How to Make a Home Wheelchair Accessible: A Practical Guide

Start with access: ramps, thresholds and the front door

The first priority is a safe, step free route into the house. For a single step, a permanent concrete or brick built ramp with a gradient no steeper than 1 in 12 is the standard, and 1 in 15 or shallower is more comfortable for self propelled wheelchairs. On many Burnley terraces the pavement sits close to the front door, so a ramp is not always possible at the front; in those cases we often create access through the back yard instead, regrading the yard and fitting a level threshold door.

A modest permanent ramp typically costs somewhere between £1,500 and £4,000 depending on length, handrails and groundworks, though awkward levels or drainage can push that up. Alongside the ramp, look at the door itself: a clear opening of at least 800mm is the usual target, and replacing a door with a low threshold composite unit removes the lip that catches front castors.

Doorways, hallways and turning space inside

Once you are through the front door, the common pinch points are internal doorways and tight hallway turns. Widening a doorway in a standard stud or brick partition, including a new lining, door and making good, usually falls in the £500 to £1,200 range per door. Where a wall is load bearing it needs a lintel and building control sign off, which adds cost but is routine work for a competent builder.

Sometimes the cheaper fix is smarter planning rather than knocking walls about. Rehanging a door to open the other way, swapping to a sliding or pocket door, or removing a door altogether can free up turning space for far less money. A wheelchair needs roughly 1500mm by 1500mm to turn comfortably, so we always measure the actual chair, powered chairs especially, before recommending structural work.

• Aim for 800mm minimum clear opening on doors used daily
• Consider sliding or pocket doors where hallways are tight
• Fit lever handles and pull handles at usable heights
• Check floor transitions: thresholds between rooms should be flush

Bathrooms: wet rooms do the heavy lifting

The bathroom is normally the most expensive part of the project and the one that changes daily life the most. A full wet room conversion, with a level access shower former, non slip flooring, tanking, a wall hung or raised height WC and grab rails, typically comes in between £6,000 and £12,000 in this area. The exact figure depends on the state of the existing plumbing, whether the floor is timber or solid concrete, and how much retiling is involved.

If the only bathroom is upstairs, think hard before committing to a stairlift as the whole answer. Many wheelchair users are better served by a downstairs wet room and bedroom conversion, often using a dining room or part of a garage. A straight stairlift runs from around £2,000 to £5,000, while a through floor lift is a bigger commitment at roughly £12,000 to £20,000 plus structural work.

Funding: the Disabled Facilities Grant

Many people pay for adaptations themselves without realising help exists. The Disabled Facilities Grant is a means tested council grant worth up to £30,000 in England, and in Burnley it is handled through Burnley Borough Council with an assessment from an occupational therapist arranged via Lancashire County Council. It can cover ramps, door widening, wet rooms and lifts, and grants for children are not means tested.

The honest caveat is time: the assessment and approval process often takes several months, so apply early rather than waiting until the need is urgent. A good builder will work to the occupational therapist's specification, and it is worth choosing one who has done grant funded work before, because the council will inspect the finished job before releasing payment.