How to Pay for an Accessible Bathroom in Illinois

An accessible bathroom is often a need, not a want, and the first question is how to pay for it. Here is what is real in Illinois, checked against the agencies' own pages, and what is not. The project itself is on our accessible bathroom page.

What it costs

Both national guides put the average at $8,400. The Chicago universal design bath, a full room with a curbless shower and a 36 inch door, came to $38,963. Smaller jobs like grab bars or a comfort-height toilet cost far less. See the cost page for the full list.

Not real: an Illinois accessibility tax credit

Some websites describe an Illinois Home Accessibility Tax Credit of up to $5,000. We checked. The Illinois Department of Revenue's list of income tax credits, dated January 2026, has no such credit, and the section number sometimes cited for it is a different credit entirely. A bill to create one was introduced years ago and did not become law. Do not count on it when you budget.

The list is here: Illinois Department of Revenue, income tax credits and expirations (January 2026).

Real: the Homestead Improvement Exemption

This one is easy to miss. If the remodel raises your home's assessed value, up to $75,000 of that added value is exempt for 4 years. It does not pay for the work, but it keeps the property tax bill from jumping because of it. Ask your township assessor how to apply once the work is done.

Real: the disabilities homestead exemption

This is a yearly property tax exemption, not a remodeling grant. If someone in the home has a disability and pays the property taxes, it is worth claiming whether or not you remodel. Apply through the Winnebago County Supervisor of Assessments.

Real, but not local yet: IHDA repair money

The state program works through local agencies, and we did not find one in Winnebago County or Rockford taking applications. It is worth a call to ask, but it is not something to plan around.

Rockford's own programs

When the city reopens a round, the newsletter is the way to hear about it first. Programs like these have income limits and often favor older and disabled owners, so read each round's brochure.

Ways to keep the cost down

• Do the high-impact pieces first. Grab bars, a handheld shower, a comfort-height toilet and a non-slip floor do a lot for the money.
• Convert instead of rebuild. A tub-to-shower conversion in the existing footprint is often the biggest single safety gain.
• Build it once. If a wheelchair is likely later, a curbless shower and a wider door now avoid paying twice. See curbless showers.
• Get the paperwork right. Any job over $1,000 needs a written contract, and buyers 65 and older who sign at home with an uninvited salesperson have 15 business days to cancel.

Across Winnebago County, 34.7% of owner households are headed by someone 65 or older, so these questions come up a lot. Ask anyone quoting your job which of these programs they have seen work.