If you have been seriously injured physically at work or in a traffic accident it is likely you will have to remodel or modify your residence, home or apartment, to improve accessibility because of your injury. A CAPS consultant can help you with the remodel. But first, let me say I am sorry about your injury.

CAPS stands for Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist. A CAPS consultant, like Richard Acree at ADA Inspections Nationwide, LLC, can work with your medical specialist(s) and attorney to determine what type of home modifications will be necessary and how much the modifications will cost. Each aspect is important.

The type of home modification will be unique to the individual injured and the home they live in. Disabilities can be short term, medium term, long term, or permanent. Upper body injuries are different than lower body injuries. Each person is unique. An injured leg for a 20 year old person is different than an injured leg for an 60 year old person.

Each home is also unique. The route from vehicle parking into the residence, out to the mail box, into the bathroom, bedroom, kitchen, or living room, is unique to each home. Therefore, the cost of remodeling is also unique to the residence.

The costs of home modifications can vary widely. For instance, a common exterior ramp installation for use with a wheel chair can cost between $1,000 - $2,000. A common interior stair lift installation can cost between $8,000 - $10,000. A common residential elevator installation connecting two floors can cost approximately $45,000 - $55,000. Costs can vary by location.

A remodeling project will require someone to contact and work with contractors and equipment vendors. If the injured person is unwilling or unable to do this, a consultant can act on their behalf as an advocate to help plan and monitor the remodeling project. The cost of the consultant should be rolled into the overall cost of the project.

All of these aspects should be evaluated to determine what type of home modifications are needed. Only then will you know how much money is required in a legal settlement to help the injured person. All of these costs should be part of the legal settlement that occurs because of the accident.

Victims of an accident at work or on the highway have a right to a fair settlement. Make sure your attorney takes into account the cost of a home remodeling or modification to accommodate the injury.

Richard Acree, at ADA Inspections Nationwide, LLC, can help you with this process. As a CAPS consultant, Richard is knowledgeable of the principles of the Americans with Disabilities Act Standards and the Federal Housing Administration Design Manual that can be applied to any personal residence. Richard also has years of experience as a home and commercial building inspector. Combined with his education, the CAPS certification and experience provide a unique combination to help you with the home modifications estimate and installation. Richard will complete a building inspection to identify barriers to accessibility, work with the occupant(s) to develop a plan to overcome the barriers, help select local contractors and vendors to design and install the modification(s), and then Richard can serve as a project monitor to make sure the contractors and vendors install the plan as designed. For more information about Richard please see Richard Acree at ADA Inspections Nationwide, LLC.

Please call Richard at 615-752-0060 to discuss your needs.

If you observe a building that is not ADA compliant and you would like to know how to proceed, please see the link at What To Do When A Building Is Not ADA Compliant or Accessible.

ADA Inspections Nationwide, LLC, offers ADA/ABA/FHA accessibility compliance inspections for buildings and facilities, as applicable to the different laws, and expert witness services with respect to ADA/ABA/FHA laws for building owners, tenants and managers. Also, ADAIN offers consulting for home modifications as a CAPS consultant for people wishing to age in place in their homes. For a complete list of services please see ADAIN Services.

Thank you.