How to Find a Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist
To find a Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist, start with the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), then check whether the person actually provides the service you need in your area. A credential is a useful starting point. Before hiring, also compare relevant experience, current qualifications, the proposed work and what you will receive in writing.
This guide is for U.S. homeowners and family members arranging professional help with home planning or remodeling. It includes a short inquiry message and a comparison sheet you can copy.
What does CAPS mean?
CAPS stands for Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist. NAHB describes its CAPS program as training in home modifications for aging in place, including technical, business and customer-service skills. Its audience includes remodelers, builders, contractors and occupational therapists.
That range of backgrounds matters: do not assume everyone with CAPS offers the same service. One person may plan a remodel, another may carry out construction, and another may have a separate professional role. Ask what they personally do and which work requires someone else.
Use the official search route
- Open NAHB's professionals-with-credentials directory, linked from its CAPS program page. Look for the CAPS credential when searching for candidates.
- Check the person's name against the business you are contacting. Ask whether they currently hold CAPS and serve your city or county.
- If the directory does not load or a listing is unclear, use the Learning Helpline contact on the CAPS program page to ask how to verify the credential. Do not treat a failed search as proof that someone lacks it.
A directory entry does not tell you whether a professional is available, is a good match for your project or has every license needed for the proposed work. Those are separate questions.
Describe the task before asking for a quote
Prepare a brief description in the homeowner's own words. If you are helping a parent or partner, ask what they want to preserve and who they want involved. For example: “I want to discuss changes to my bathroom, but I want to understand the options before deciding on construction.”
Include your general location, the room or everyday task you want to discuss, and whether you need an initial consultation, a written plan, construction or help coordinating professionals. Keep private records and detailed personal information out of an initial inquiry.
If your family has not agreed on the goal yet, our guide to talking with aging parents about their future can help you start that conversation.
Send this short inquiry
“I'm looking for help with [project or task] at a home in [city or county]. We would like [a consultation / a written plan / construction options]. Do you currently hold CAPS, and is this work within your service area and scope? What would the first appointment cost, what would we receive afterward, and who would do any work you recommend?”
Ask before sending photographs, measurements or personal records. Find out what the professional needs and how they want to receive it.
Compare candidates using the same questions
Copy one entry for each person. This is an original EzLift Team comparison tool; it is not a rating system or a guarantee of quality.
- Person and business: Name, contact and service area.
- CAPS verification: Where you checked, when you checked and any unanswered question.
- Actual role: Consultation, design, construction, coordination or another service. Who handles work outside that role?
- Relevant experience: Ask for examples of comparable projects and references you may contact.
- Other qualifications: Which professional or contractor licenses apply to this work, and where can you verify them?
- First appointment: Fee, expected length, who attends and what you receive afterward.
- Written deliverable: A discussion summary, recommendations, drawings, an estimate or something else. What is excluded?
- Commercial relationships: Ask whether recommendations involve referral fees, product sales or an obligation to hire their construction business.
- Next decision: What remains unanswered before you agree to proceed?
For construction work, the Federal Trade Commission recommends checking licensing with state or county government, requesting proof of insurance and getting multiple written estimates. Compare the work, materials, completion timing and price; ask why estimates differ rather than choosing on price alone.
Keep the credential and the proposed work separate
NAHB's CAPS requirements list coursework and an application, with additional documentation for remodelers and contractors where required. Do not use CAPS alone as proof of a current contractor license or a health care qualification. Verify any separate qualification relevant to the service you are hiring.
Ask who will answer questions that fall outside the person's role. This article does not specify structural changes, installation methods, room dimensions or physical-assistance techniques. Those decisions need the appropriate qualified professional and the details of the individual home and person.
Before booking, close the unanswered questions
Read back what you think you are buying: “This fee covers a visit and written recommendations, but does not include drawings or installation. Is that correct?” Request clarification in writing when the answer affects the scope or cost.
If the real need is everyday support rather than a remodeling service, see our guide to finding local help for an elderly parent.
Start with a clear task and a short list of candidates. The useful outcome of the first call is knowing who can help, what they will provide and what you still need to verify.
Written by the EzLift Team. Sources checked October 13, 2026. This is general service-finding and organization guidance.