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How much are the SAH, SHA and TRA grants in 2026?
The VA's disability housing grants page lists these maximums for fiscal year 2026 (October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026). When we checked it on October 22, 2026, it had not yet posted figures for fiscal year 2027, so confirm the current number with the VA before you budget. They are lifetime totals, not yearly amounts.
| Grant | FY 2026 maximum | What it is for |
|---|---|---|
| Specially Adapted Housing (SAH) | $126,526 | Buying, building or changing a permanent home you own or will own |
| Special Home Adaptation (SHA) | $25,350 | Changing a permanent home that you or a family member own or will own |
| Temporary Residence Adaptation (TRA), if SAH-eligible | $50,961 | Adapting a family member's home you are living in for a while |
| Temporary Residence Adaptation (TRA), if SHA-eligible | $9,100 | Same, for veterans who qualify for SHA |
Source: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Disability housing grants for Veterans, checked October 22, 2026.
Two rules shape how families use the money. First, the VA says you can draw on an SAH or SHA grant up to six different times over your lifetime, so a bathroom now and a ramp later can both come out of the same grant. Second, you do not have to spend it all in one year. Depending on the bid from your builder, you use as much or as little as the project needs.
Who qualifies for an SAH or SHA grant?
Both grants require a qualifying service-connected disability, and the home has to be a permanent home that is owned now or will be owned. The disabilities are listed in law, and VA.gov summarizes them this way.
| SAH grant | SHA grant |
|---|---|
| Loss, or loss of use, of more than one limb | Loss, or loss of use, of both hands |
| Loss, or loss of use, of a lower leg along with the lasting effects of an organic disease or injury | Certain severe burns |
| Blindness in both eyes (20/200 visual acuity or less) | Certain respiratory or breathing injuries |
| Certain severe burns | |
| Loss, or loss of use, of one lower extremity after September 11, 2001, so that you cannot balance or walk without braces, crutches, canes or a wheelchair |
The last SAH category has a cap. Congress allows only 120 veterans and service members a fiscal year to qualify on the single-lower-extremity basis. The VA notes that someone who qualifies but misses the cap may be able to receive the benefit in a later year.
The home rule differs slightly between the two grants. For SAH, you own or will own the home. For SHA, you or a family member own or will own it. If you are living in a family member's home for a while and qualify for either grant, the TRA grant covers adaptations there without you owning the house.
Which grant fits? A quick finder
Answer three questions. This is a rough guide built from the VA.gov rules above, not a decision. Only the VA decides eligibility.
What must an SAH bathroom have?
VA Pamphlet 26-13, Handbook for Design: A Guide for Specially Adapted Housing and Special Housing Adaptation Projects (revised June 2019), sets Minimum Property Requirements (MPRs) for only three parts of an SAH home: the way in and out, the primary bedroom, and the primary bathroom. A home bought, built or remodeled with SAH money has to meet them. At a minimum the home needs one fully adapted bathroom in a place that is convenient for the veteran, with five things:
- A roll-in shower
- An accessible sink
- An accessible toilet
- An accessible floor area
- A 36-inch-wide entry door
| Part | What the handbook requires |
|---|---|
| Roll-in shower size | Interior at least 48 inches by 48 inches |
| Shower opening | At least 36 inches |
| Shower floor | Non-slip, with a dynamic coefficient of friction (DCOF) of 0.42 or more; slope no more than ¼ inch per 12 inches (a 1-inch fall front to back in a 48-inch-deep shower) |
| Shower grab bars | At least one per wall, where the veteran finds it convenient, able to support the veteran's weight |
| Shower fittings | At least one hand-held shower head; accessible thermostatic or pressure-balance controls to prevent sudden temperature changes |
| Sink | At least one roll-under, wall-hung or pedestal sink the veteran can use; exposed pipes wrapped or covered |
| Toilet | A 48-inch clear front transfer space or a 36-inch clear side transfer space, and at least one grab bar where convenient |
| Floor area | At least one clear 5-foot-diameter area for turning (it may extend into the roll-in shower); non-slip wet and dry, DCOF 0.42 or more |
| Entry door | At least a 36-inch opening; must not swing into the accessible floor area (swing outward or slide, such as a pocket door); must not block wheelchair turning when open |
Source: VA Pamphlet 26-13, Handbook for Design (PDF), Section 5, Primary Bathroom Requirements.
The handbook allows exceptions. An MPR can be waived when meeting it is not feasible, or when the veteran's condition makes a feature unnecessary, and the waiver must be approved by the VA Regional Loan Center. Its own example is a veteran with advanced ALS who will only use the roll-in shower with a caregiver's help: the sink and toilet adaptations can be waived, but the shower, floor area and wide door still apply. The handbook is plain that waivers rest on need and feasibility, "not personal preference," and should be the exception.
How do the VA rules compare with the ADA?
Many contractors know the ADA numbers from commercial work. They are not the same as the VA's. A shower built to the narrowest ADA roll-in size would not meet the SAH minimum, so tell your builder which standard the project is following.
| Item | VA SAH (Pamphlet 26-13) | ADA standard roll-in (608.2.2) | ADA alternate roll-in (608.2.3) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Interior size | 48 x 48 in minimum | 30 in wide x 60 in deep minimum | 36 in wide x 60 in deep minimum |
| Entry | 36 in minimum opening | 60 in wide minimum entry on the long side | 36 in wide minimum entry at one end of the long side |
| Threshold | Not set as a number; floor slope ¼ in per 12 in maximum | ½ in high maximum | ½ in high maximum |
| Hand shower | At least one | Required (608.6) | Required (608.6) |
Sources: VA Pamphlet 26-13; U.S. Access Board, 2010 ADA Standards, section 608. Our ADA bathtub and shower measurements page lists the rest of the ADA numbers.
