Home modification assessors
Home modification assessors are occupational therapists who are qualified to recommend more detailed home modifications supports. They will review your functional needs and goals in your home.
Your home modification assessor will recommend the specific home modification supports you need and explain how they relate to your disability and goals. You should make sure your assessor understands what you want the home modification to achieve.
They can also help identify if you’ll need additional supports while your modifications get done, like hire facilities or temporary accommodation.
Your home modification assessor may work with a building construction practitioner. They will work together to complete the home modification assessment report and submit this to us. We have assessment templates on our website.
Your home modification assessor should be independent from your builder.
When your home modification is complete, your home modification assessor may review your NDIS funded home modification supports. For complex home modifications they will do another assessment with you after you’ve been using your new supports. This is to make sure the home modification meets your disability support needs.
Builders
Builders construct your home modifications. Builders are responsible for meeting all legal and administrative requirements, like the National Construction Code and Australian Standards. They are responsible for making sure the building site is safe when home modification works are underway, and for fixing their work if they get it wrong.
You should have a service agreement with your builder. Or you can use a building contract if your state or territory building authority requires one. The service agreement or building contract details what modifications will be done and how much they will cost. It should outline which providers are responsible for the work, and how and when your modifications will be completed.
The service agreement or building contract should also outline:
- what the builder is responsible for
- what you are responsible for
- who will be liable if things go wrong
- how risks will be managed.
If you have complex home modifications, it’s best they are managed by only one builder. This is important when your home is a building site. It means one builder will manage all the trades in your home and is responsible for safety requirements. It’s also usually better value for money.
A building works project manager can help you check your contract and arrangements with your builder.
Building construction practitioners
Building construction practitioners have building knowledge and expertise to:
- give advice on the design and cost of home modifications
- outline the scope of work
- provide drawings so builders can give quotes on the works.
They could be an architect, engineer, builder, or other building related practitioner. They should be independent from any of the builders who provide quotes for your job.
A building construction practitioner will work closely with you and your home modification assessor to help plan the home modification. They will make sure the home modification supports recommended by your assessor are possible in your home. They will also work out how the modifications can be done in the most effective way.
Your building construction practitioner will review your property and home. They will give information to support the home modification assessment. They will also identify if any preliminary works by building specialists like engineers, surveyors or architects, are needed to help plan your modifications.
You can ask your building construction practitioner to also be your building works project manager if they have the right skills and if we have funded this.
You can ask your building construction practitioner to help you check builder credentials and get builder quotes.
Building works project managers
If you have a very complex home modification, we’ll include funding for a building works project manager. This could be because the work is high risk, or if you need extra help to manage the home modification.
Your building works project manager is independent from your builder. They can help you understand your building contract and communicate with your builder. They will make sure:
- your work meets all relevant building codes, standards and legal requirements
- your modification is completed as agreed in the building contract.
Your building works project manager will help you understand the building contract and how to get the builder started. They will oversee the works at key stages and keep you informed.
An experienced building works project manager will know how your local building code and plumbing code applies to your modification. They can also help you resolve issues that might happen during the building process.
You should have a service agreement with your building works project manager. This should clearly outline your expectations and what they are responsible for. It is important their responsibilities are clear in case things don't go how you want.
Independent building certifiers
Sometimes you or the property owner might hire an independent building certifier to check on the builder’s work and review the home modification.
The certifier will make sure the modifications comply with the relevant building approvals or permits and meet all the legal requirements. An engineer, surveyor or inspector can provide building certification, if they have a licence to practice in your state or territory.
We may fund an independent building certifier if it meets the NDIS funding criteria. Your building works project manager should tell us if you need a certifier, and how much this will cost.
Other building professionals
Some complex home modifications may need building professionals with special skills, like engineers, surveyors, or other building experts. We can only fund these services if they meet the NDIS funding criteria.
Your building construction practitioner will identify if a building professional is needed to help plan your home modification, or during or after construction.
If we don’t fund a building professional, you can choose to pay for this based on your individual needs.
In some cases, NDIS funded home modifications may be part of your larger building project. You’ll need to decide whether to hire professionals with special skills to manage the risks involved in your own building project. We’ll only fund building professionals related to the NDIS funded building works. We don’t provide funding related to your private works.