Ramp guide
VA grants for wheelchair ramps: HISA and SAH explained
Three VA programs can pay for home accessibility work, and one of them specifically funds permanent ramps. Here are the FY 2026 amounts as published on va.gov, what each program covers, and how to apply through your VA.
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Three VA programs can pay for home accessibility work, and one of them is specifically about ramps: HISA pays for medically necessary improvements, including the construction of permanent ramping. The larger SAH and SHA grants adapt or buy a home when a service-connected disability is severe. There is also a temporary version for veterans staying in a family member's home.
The amounts below are FY 2026 figures (the federal fiscal year runs October 1 through September 30), taken from the official va.gov pages on October 14, 2026. VA may adjust the maximums each year, so confirm the current numbers with your VA before you plan around them.
The three routes in one minute
| Program | FY 2026 maximum | What it is for |
|---|---|---|
| HISA | $6,800 lifetime ($2,000 in other cases) | Medically necessary improvements to your current home, including permanent ramping |
| SAH | $126,526 | Buying, building or changing a permanent home for certain severe service-connected disabilities |
| SHA | $25,350 | The same, for specific qualifying disabilities (hands, burns, respiratory) |
| TRA | $50,961 (SAH path) or $9,100 (SHA path) | Adapting a family member's home where you are living temporarily |
Amounts as published on va.gov and checked October 14, 2026. HISA is a lifetime benefit; SAH and SHA can be used up to six times over your lifetime.
HISA: the common route for a ramp at your current home
HISA stands for Home Improvements and Structural Alterations. It is a lifetime benefit for medically necessary improvements and structural alterations to your primary residence, and the covered list includes allowing entrance to or exit from the home and improving entrance paths or driveways in the immediate area of the home through the construction of permanent ramping.
The published amounts work in two tiers:
- $6,800 when the project addresses a service-connected disability, a compensable disability treated as if it were service-connected, or a non-service-connected disability when the veteran has a service-connected rating of at least 50 percent (no combining of percentages).
- $2,000 for a disability that does not fall into those categories.
HISA will not pay for everything. The published exclusions include:
- Walkways to exterior buildings
- Exterior decking, and new construction generally
- Spa, hot tub or Jacuzzi installations, and home security systems
- Removable equipment and appliances, such as portable ramps, porch lifts and stair glides
- Routine repairs that are part of normal home maintenance
That exclusion list is why ramps for HISA means permanent ramping. If you are weighing a portable or modular ramp instead, the comparison of ramp types covers where each fits.
How HISA is applied for
HISA runs through your local VA medical center's Prosthetic and Sensory Aids Service, not through the central grant office. The application package includes a prescription written or approved by a VA physician (project description and medical justification), VA Form 10-0103, a written itemized cost estimate covering labor, materials, permits and inspections, and a color photograph of the unimproved area. Renters also need a signed, notarized statement from the property owner. VA may inspect the site.
Practical tip: get your local quotes first. The itemized estimate is part of the application, and the cost estimator can give you the planning range before quotes arrive.
SAH: the large grant for severe service-connected disabilities
The Specially Adapted Housing grant is for veterans and service members who own, or will own, a permanent home and have a qualifying service-connected disability. The published qualifying list includes the loss or loss of use of more than one limb, the loss of a lower leg along with the lasting effects of a related disease or injury, blindness in both eyes (20/200 vision or less), certain severe burns, and the loss or loss of use of one lower extremity after September 11, 2001, that makes balancing or walking without braces, crutches, canes or a wheelchair impossible.
The FY 2026 maximum is $126,526. You do not have to use it all at once: an eligible veteran can use the grant up to six times over a lifetime, and the amount is adjusted yearly, with the maximum for the final year of use applying. One limit to know: for the separate category covering the loss of one extremity after September 11, 2001, Congress caps the number of grants at 120 per fiscal year, so timing can matter for that category.
SHA: loss of both hands, severe burns, respiratory injuries
The Special Home Adaptation grant follows the same structure as SAH (you or a family member own or will own the home) for three qualifying categories: the loss or loss of use of both hands, certain severe burns, and certain respiratory or breathing injuries. The FY 2026 maximum is $25,350.
TRA: temporarily living in a family member's home
If you are living temporarily in a family member's home and do not own it, a Temporary Residence Adaptation grant can still help adapt that home. You must qualify for SAH or SHA. The FY 2026 maximums are $50,961 if you qualify for SAH, or$9,100 if you qualify for SHA.
How to apply, in practice
- SAH, SHA and TRA: applied for through VA, online with VA Form 26-4555, or by mail or in person. VA's how-to-apply page walks through the routes.
- HISA: through the Prosthetic and Sensory Aids Service at your local VA medical center. Ask them what your available lifetime benefit is and what the current package needs.
- Plan the ramp properly. A permanent ramp still has to make sense as a structure: slope, landings, handrails and edge protection. Our requirements guide covers the numbers, and the ramp calculator turns your measured rise into a plan you can attach to quotes.
- Keep documentation together. Estimates, medical justification and proof of need come up in every route. The cost guide covers how these programs compare with Medicaid, insurance and nonprofit help.
Notes on these numbers
Every figure on this page was taken from the official va.gov pages linked below on October 14, 2026. VA adjusts amounts each fiscal year and eligibility depends on your specific disability and circumstances, which is why the final word belongs to your VA. If a number here disagrees with va.gov, trust va.gov.
Sources
- VA disability housing grants (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs) SAH, SHA and TRA eligibility, amounts and the 6-use lifetime rule; FY 2026 amounts.
- VA Home Improvements and Structural Alterations (HISA) program (Prosthetic and Sensory Aids Service) HISA amounts, covered improvements, exclusions (including portable ramps) and the application package.
- VA disability housing grants: how to apply the application routes for SAH, SHA and TRA, including VA Form 26-4555.
- VA Form 10-0103, Veterans Application for Assistance in Acquiring Home Improvement and Structural Alterations the HISA application form.
- AccessProof: wheelchair ramp cost guide, funding options section how these programs fit alongside Medicaid, insurance and nonprofit help for ramp costs.
All links checked October 14, 2026. This is general information, not benefits or legal advice. VA decides eligibility; amounts and rules can change each fiscal year, so confirm the current figures and your own case with your VA.