members being medically discharged for a permanent disability from service. Both service-connected and non-service-connected conditions can qualify, but the lifetime benefit is lower for most non-service-connected conditions.
• How much. A lifetime benefit of $6,800 for a service-connected condition, a condition the VA treats as if it were service-connected, or a non-service-connected condition when the veteran has a service-connected disability rated 50% or more (ratings are not combined to reach 50%). $2,000 for any other non-service-connected condition. Lifetime means once it is used, it is gone, so plan the prescription around the most important work.
• What. Medically necessary alterations the VA approves: permanent ramps, roll-in showers, widened doorways, lowered counters and sinks, and plumbing or electrical work needed for medical equipment. Not general remodeling, not cosmetic work, and not removable equipment such as portable ramps, porch lifts and stair glides (the VA's prosthetics service handles those separately), exterior decking, spas or hot tubs, home security systems, or routine repairs like a roof or air conditioner.
• When. Get approval before the work. The VA reimburses work done without pre-approval only in narrow cases, for example a claim filed within 30 days of completion by a veteran who already met the medical and eligibility rules, so do not count on it.

For scale: a short entrance ramp averages near $1,100 nationally ($875 to $5,000 depending on length and material), and a curbless shower conversion runs $2,500 to $9,000 (2022 to 2026 estimates; get local quotes). At the $6,800 level, a HISA grant can cover a short ramp outright and a meaningful share of a bathroom access project; at $2,000 it covers less.

SAH and SHA: for serious service-connected disabilities

Specially Adapted Housing (SAH) and Special Home Adaptation (SHA) are for veterans and service members with specific service-connected disabilities as defined by the VA. Both can be used to buy, build or change a permanent home so the veteran can live more independently. They differ in who qualifies and how much they pay.

• SAH pays up to $126,526 in fiscal year 2026 (October 1, 2025 to September 30, 2026). It covers loss or loss of use of more than one limb; loss or loss of use of a lower leg together with the lasting effects of a disease or injury; blindness in both eyes (20/200 vision or worse); certain severe burns; and loss or loss of use of one lower leg from service after September 11, 2001 that prevents walking without braces, crutches, canes or a wheelchair. The veteran must own or be buying the home.
• SHA pays up to $25,350 in fiscal year 2026. It covers loss or loss of use of both hands, certain severe burns, and certain respiratory or breathing injuries. The home can belong to the veteran or a family member.

The VA may adjust the maximums each year with construction costs. The money can be used up to 6 times over a lifetime, the application (VA Form 26-4555, online or by mail) is separate from HISA, and HISA can be used alongside SAH or SHA but not for the same work.

Eligibility for SAH and SHA is tightly defined by the type of disability in the veteran's VA rating. A VA representative or an accredited Veterans Service Officer can confirm which grant, if any, applies. Do not rely on a contractor's assurance that "the VA will pay for it".

HISA versus SAH versus SHA

	HISA	SHA	SAH
Who	Veterans eligible for VA health care, service-connected or not	Veterans with specific qualifying service-connected disabilities	Veterans with specific, severe qualifying service-connected disabilities
Pays for	Medically necessary alterations prescribed by a VA clinician	Buying, building or changing a permanent home (owned by the veteran or a family member)	Buying, building or changing a permanent home (owned by the veteran)
Limit	$6,800 lifetime for service-connected (or non-service-connected with a 50% or higher service-connected rating), $2,000 otherwise	Up to $25,350 (fiscal year 2026)	Up to $126,526 (fiscal year 2026)
Starts with	VA primary care or the prosthetics department (VA Form 10-0103)	VA Form 26-4555, online or by mail	VA Form 26-4555, online or by mail

The HISA application path, step by step

1. Ask your VA primary care provider for an evaluation of the home barrier. Describe the specific problem: "I cannot get into the shower safely" or "I cannot get my wheelchair through the bathroom door".
2. Get the prescription. A VA clinician, often after an occupational therapy or home assessment, writes a prescription for the specific alterations.
3. Get a written estimate from a licensed contractor. In Florida, check the license at the DBPR license search; structural, plumbing and electrical work needs a licensed contractor. A remodeler who has done HISA work before will know the paperwork.
4. Submit the application (VA Form 10-0103) to the prosthetic and sensory aids service at your VA medical center, with the prescription, the itemized estimate (labor, materials, permits and inspections), a color photo of the area before work, and, if the veteran rents, a signed and notarized statement from the owner allowing the work.
5. Wait for written approval. The VA may inspect the site before approval or after completion. Then schedule the work.
6. Payment. The VA pays the veteran, not the contractor. If you ask for it on the application form, the VA can advance up to 50% of the approved amount within 30 days of approval and pays the rest after the work is complete, so agree with the contractor in writing on how and when they are paid.

Florida veterans

Florida has a large veteran population and a dense network of VA medical centers and outpatient clinics, so HISA is a well-worn path here. Two Florida realities help the application. Many Florida homes are single-story, so the medical need tends to be bathroom access and the front entrance rather than stairs, which fits HISA's typical scope. And Florida's licensing system makes vetting simple: the DBPR license search shows whether a contractor holds a Certified General, Building or Residential Contractor license and whether plumbing and electrical subcontractors are licensed separately.

If the grant does not cover everything

HISA's lifetime benefit will rarely cover a full aging-in-place bathroom remodel, which runs $6,600 to $28,000 nationally. Most veterans use the grant for the prescribed items and pay the rest directly. Other channels can stack: a long-term care policy with a home modification benefit, a Medicaid waiver for veterans who qualify financially, and the medical expense deduction for the unreimbursed share. A whole-home safety assessment before the VA visit helps the clinician see the full picture and write a prescription that covers the right items.

Ready to talk to a certified aging-in-place remodeler? Tell us about the home and get matched; a certified aging-in-place remodeler serving your area will reach out once matched.