A visit to measure and photograph
We come to your home, measure the space, and take the before photos the VA asks for.
VA HISA grants · Eastern & Central Washington · North Idaho
Using your VA HISA grant? Start with a written, itemized estimate.
Brickman Home Services is a licensed General Contractor based in Spokane. HISA work for Veterans is a regular part of what we do: walk-in showers, wider doorways, handrails, and the other home changes your VA prescription calls for.
What the HISA grant is
HISA stands for Home Improvements and Structural Alterations. It's a VA benefit that helps pay for medically necessary changes to your home. The changes have to help you get in and out and around your home, use your bathroom, kitchen, and laundry, or keep up medical treatment at home. The prosthetics department at your VA medical center runs it.
- Up to $6,800 over your lifetime for changes related to a service-connected condition, or for any condition if you have a single service-connected disability rated 50% or higher. The VA doesn't combine ratings for this.
- Up to $2,000 over your lifetime for changes related to other conditions, if you're eligible for VA health care.
- You can use it for more than one project until you reach your limit.
These limits apply if you first applied for HISA on or after May 5, 2010. If you first applied before then, the limits are $4,100 and $1,200. Any HISA money you've already used comes off your limit. The VA sets these limits, so confirm your remaining amount with your VA prosthetics department.
Brickman Home Services is a private General Contractor, not part of the VA. The VA doesn't endorse any contractor, including us.
HISA projects we do
- Roll-in and walk-in showers and tub-to-shower conversions. HISA doesn't pay for walk-in tubs.
- Wider doorways for wheelchair access
- Handrails at stairs and entries, inside and out
- Comfort-height toilets when your prescription calls for them
- Grab bars as part of a larger bathroom project. Grab bars on their own often come through VA prosthetics without using your HISA money, and we install those too.
- Other bathroom and entry changes your prescription calls for
How HISA works, step by step
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Get a HISA prescription.
Talk to your VA primary care team. Your provider puts in a HISA consult that lists the changes you need and why. An occupational or physical therapist often looks at your needs first.
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Get a written, itemized estimate.
The VA needs a written estimate that breaks out labor, materials, permits, and inspections. It also needs a color photo of the area as it looks today. We write that estimate and take that photo.
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Send in your application.
You sign the VA application (VA Form 10-0103) and send it to the prosthetics department at your VA medical center. It goes with your prescription, our estimate and photo, and a signed statement from the homeowner allowing the work, notarized if you don't own the home. We give you every contractor document it asks for, but we don't fill out, sign, or send the application for you.
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The VA reviews it.
The VA aims to make a decision within 30 days of receiving a complete application. It may inspect your home first. If you ask for an advance on your application, the VA pays you half of the approved amount within 30 days of approval to get the work started.
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We do the work.
Once you're approved, we schedule the job and do it right: solid backing, clean work, and permits when they're required.
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Finish the paperwork.
After the work is done, the VA needs a final payment request: a color photo of the finished work, an itemized final invoice of actual costs, and your statement that the work is complete. It's due within 60 days of approval, or within 60 days of the advance if you got one. The VA may inspect, then pays you the rest of the approved amount, or less if the actual cost came in lower. We provide the photos and the invoice.
Under the VA's rules, HISA money is paid to you, the Veteran, not to the contractor. Timing can vary by VA medical center, so before any work starts, we'll explain in writing how and when you pay us.
What you get from Brickman
An itemized estimate for your application
We list labor, materials, permits, and inspections line by line, so there's no vague total.
A clear picture of the finished job
We give you a marked-up photo or drawing that shows what we'll build, so you and the VA know exactly what's being approved.
Clean, solid work
We anchor grab bars into solid backing, not just drywall, and we pull permits when they're required.
Completion paperwork
When the job is done, you get after photos, an itemized final invoice, and a completion form to sign.
Straight answers
We work with VA prosthetics teams every week. We'll tell you what to expect at each step.
Common questions
Is Brickman VA approved?
The VA doesn't approve or certify contractors for HISA. You choose your own contractor. We're a licensed General Contractor, and HISA work for Veterans is a regular part of our business. Be careful with anyone who says they're VA approved.
Do you fill out my HISA application or charge for paperwork?
No. You fill out, sign, and send in your own application, and your VA prosthetics department reviews it. Our part is the contractor paperwork: the estimate, the photos, and the final invoice. We never charge Veterans for that paperwork. If you want help with the application itself, ask your VA prosthetics department or a VA-accredited Veterans Service Officer. Their help is free.
What if my project costs more than my grant?
HISA pays up to what's left of your lifetime limit, and never more than the actual cost. If the job costs more, the VA application has you agree to pay the difference, or we can change the plan to fit your grant. We'll go over the options with you before you send in your application.
How long does it take?
It depends on your VA medical center. The VA aims to make a decision within 30 days of receiving a complete application. Once a job is approved, the work itself usually takes one to a few days.
Do I need a prescription first?
Yes. HISA starts with a prescription from your VA provider. If you don't have one yet, ask your VA primary care team about a HISA consult. You're welcome to call us with questions in the meantime.
Can other programs help?
If you live in Washington and qualify, WA Cares can help pay for home changes. We do WA Cares home modification work too, so ask us.
Where do you work?
We serve Eastern & Central Washington and North Idaho, including Veterans served by the Spokane VA and the Walla Walla VA.
Have a HISA prescription, or think you need one?
Call or text. We'll tell you what to expect and set up a time to measure.
Serving Eastern & Central Washington and North Idaho.