St. Clair County is split down the middle by the far southern end of the Appalachian Mountains. That ridge runs northeast to southwest, and it is the reason the county has two county seats, Ashville and Pell City, instead of one. Homes on either side, from Moody and Odenville to Ragland and Steele, often sit on sloped lots where the stairs inside and outside the house get harder to manage every year.
We install stair lifts in all 10 towns in the county, including Springville, Margaret, Argo and Riverside. This page explains which kind of lift tends to fit the homes here, what the county's numbers say about who needs one, and which programs may help pay for it.
Most housing here is single-family homes and detached houses, with some townhouses, walk-up apartments and split-level homes mixed in. A single straight staircase between two floors is the simplest job, and a straight stair lift usually fits it without changes to the walls.
Split-level homes are different. They often have short flights with a landing or a turn between levels, so the choice is a curved lift built to the stair, or separate straight lifts on each run. We measure the stairs in person before recommending either.
Sloped lots can also mean steps up to the front door or down to a basement entrance. Those are worth looking at during the same visit, since the inside stairs are not always the only problem.
Logan Martin Lake, the reservoir on the Coosa River, shapes where many people in the county live, including second homes along the shoreline. Lake lots often drop toward the water, which can mean long outdoor stairs to a deck, a dock path or a lower-level door.
Outdoor stair lifts are built to handle weather and can follow exterior steps. Where someone uses a wheelchair, a platform lift may make more sense than a seat, because the person stays in the chair for the ride.
About 16.2% of the county's 54,578 residents are 65 or older, and 79.3% of households own their home. Longtime owners tend to want to stay put, and a stair lift is often what lets them keep using the whole house.
Family help can be thin during the workday. County workers average a 30.7 minute commute, longer than the U.S. average of 26.4 minutes, and many drive into the Birmingham metro area each day. With 67.1% of residents living in rural areas, a parent may be alone at home for most of the day, which is when a fall on the stairs is most dangerous.
The most direct route for many older residents is the Alabama Elderly and Disabled (E&D) Medicaid HCBS Waiver, which lists home modifications as a benefit. Some other Alabama Medicaid waivers name stair lifts outright, but those serve narrower groups. Each program below says who qualifies and who to call.
For rural homeowners age 62 and up with very low income, the USDA Section 504 repair program offers grants up to $10,000 and low-interest loans. Other statewide options to ask about include the Alabama Ability Loan Program (STAR / Southern Disability Foundation) and the Alabama Senior / Disabled Homestead Exemption (H-2 / H-3).
If you are not sure where to start, the Middle Alabama Area Agency on Aging at (205) 670-5770 serves St. Clair County and can point you to the right waiver or program.
The VA HISA grant does not pay for stair glides, so veterans should ask the VA Prosthetic and Sensory Aids Service about coverage as durable medical equipment instead.
The Veterans Service Office at 1815 Cogswell Ave. in Pell City can help with VA paperwork. Call (205) 814-3419.
A Medicaid waiver for Alabama residents 65 and older, or younger if disabled, who need nursing-facility level care; it includes a home modifications benefit, and limits for a single applicant are $2,982 a month in income, $2,000 in countable assets and $1,130,000 in home equity. Call (877) 425-2243.
Home modification services, including stair lifts with pre-approval and medical necessity, for people enrolled in certain waivers such as the State of Alabama Community Waiver Program, the ID Waiver and the LAH Waiver, the last two limited to people with an intellectual-disability diagnosis. Confirm current coverage with Alabama Medicaid at (334) 242-5000.
A statewide waiver for people with a qualifying disability, often neurological conditions such as Parkinson's disease, stroke or Alzheimer's disease, who meet nursing-facility level of care and financial limits; the source does not mention stair lifts. Call (800) 362-1504.
The regional information, referral and case-management office for older adults and adults with disabilities in Blount, Chilton, Shelby, St. Clair and Walker counties; it is not a stair lift grant but can connect you to waivers. Call (205) 670-5770.
Loans up to $40,000 at 1% for 20 years and grants up to $10,000 for very-low-income rural homeowners age 62 and up, with combined help up to $50,000; the source mentions accessibility modifications in general but does not name stair lifts. St. Clair County is served by the Cullman office at (256) 734-6471 ext. 4.
A VA grant of up to $6,800 or $2,000 lifetime for medically justified home changes, but it explicitly does not cover stair glides or porch lifts. The Veterans Service Office in Pell City at (205) 814-3419 can help with VA benefits.
Grants of up to $126,526 (SAH) or $25,350 (SHA) in FY2026 for veterans with severe service-connected disabilities to build, buy or remodel an accessible home; stair lifts are not named on the source. Ask the Veterans Service Office at (205) 814-3419 whether you qualify.
Older adults
2300 Riverchase Center, Suite 300, Hoover, 35244
Veterans
1815 Cogswell Ave., Pell City, 35125
Usually, yes. Split-level homes often have short flights with landings or turns, so the fit is either a curved lift made for your stairs or separate straight lifts on each flight, which we decide after measuring.
Yes, outdoor stair lifts are made for exterior steps like those on sloped shoreline lots. If the person uses a wheelchair, a platform lift may be the better choice.
Some waivers can. The E&D Waiver lists home modifications as a benefit, and certain other waivers name stair lifts directly with pre-approval. Call (877) 425-2243 for the E&D Waiver or Alabama Medicaid at (334) 242-5000.
The E&D Waiver covers people younger than 65 if they are disabled and need nursing-facility level care. The USDA Section 504 grant is for homeowners 62 and up, and its loans have no such age limit in the source.
Not through the HISA grant, which excludes stair glides. Veterans should ask the VA Prosthetic and Sensory Aids Service about coverage as durable medical equipment, and the Veterans Service Office in Pell City at (205) 814-3419 can help.
The Middle Alabama Area Agency on Aging at (205) 670-5770 serves the county and acts as the referral point for programs like the E&D and SAIL Waivers.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