In practice, a roll-in shower about 60 inches wide with an inside depth of at least 48 inches and a wide front opening clears both sets of numbers. Check the inside dimension on the manufacturer's cut sheet, because nominal sizes usually describe the outside, and a nominal 48-inch depth can measure less inside. Prefab roll-in packages near that size are sold through our sister store, for example this 60 x 48 roll-in shower package, and the main site's roll-in shower dimensions guide compares common footprints.
Check a bathroom plan against the SAH minimums
Enter the numbers from your drawing or your contractor's bid. Nothing is sent anywhere; the check runs in your browser. Use it to spot problems early, then confirm with your SAH agent.
Can an SAH or SHA grant pay for a tub instead of a shower?
The required bathroom is built around a roll-in shower. A tub is not a substitute for it. A tub can be added, though. Section 6 of the handbook lists adaptations it considers reasonable beyond the minimums, including:
- accessible tubs with a transfer platform, an accessible single-lever faucet with thermostatic or pressure-balance control, grab bars where they are convenient, and enough clear space for unobstructed access;
- built-in or folding shower benches and additional grab bars;
- comfort-height toilets with a bidet seat or a separate bidet.
For veterans with burn or respiratory injuries that limit range of motion, the handbook names "a larger bathtub or walk-in tub" and enlarged showers that fit seating. Under special equipment, it treats ceiling track lift systems as reasonably necessary, while "therapy tubs or hot tubs" need approval in advance, with a written justification from the veteran.
Jets and VA money: if you are hoping to use the separate VA health care HISA benefit instead, its rules exclude spa and hot tub items, so plan on a plain soaking tub for that program. HISA is a different program with lower limits ($6,800 or $2,000, lifetime). The main site explains it in its VA HISA bathroom guide.
For a wheelchair user who wants to soak, a transfer tub with an outward door at seat height is the usual choice. Our transfer tub guide covers measuring and transfer technique, and the main site lists transfer, lift-ready and reclining transfer tub models.
How do you apply, and where does the bathroom fit in?
- Apply. The VA takes applications online, by mail or in person, using VA Form 26-4555. The VA.gov page links to the online form.
- Work with the SAH agent. The grant program is run by the VA Loan Guaranty Service through regional loan centers, and an SAH agent works through the project with you, including feasibility.
- Get the bathroom drawn to the MPRs. Give your designer the table above and the handbook link. Ask for the shower's inside dimensions, opening and floor fall on the drawing.
- Choose a builder and products. Get bids with cut sheets attached so the SAH agent can see the shower pan, valve and grab bar specs.
- Ask about other help. The handbook points out that Prosthetics and Sensory Aids and Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment also fund some equipment, and asks veterans to work across programs to make the most of what is available.
If you need costs for a bid, Aging Safely Baths quotes roll-in showers and transfer tubs in writing. Call 1-888-779-2284 or use the form below, and mention that the project is SAH or SHA funded so we can send cut sheets with the quote.
Questions veterans and families ask
How much is the VA SAH grant in 2026?
Up to $126,526 for fiscal year 2026, according to VA.gov. The SHA grant is up to $25,350. Both are lifetime maximums that can be drawn on up to six different times.
Does an SAH grant require a roll-in shower?
Yes. VA Pamphlet 26-13 requires at least one fully adapted bathroom with a roll-in shower, an accessible sink, an accessible toilet, an accessible floor area and a 36-inch entry door. A waiver is possible only when a feature is not feasible or not needed because of the veteran's condition.
What size roll-in shower does the VA require?
The SAH handbook sets a minimum interior of 48 by 48 inches with a 36-inch opening, a slip-resistant floor (DCOF 0.42 or more) sloped no more than a quarter inch per foot, a grab bar on each wall, a hand-held shower head and thermostatic or pressure-balance controls.
Can I use an SAH grant for a walk-in tub?
A tub cannot replace the required roll-in shower, but the handbook lists accessible tubs with a transfer platform as a reasonable added adaptation, and names larger or walk-in tubs for veterans with burn or respiratory injuries. Therapy tubs and hot tubs need advance approval with a justification.
What is the difference between SAH, SHA and HISA?
SAH and SHA are VA housing grants for specific service-connected disabilities, run by the Loan Guaranty Service. HISA is a VA health care benefit of $6,800 or $2,000 (lifetime) for medically necessary home changes, with a VA prescription. They are separate programs with separate applications.
Can a family member's home be adapted?
Yes, in two ways. An SHA grant can be used on a permanent home that a family member owns. A Temporary Residence Adaptation grant, up to $50,961 for SAH-eligible or $9,100 for SHA-eligible veterans in FY 2026, adapts a family member's home where you are living for a while.
Sources
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Disability housing grants for Veterans (SAH, SHA and TRA amounts for FY 2026, eligibility, six uses, VA Form 26-4555). Checked October 22, 2026.
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Benefits Administration, VA Pamphlet 26-13, Handbook for Design: A Guide for Specially Adapted Housing and Special Housing Adaptation Projects, revised June 2019 (PDF). Sections 5 and 6.
- U.S. Access Board, 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design, section 608 Shower Compartments.
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Prosthetic and Sensory Aids Service, Home Improvements and Structural Alterations (HISA), last updated February 12, 2025.
