Lee County grew outward from Auburn and Opelika, and that growth left a lot of ranch and split-level houses on the streets between them. Many of these homes have entry steps or a few short flights between levels, built long before anyone thought about accessibility. Those layouts are now aging right along with the people who bought them.
This page covers Auburn, Opelika, Smiths Station and Loachapoka. It explains how local homes and the lay of the land shape the kind of stair lift that fits, and which programs in Lee County and across Alabama may help with the cost.
A split-level home usually means several short sets of stairs instead of one long one. Each flight may need its own straight lift, or a single curved rail if the stairs turn. We measure every run before suggesting either route.
Ranch homes often look easy because everything is on one floor. The trouble tends to be the steps up to the front or back door. An outdoor lift or a platform lift can handle that entry when a ramp would take up too much yard.
Townhouses in Lee County often stack the bedrooms over the living space, with one straight staircase between them. That is usually the simplest install, since a straight rail mounts to the stair treads, not the wall.
Walk-up apartments are different. Shared stairways belong to the property owner, so a renter needs written permission before anything gets installed. Inside a unit with its own stairs, the same straight or curved options apply.
Lee County covers 616 square miles and straddles the fall line. North of it, the Piedmont is hillier; to the south, the Gulf coastal plain flattens out. That difference changes how homes sit on their lots.
On a sloped lot, a house can end up with a tall run of steps at one door and almost none at another. On flatter ground, entry steps are often shorter. Either way, we look at every door to find the one that gives the shortest, safest path inside.
The county's 2010 median household income was $40,894, so many families look for help before paying out of pocket. The one Alabama source that names stair lifts outright is the home modification benefit under certain Medicaid HCBS waivers, which needs pre-approval through your care plan.
Other programs, like city home repair funds in Auburn and Opelika and USDA Section 504 in rural areas, cover repairs broadly without naming stair lifts. Call them and ask directly.
Alabama's main Medicaid waiver for seniors and adults with disabilities at risk of nursing facility placement, covering services like personal care, homemaker and respite. The program page does not mention stair lifts or home modifications; call (800) 243-5463.
These waivers list stair lifts, transfer equipment and handrails as approved home modifications when medically necessary and pre-approved in your Medicaid care plan, installed by a licensed Alabama contractor. Call (800) 243-5463 to confirm which waiver track applies to you.
The local starting point for older adults in Lee and Russell counties, handling Medicaid Waiver intake, meals, SHIP and referrals from 2207 Gateway Drive in Opelika. It does not list a stair lift program; call (334) 749-5264.
Housing rehabilitation for low- to moderate-income Auburn residents, run by the Community Services Department. The page does not say whether stair lifts qualify, so call (334) 501-7280 to ask about current scope and funding.
0% interest loans repaid over 5 years for owner-occupied homes in Opelika city limits, with household income at or below 80% of HUD area median income; mobile, modular and rental homes are excluded. Stair lifts are not named, so call (334) 705-5130 to ask.
Loans up to $40,000 at 1% for 20 years and grants up to $10,000 for homeowners age 62+ with very low income in eligible rural parts of Lee County. Stair lifts are not named; call the Tuskegee office at (334) 725-3321 to check scope and your address.
A lifetime grant of $6,800 or $2,000, depending on disability status, for permanent changes like ramps and roll-in showers. It does not cover stair lifts or stair glides; VA benefits line is (800) 827-1000.
Larger VA grants for veterans with specific severe service-connected disabilities, with SAH up to $126,526 and SHA up to $25,350 for FY2026. The VA page does not mention stair lifts, only ramps and widened doorways as examples.
A nonprofit serving people with disabilities in an 18-county area that includes Lee County, listing home modifications among its general services. Stair lifts are not named; call (334) 240-2520 to ask what help is available.
Older adults
2207 Gateway Drive, Opelika, 36801
Veterans
205 S. 10th Street, Room 108, Opelika, 36801
It can under the Community, ID or LAH waivers, which list stair lifts as an approved home modification when medically necessary and pre-approved. The senior-focused E&D Waiver does not list home modifications. Call (800) 243-5463 to find out which track fits you.
No. The VA HISA grant specifically excludes stair glides and porch lifts. Talk with the Lee/Chambers County Veterans Service Office in Opelika at (334) 737-3626 about other VA benefits.
USDA Section 504 offers grants up to $10,000 to very low income homeowners age 62+ in eligible rural areas to remove health and safety hazards. Stair lifts are not named in the source, so confirm with the Tuskegee office at (334) 725-3321.
Only in USDA-designated rural areas, which leave out some incorporated parts of Auburn and Opelika. The Tuskegee office can check your address.
The Lee-Russell Council of Governments Area Agency on Aging serves all of Lee County and handles Medicaid Waiver intake and referrals. Call (334) 749-5264.
Often yes, one straight lift per flight, unless a curved rail can connect stairs that turn. We measure each run in your home before recommending either.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
