Live Oak Home Access is a family-owned, veteran-owned, CAPS-certified aging-in-place remodeling company based in Dripping Springs, Texas. We help older adults and their families modify their homes — grab bars, curbless showers, ramps, stair lifts, and more — so they can stay safe and independent in the place they love. Licensed and insured, EPA Lead-Safe certified, and OT-informed.
Our Story
It started close to home. Like many families in Central Texas, we watched someone we loved struggle with a bathroom never designed for aging — a front porch with steps that became an obstacle, a tub that was no longer safe to use. We called around. The answers we got were too big, too expensive, or came from contractors who did not understand accessibility at all.
That experience is why Michael Chandler — a U.S. military veteran and Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist (CAPS) — founded Live Oak Home Access. The goal was simple: build a company that understood both the craft of remodeling and the real impact these changes have on a person's confidence, independence, and daily life. A company that would serve Central Texas families the way we would want our own parents served.
Today we work across the Austin metro, Hays County, Williamson County, Comal County, and the Hill Country towns many of us call home. Our crews are local. Our referral network includes physicians, home health agencies, and occupational therapists. When you call us, you reach a person — not a call center — and that will not change.
Browse our full range of accessibility services, check whether we cover your neighborhood, or schedule a free in-home assessment — we come to you.
Credentials & Training
There are plenty of general contractors in Central Texas. Very few hold the certifications, carry the partnerships with occupational therapists, or have the focused experience that aging-in-place remodeling genuinely requires. Here is what sets our team apart.
By Michael Chandler, Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist (CAPS) — Founder, U.S. military veteran & Lead Specialist, Live Oak Home Access
Our lead specialist holds the Certified Aging in Place Specialist (CAPS) credential from the National Association of Home Builders. CAPS training covers the technical, business, and customer-service skills needed to remodel for livability and accessibility. It is the nationally recognized benchmark for this type of work, and maintaining it requires ongoing continuing education.
We work closely with occupational therapists (OTs) across the Austin area. An OT assesses how a person moves through their home — their reach, their balance, their specific diagnosis — and shares those findings with our team before we pick up a single tool. That means the grab bar goes in exactly the right place for that individual, not just where code says it should be. It is a level of precision most contractors cannot offer. See how it shapes our accessible bathroom remodel process.
Live Oak Home Access holds a current Texas residential contractor license and carries full general liability and workers' compensation insurance. Every project is permitted and inspected where required by local code. You should never let anyone work on your home without verifying these protections — and we make it easy: just ask and we will provide documentation on the spot.
Many Central Texas homes built before 1978 contain lead-based paint. Disturbing it during a remodel — cutting through walls to widen a doorway, for example — without proper precautions creates serious health risks. Our firm is EPA Lead-Safe Certified, and our crews follow Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) protocols on every applicable job. Your family's safety during the project matters just as much as the finished result.
Every technician and subcontractor who enters your home has passed a thorough background check. We understand that inviting workers into your home — especially when an older parent lives there — requires trust that goes beyond a business card. Our team members are employees or long-term trusted partners, not day-labor hires. Read what our clients say about working with our team.
As a veteran-owned company, helping fellow veterans is personal. We regularly work with veterans, their families, and social workers to complete VA HISA (Home Improvements and Structural Alterations) grant paperwork, Texas Medicaid STAR+PLUS waiver documentation, and other funding assistance. We know how these programs work and we help guide families through the process at no extra charge. See our funding guide for program details and eligibility notes.
How We Work
We designed our process to be low-pressure, transparent, and easy to understand — especially for families navigating this kind of decision for the first time.
We come to your home at a time that works for you — no showroom visit required. We walk through every area that matters: bathrooms, hallways, entryways, staircases. We listen to what you or your family member is struggling with, and we take notes on what we see. This visit is completely free and carries no obligation. Most families tell us it was one of the most useful conversations they had in the whole process.
Within a few days, we send you a written proposal with a clear, itemized scope of work and a fixed price. No vague estimates, no hourly billing that grows unpredictably, no change orders for things we should have anticipated. If something changes during the project due to a condition we genuinely could not see in advance, we discuss it with you before we proceed. You are never surprised by your invoice.
We give you a firm start date and a realistic completion window. We respect that you live in this home and that disruption matters. Our crews arrive when they say they will. We communicate proactively if anything changes — not after the fact.
We protect your floors with drop cloths and floor runners. We cover furniture and belongings near the work area. At the end of every workday, we clean up the job site so you can use your home in the evening. We never leave debris, tools, or hazards overnight without discussing it with you first.
When the work is done, we walk through every detail with you before we consider the job complete. We explain how to use any new equipment — walk-in shower controls, stair lift operation, grab bar placement logic — so you feel confident from day one. All our work is covered by our workmanship warranty. If something is not right, we come back and fix it. That is our word.
