Prattville grew up as a 19th-century mill town around Daniel Pratt's cotton gin factory, and some of the oldest homes in Autauga County still sit in that historic core with their original stairways. Around it, newer subdivisions have filled in with single-story suburban houses, and out past town you find older rural homes in Autaugaville, Marbury, Billingsley and Pine Level.
That mix matters when someone in the family starts having trouble with steps. A narrow staircase in an older Prattville house, a short half-flight in a split-level and a set of porch steps on a rural ranch-style home each call for a different kind of lift. This page walks through what fits where and who in the county can help with the cost.
Older multi-story homes near downtown Prattville often have the original stairs they were built with. When those stairs run in one straight line, a straight stair lift is usually the simplest and least costly fit, because the rail is a standard piece that mounts to the treads.
If an older staircase turns at a landing or curves, the rail has to be built to that exact shape. That is a curved stair lift, and it takes a careful measurement in the home before anything is ordered.
The newer single-story houses around Prattville's growth areas rarely need an indoor lift at all. Where trouble shows up there, it is more often the steps from the garage or the front porch.
Split-level homes are common enough in the county that they deserve their own mention. Each flight is short, but there may be more than one, so the question is which levels the person truly needs to reach every day.
Townhouses usually have a full straight flight between floors, which suits a straight lift well. In a walk-up apartment, the stairs belong to the building, so a renter needs to talk with the property owner before any equipment goes on a shared stairway.
Autauga County covers about 604 square miles, and 40.7% of residents live in rural areas outside the Prattville area. The land is part of the Gulf Coastal Plain, so it rolls with hills and forests rather than steep grades.
For rural and ranch-style homes, the steps that cause trouble are often outside: up to a porch or down to a carport. An outdoor stair lift is built to handle weather on those runs. For someone who uses a wheelchair, a platform lift that carries the chair may be the better answer than a seat.
Being spread out also means aging services reach some communities less often. If you live out toward Autaugaville or Marbury, it is worth calling the agencies below directly rather than waiting to hear about them.
About 69.2% of households own their homes.
Ownership matters for paying. Several programs below, including the USDA repair loans and grants and the VA adaptation grants, require that you own the home.
Most help in the county runs through a few local doors. The Central Alabama Aging Consortium at (334) 240-4680 is the Area Agency on Aging for Autauga County and is where you apply for the Alabama Elderly and Disabled (E&D) Medicaid HCBS Waiver, which lists Home Modifications as a covered service category.
Homeowners in rural parts of the county can ask the USDA office at (334) 682-4116 about Section 504 repair loans and grants. Veterans should start with the Autauga County Veterans Service Office at (334) 358-6746, 218 North Court Street in Prattville.
Statewide, you can also ask about the State of Alabama Independent Living (SAIL) Waiver, the Alabama Community Transition (ACT) Waiver, the Alabama Ability Loan Program (STAR / Southern Disability Foundation) and the Alabama Senior / Disabled Homestead Exemption (H-2 / H-3). Each program's own rules decide whether a stair lift qualifies, so confirm before you order.
Alabama's Medicaid waiver for people 65 and older, or younger if disabled, who meet a nursing-facility level of care; Home Modifications and Assistive Technology/DME are listed covered categories, so it does cover home modification work. Apply through the Central Alabama Aging Consortium at (334) 240-4680.
The Area Agency on Aging for Autauga, Elmore and Montgomery counties and the local intake point for the E&D Waiver and other aging services; its source does not list stair lifts as a specific benefit. Call (334) 240-4680 or visit 4400 South Court Street, Montgomery.
Loans up to $40,000 at 1% for 20 years, and grants up to $10,000 lifetime for very-low-income homeowners 62 or older in eligible rural areas; the source covers repairs and health and safety hazards but does not mention stair lifts. Call (334) 682-4116.
A VA grant of up to $6,800 or $2,000 lifetime for medically necessary home changes, but the VA explicitly excludes stair glides and porch lifts, so it does not pay for a stair lift. Apply through the Prosthetic and Sensory Aids Service at the nearest VA Medical Center using VA Form 10-0103.
Grants of up to $126,526 (SAH) or $25,350 (SHA) for homeowning veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities to remodel for accessibility; the source does not mention stair lifts. Apply via va.gov, and the Autauga County Veterans Service Office at (334) 358-6746 can help.
Free repairs that address health and safety hazards for neighbors in need, with ramps and grab bars given as examples; stair lifts are not mentioned on the source.
Information, referral and advocacy support for people with disabilities in an 18-county area that includes Autauga County; stair lift coverage is not listed. Call (334) 240-2520.
The local Habitat affiliate builds homes and repairs homes for those in need in central Alabama; a stair lift or accessibility program is not listed, so call (334) 365-4132 to ask what repair help is offered now.
Older adults
4400 South Court Street, Montgomery, 36105
Veterans
218 North Court Street, Prattville, 36067
The E&D Waiver lists Home Modifications as a covered category, though the source does not name stair lifts specifically. In 2026 a single applicant can have monthly income up to $2,982 and assets up to $2,000, and must meet a nursing-facility level of care. Apply through the Central Alabama Aging Consortium at (334) 240-4680.
The HISA grant does not; the VA lists stair glides and porch lifts as items it will not cover. The SAH and SHA grants fund accessibility remodeling for qualifying veterans, but the source does not mention stair lifts, so ask the Autauga County Veterans Service Office at (334) 358-6746.
Yes, if income is very low and the home is in an eligible rural area. USDA Section 504 offers grants up to $10,000 lifetime for homeowners 62 and older who cannot repay a loan, though the source does not name stair lifts. Call (334) 682-4116.
Usually, yes. A staircase that turns needs a curved stair lift with a rail made to fit those exact stairs, so it starts with a careful measurement in the home.
An outdoor stair lift is made for exterior steps like a porch or carport entry. If the person uses a wheelchair, a platform lift may be a better fit than a seat.
For most older adults in Autauga County, start with the Central Alabama Aging Consortium at (334) 240-4680. Veterans can also call the Autauga County Veterans Service Office at (334) 358-6746, and people with disabilities can reach Independent Rights & Resources at (334) 240-2520.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
