Ermington 2115 · City of Parramatta
Home Additions in Ermington: Accessible Rooms and Bathrooms
The stairs got harder. The house doesn't have to.
A lot of Ermington homes are post-war brick, often with bedrooms upstairs or a bathroom with a step-in shower and a tight doorway. When mobility changes, through age, injury or disability, the right addition can keep someone living at home safely for years.
Short answer
What goes into an accessible home addition in Ermington?
Typically a ground-floor bedroom and a step-free bathroom with a level-entry shower, wider doors, blocking for grab rails and room to turn a wheelchair, ideally specified with an occupational therapist. NDIS funding may cover part of it for eligible participants. A bathroom fit-out is $23,500 to $26,500 on Rawlinsons Sydney rates, and a 50 to 75m² brick veneer addition runs $1,825 to $1,965 per m².
Written and reviewed by Oliver Alameri
Licensed builder, NSW Contractor Licence 487805C · Founder, Buildana
Fact-checked
What an accessible addition usually includes
The most common request is a bedroom and bathroom on the ground floor, often at the back of the house, so someone who can't manage stairs has everything on one level.
The bathroom is the heart of it. A hobless shower with a gentle fall to the drain, room to turn a wheelchair or walker, a wall-hung basin with knee space, a toilet at the right height and reinforced walls for grab rails. Slip-resistant tiles throughout.
Around it: wider doorways and hallways, lever handles, a step-free path from the car and the front door, and good lighting. None of it has to look clinical. Done well, it just looks like a well-designed home.
- Ground-floor bedroom and bathroom
- Hobless shower with space to manoeuvre
- Grab-rail reinforcement in bathroom walls
- Wider doors and a step-free entry
- Slip-resistant floors and good lighting
Good accessible design doesn't look like a hospital. It looks like a home that works for everyone.
Occupational therapists and NDIS funding
For anyone with specific needs, an occupational therapist should assess and specify the work. They look at how the person moves, what they'll need later, and what dimensions and fittings suit them. We build to that specification.
If an NDIS participant's plan includes home modifications, the OT's report and the builder's quotes typically go to the NDIA for approval before work starts. Whether the builder must be a registered NDIS provider depends on how the plan is managed, so check that first with your planner or support coordinator.
Private clients often use the same approach without funding, getting an OT involved so the design is right the first time.
Need a home that works at ground level?
Tell me about the person, the house and any OT advice you already have. I'll plan an addition that fits, and quote it clearly for you or your funding body.
0476 300 300Ground, flood and approvals in Ermington
Ermington runs down to the Parramatta River. Most of the suburb sits on shale, but lots near the river can have softer alluvial soils and flood mapping. So the footing design for the addition waits on a soil report for your lot.
Many single-storey rear additions can go through a certifier if they meet the code. Otherwise City of Parramatta typically takes 11 to 15 weeks to assess a DA.
Older homes here often contain asbestos in eaves and bathroom linings. Anything being removed is tested first, and licensed removal is scheduled before other work.
Costs
The handbook allowance for a new bathroom, fixtures plus plumbing, is $23,500 to $26,500 in Sydney (Rawlinsons). Accessible bathrooms often cost more because of larger floor area, level-entry showers and additional fittings.
For the room around it, a small brick veneer addition at ground level, 50 to 75 square metres, is listed between $1,825 and $1,965 a square metre. Ermington's adjustment is 1.0, so those Sydney figures apply directly, and we quote a fixed price once the design is settled.
Planning an accessible addition
Six steps that get the design right before building starts.
- 01
An OT assessment of current and future needs
- 02
Confirmation of NDIS funding and provider requirements, if applicable
- 03
A ground-floor location with a step-free route from the car
- 04
Bathroom layout with turning space and a hobless shower
- 05
Soil and flood checks for the new slab
- 06
Asbestos testing on any walls or linings being removed
Accessible additions in Ermington
Can NDIS fund a bathroom renovation?
Home modifications can be funded where they're in the participant's plan and approved by the NDIA, usually based on an occupational therapist's report and quotes. Check provider requirements with your planner.
Do I need an occupational therapist?
For anyone with specific mobility needs, yes. An OT specifies dimensions and fittings so the space works for the person using it, now and later.
Can I add a bedroom and bathroom downstairs in Ermington?
Usually, at the rear of the house. We check setbacks, flood mapping and soil first, then design the addition around the person's needs.
What makes a good builder for this kind of work?
Look for a licensed builder with HBCF insurance, itemised fixed pricing and experience with accessible bathrooms. Ask how they work with OTs and funding bodies.
Sources and references
Costs are from the Rawlinsons handbook with the local cost index applied; rules and timeframes are checked against the sources below.
Stay at home. Safely. Comfortably.
An Ermington addition that makes daily life easier, designed with the right people involved from the start.