Our Promise to You
We have seen what happens when accessibility is treated as an afterthought — institutional-looking grab bars bolted at the wrong height, ramps that are too steep, showers that are technically accessible but feel like a hospital room. We believe you deserve better than that.
Every project we design looks like it belongs in your home. We choose materials, finishes, and layouts that feel natural — because the goal is not just safety. The goal is for you to feel good in your own space, to have friends over without feeling self-conscious, and to move through your home with confidence every single day.
Questions before you are ready to schedule? Call or text us at (512) 797-6518 — we are happy to talk through your situation and point you toward the right resources, even if you are not ready to book. You can also review typical project costs for Central Texas before our visit so you come prepared.
The People Behind the Work
Live Oak Home Access was founded by Michael Chandler, CAPS, and is staffed by a small, tight-knit team of craftspeople who have worked together for years. We are not a franchise. We are not a national chain with local sub-contractors you have never met. When you call us, you will likely speak with the same person who visits your home and checks in during the project.
We are based in Dripping Springs and deeply connected to the communities we serve — from the established neighborhoods of southwest Austin to the small Hill Country towns of Wimberley, Marble Falls, Fredericksburg, and Kerrville. We understand that this region has a large and growing population of older adults who want to stay in their homes, and we have built our entire business to serve that need well.
We also collaborate with a network of trusted local professionals — occupational therapists, physical therapists, home health agencies, senior care advisors, and elder law attorneys — who can help with aspects of aging-in-place planning that go beyond what we build. We are happy to connect you with those resources as part of your assessment, at no extra cost.
We serve the greater Austin metro and a wide swath of Central Texas, with particular focus on communities that have high concentrations of older adults and retirees. Our service area includes:
Not sure if we cover your address? Check the full service area map or call us at (512) 797-6518 — if we cannot help you directly, we will try to point you toward someone who can.
Many families are surprised to learn that programs exist to help cover the cost of home modifications. If you or your loved one is a veteran, a Texas Medicaid STAR+PLUS participant, or enrolled in certain Medicare Advantage plans, you may qualify for financial assistance toward the work we do.
We assist with paperwork and documentation at no extra charge. We are not medical, legal, or financial advisors — verify current program details with the relevant agency before relying on any benefit. Read our complete Texas funding guide for more detail on each program.
CAPS stands for Certified Aging in Place Specialist. The credential is issued by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and covers the technical, design, and client-service skills specific to modifying homes for older adults and people with disabilities. A CAPS-certified contractor understands ADA guidelines, common mobility challenges, and how to build modifications that are both safe and attractive — not just code-compliant. Maintaining CAPS requires ongoing continuing education, so the training stays current.
Yes. Live Oak Home Access holds a current Texas residential contractor license and carries full general liability insurance and workers' compensation coverage. We are also EPA Lead-Safe Certified under the federal Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) rule — important for any home built before 1978. We are happy to provide documentation of any of these at your request.
Yes, and we encourage it. We maintain a referral network of occupational therapists (OTs) across the Austin area and Hill Country. An OT assesses exactly how a person moves through their home — reach, balance, diagnosis-specific needs — and shares those findings with our team before we design or build anything. This OT-informed approach means modifications are tailored to the individual, not just installed to a generic standard.
We serve the greater Austin metro and a wide stretch of Central Texas, including Travis, Hays, Williamson, Comal, Burnet, Llano, Gillespie, and Kerr counties. That covers communities from southwest Austin and Georgetown to Dripping Springs, Wimberley, New Braunfels, Marble Falls, Fredericksburg, and Kerrville. Not sure if we cover your address? Call us at (512) 797-6518 or check our full service area page.
Yes. We regularly assist veterans and their families with VA HISA (Home Improvements and Structural Alterations) grant paperwork, Texas Medicaid STAR+PLUS HCBS waiver documentation, and other funding applications — at no extra charge. Original Medicare generally does not cover home modifications such as grab bars or ramps, but some Medicare Advantage plans offer limited home-safety benefits. We are not medical, legal, or financial advisors; always verify current program details and benefit amounts with the relevant agency. See our Texas home modification funding guide for a full overview of available programs.
We visit your home at a time that works for you — no showroom trip required. We walk through every area that matters: bathrooms, hallways, entryways, staircases. We listen to what you or your family member is finding difficult, and we take notes on what we observe. At the end, you get honest guidance on what modifications would actually help, with no pressure to book. If you decide to move forward, we follow up with a written, fixed-price quote within a few days.
A free in-home safety assessment is the easiest first step. There is no pressure and no obligation. We come to you, listen to what you need, look at your home, and give you honest guidance on what would actually help. Call, text, or fill out the form — we will get back to you the same day.
Or text us at (512) 797-6518 · Mon–Fri 8–6 · Sat 9–2 · Dripping Springs, TX
