Around the courthouse square in Monroeville, the Monroeville Downtown Historic District holds 63 structures in Classical Revival, American Craftsman and Moderne styles, most from early-20th-century construction. Out past town, older farmhouses dot the land toward Frisco City, Excel and Uriah. Many of these houses have original stairways built long before anyone wrote accessibility codes.
This page walks through how those homes, and the newer ranch-style and split-level houses around the county, fit with different kinds of stair lifts. It also lists the programs that may help with the cost, along with the phone numbers to call.
A two-story farmhouse or an early-1900s house near downtown Monroeville often has a single straight flight of stairs. A straight stair lift is usually the simplest fit there. The rail mounts to the stair treads, not the wall, so plaster and old trim are generally left alone.
Some older stairways turn at a landing or narrow near the top. Those call for a curved rail, which is built to the shape of your specific staircase. We measure every step and turn before recommending one type over the other.
Ranch-style homes are often on one floor, so the steps that cause trouble are usually at the porch or the entry. An outdoor stair lift, built to handle weather, can cover those steps. For someone who uses a wheelchair, a platform lift may make more sense than a seat.
Split-level homes have short runs of stairs between levels. Each run may need its own short lift, or one level may become the main living space. In low-rise buildings, the building owner usually has to approve any installation in shared stairwells, so ask before you plan.
Monroe County covers roughly 1,025 square miles of the Coastal Plain, with flat to gently rolling ground and the Alabama River along its western border. Flat yards make outdoor lifts and ramps easier to place than they would be on a steep hillside.
The size of the county is the bigger factor. Homes far from U.S. Highway 84 or Monroeville can mean longer trips for installers and service visits. When you compare quotes, ask whether travel is included and how service calls are handled for your part of the county.
About 20.8% of residents are 65 or older, and about 60.5% own their homes. Homeowners can install a permanent lift without a landlord's sign-off, and several funding programs require that you own and live in the home.
VA programs have specific rules about stair lifts, covered below, so it helps to know them before you apply.
The only program in our list that names stair lifts outright is Alabama Medicaid's Home Modification Services under the Community Waiver Program, ID Waiver and LAH Waiver. The Elderly and Disabled (E&D) Waiver, which most seniors use, lists home modifications but does not mention stair lifts, so approval is not certain.
For rural homeowners with very low income, USDA Section 504 repair loans and grants are worth a call to ask about. Other statewide programs to ask about include 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).
Veterans should know that the VA HISA grant explicitly excludes stair glides. The Monroe County Veterans Service Office can help sort out which VA benefits apply.
A Medicaid waiver for people who need a nursing-facility level of care, with a 2026 income limit up to $2,982 a month and a $2,000 asset limit for a single applicant. It lists home modifications as a benefit but does not name stair lifts; call (800) 243-5463.
For people enrolled in one of these three waivers, stair lifts are explicitly listed as an approved home modification when medically necessary and pre-approved by a case manager, and the contractor must be licensed in Alabama. Call (334) 242-5000.
The Area Agency on Aging serving Monroe County and an intake point for Medicaid waivers and in-home services; its listed services do not mention stair lifts or home modifications. Call (334) 682-5206.
Loans up to $40,000 at 1% for 20 years, and grants up to $10,000 for homeowners age 62 and older who cannot repay a loan, in eligible rural areas for very-low-income owners. The program covers health and safety repairs but does not name stair lifts.
Provides up to $6,800 or $2,000 lifetime for medically necessary home changes, depending on disability status. Stair glides are explicitly excluded; call (800) 827-1000.
Grants for veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities, up to $126,526 for SAH or $25,350 for SHA on a permanent home in FY2026. Stair lifts are not named; call (800) 827-1000.
A local office in Monroeville that helps veterans and dependents with benefit claims and referrals, not a funding source itself, and it does not list stair lifts. Call (251) 575-9832.
Serves people with disabilities in Monroe County with information, referral, advocacy, peer support and skills training; no stair lift or home modification program is listed. Call (251) 460-0301.
Older adults
110 Beauregard Street, Suite 207, Mobile, 36602
Veterans
65 North Alabama Avenue, Monroeville, 36461
It depends on the waiver. The Community Waiver Program, ID Waiver and LAH Waiver explicitly list stair lifts as a home modification when medically necessary and approved by a case manager. The E&D Waiver lists home modifications but does not name stair lifts, so ask at (800) 243-5463.
USDA Section 504 grants are only for homeowners 62 and older, but its 1% repair loans do not carry that age rule. The E&D Waiver has no fixed age minimum, though it requires a nursing-facility level of care.
No. The HISA grant explicitly excludes stair glides and porch lifts. A veteran can call the Monroe County Veterans Service Office at (251) 575-9832 to ask about other VA benefits.
Usually, yes. Most lifts mount to the stair treads, and a straight or curved rail can be fitted to original stairways. We measure the stairs first to see which type fits.
It can. The county is large and rural, so ask any installer whether travel and future service visits are included in the quote.
The Alabama-Tombigbee Regional Commission (ATRC) Area Agency on Aging at (334) 682-5206 is an intake point for Medicaid waivers and in-home services for older adults in the county.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
