Stacking Home Accessibility Credits and Grants in Maryland

Let's talk about money you're leaving on the table.

If you or a family member needs grab bars, a roll-in shower, a stair lift, or any other modification to stay safely at home as you age — there's a very good chance you don't have to pay for most of it yourself. In Maryland, three separate programs can help pay for exactly this kind of work: a county tax credit, a state tax credit and, for veterans, a VA grant. Most people use one, if they know about it at all. Almost nobody combines all three.

Used together, they can offset a real share of the cost. They don't simply add up, though: the county credit is reduced by other assistance for the same feature, and both tax credits depend on how much tax you owe. Here's how each one works and how they interact.

The Three Programs

1. Montgomery County Design for Life — Tax Credit up to $10,000

The Design for Life program is a property tax credit administered by Montgomery County's Department of Permitting Services (DPS), open to homeowners of any age. It credits 50% of the cost of individual accessibility features (up to $2,500 per application, one per property per tax year), $3,000 for making a single-family home (attached or detached) Visitable, or $10,000 for making it Liveable, for work such as:

• Bathroom grab bars and walk-in showers
• Widened doorways for wheelchair access
• Exterior ramps and handrails
• Stair lifts and platform lifts
• Kitchen modifications for seated use

Eligibility basics:

• The home must be your principal residence in Montgomery County
• No age or income limit
• Get the building permit (with the Design for Life box checked) before work starts; apply for the credit after the final inspection is approved
• Eligible costs must be over $500, paid by you, incurred within 12 months before you apply, and documented with contracts, receipts or invoices

The credit is reduced by any subsidy from a government, quasi-government or nonprofit source for the same feature. At most $2,000 is applied in any tax year (and never more than that year's county property tax); the rest carries forward. Sources: DPS Design for Life tax incentives and DPS homeowner FAQs.

2. Maryland Independent Living Tax Credit (ILTC) — Up to $5,000

The Independent Living Tax Credit (Md. Code, Tax-General § 10-744) is a state income tax credit equal to 50% of qualified expenses to renovate an existing home with accessibility and universal visitability features, up to $5,000 (and no more than your Maryland income tax for the year). DHCD reviews applications and certifies the credit.

Basics:

• Maryland resident who files Maryland taxes for the year of the renovation
• Keep receipts, invoices, and before-and-after photos
• Apply to DHCD by June 1 of the year after the work; if approved, file an amended return (Form 502X) with DHCD's certification
• DHCD can approve up to $1,000,000 in credits per year, so your credit may be reduced if demand is high; unused credit can't be carried forward

Sources: DHCD Independent Living Tax Credit and Md. Code, Tax-General § 10-744.

3. VA HISA Grant — Up to $6,800

The VA Home Improvement and Structural Alterations (HISA) grant is available to veterans receiving VA care who need home modifications related to their medical condition.

Three funding tiers:

• Service-connected disability: Up to $6,800
• Non-service-connected disability if you also have a single service-connected disability rated at least 50%: Up to $6,800 (combined ratings don't count)
• Any other disability: Up to $2,000

Veterans with a specific qualifying service-connected disability may also be eligible for the Specially Adapted Housing (SAH) grant, which requires that the veteran own or will own the home (for example, loss or loss of use of more than one limb, blindness in both eyes, or certain severe burns) or the Special Home Adaptation (SHA) grant, where the veteran or a family member owns or will own the home (for example, loss or loss of use of both hands, certain severe burns, or certain respiratory injuries). The FY 2026 maximums are $126,526 (SAH) and $25,350 (SHA). These are separate from HISA but can be combined depending on circumstances. Source: VA disability housing grants.

How the Three Programs Interact

Here are the maximums for a Montgomery County homeowner who is also a veteran with a service-connected disability:

These amounts don't simply add up. The county reduces the Design for Life credit by any government or nonprofit assistance received for the same feature (such as a HISA grant), applies at most $2,000 per tax year and carries the rest forward. A project that adds individual features earns at most $2,500 per application (50% of costs; one application per property per tax year) rather than the $10,000 Liveable amount. The state credit is limited to your Maryland income tax for the year. For a bathroom modification and entry ramp that might cost $18,000 to $25,000, the programs can still offset a meaningful share of the cost if you plan the applications together.

The Problem: Most Contractors Don't Know Any of This

Here's the catch. These programs exist in silos. Each has its own application, timeline and documentation. Montgomery County's Design for Life credit requires a permit, an inspection and documented costs. The VA HISA grant requires specific documentation of medical necessity. The state Independent Living Tax Credit requires receipts and photos submitted to DHCD by June 1 of the following year.

A general contractor who hasn't done this before will likely:

• Not know the programs exist
• Inadvertently scope or complete work in a way that disqualifies the grant
• Miss required inspections or documentation steps

This is why finding a contractor who specializes in aging-in-place work and knows these programs isn't a nice-to-have. It can be the difference between claiming these credits and grants and missing them entirely.

How to Find a Contractor Who Can Navigate All Three

You need someone who:

• Is CAPS-certified or has equivalent aging-in-place experience
• Knows the Montgomery County DPS permit and inspection process for Design for Life work
• Has helped veterans navigate the HISA application process
• Understands how to coordinate timing and documentation across multiple programs

These contractors exist in the DMV area. They're just hard to find — unless you know where to look.

AgingInPlaceNearMe.com is a directory built specifically for this. You can find contractors in Maryland, Virginia, and DC who have experience with local grant programs, list relevant credentials, and can help you navigate exactly this kind of multi-program application.

Before you start, find someone who knows how to help you claim what you're eligible for.