In Alameda County, the stairs you live with depend a lot on where you live. A split-level house cut into the Oakland Hills or Berkeley Hills can have stairs inside and out, while an older two-story home in the East Bay flatlands usually has one long interior flight. Out in the Livermore and Amador Valleys, the layouts change again.
We install stair lifts across the county's 20 towns, from Oakland, Berkeley and Piedmont to Fremont, Hayward, Pleasanton, Livermore and Sunol. This page explains which kind of lift tends to fit local homes and which county, state and federal programs may help pay for one.
The county runs from a flat bayshore plain, home to the Oakland flatlands and Alameda Island, up into the Oakland Hills and Berkeley Hills, then east toward the Diablo Range. The Diablo Range holds the county high point at about 3,843 ft, and Mission Peak stands above Fremont.
On the flat side, the usual job is a straight stair lift on a single interior flight in a two-story house. In the hills, homes built into slopes often have stairs that turn, split or continue outside to the street or yard. Those homes are where curved rails, outdoor lifts and inclined platform lifts come into the conversation.
Single-family homes, townhouses and row houses make up much of the housing here, along with walk-up apartments and low-rise buildings. A townhouse or row house with one straight staircase is often a good fit for a straight rail, which is the simplest lift to install.
Split-level and multi-story hillside homes are different. Stairs with landings or turns usually need a curved rail built to the staircase, or sometimes more than one lift. Where the grade change is outside, such as steps from a driveway down to the front door, an inclined platform lift can carry a wheelchair user instead of asking someone to transfer to a seat.
In a walk-up apartment or low-rise building, the stairs may be shared, so the building owner usually has to approve any installation. It is worth asking before you plan around it.
About 14.9% of county residents are 65 or older, and 54.8% of households own their homes. Many longtime owners have stayed put through rising values, with the 2024 median property value around $1.09M, which is why staying in the house with a lift often makes more sense than moving.
If that includes your parent, the VA grants listed below are worth checking before paying out of pocket.
Some homeowners here pay privately, often drawing on home equity. For lower-income seniors, the main routes are Medi-Cal home-modification benefits, county and nonprofit repair programs, and VA grants for eligible veterans.
Medi-Cal members should start by asking their managed care plan about Environmental Accessibility Adaptations, which list stair lifts and carry a $7,500 lifetime maximum. People who need a nursing facility level of care may qualify for the HCBA Waiver instead. Statewide, the Multipurpose Senior Services Program (MSSP) and the FreedomTech Low-Interest Assistive Technology Loan are also options to ask about.
Local repair programs vary by city. Berkeley residents have the Center for Independent Living, while Renew Alameda County offers deferred-payment loans countywide with an Accessibility category. Each program is summarized below with its phone number.
Alameda County Adult & Aging Services (PSA 9) is at 6955 Foothill Boulevard, Suite 300, Oakland 94605, and can be reached at (510) 577-1900. The Alameda County Veterans Service Office shares that address and answers at (510) 577-1926.
If you are not sure where to start, the Area Agency on Aging information line at (800) 510-2020 connects older adults and caregivers to services and vendors.
A Medi-Cal waiver for people who need a nursing facility level of care but can be safely served at home; home modifications are a covered benefit, decided case by case in the individual service plan. Enrollment goes through a regional HCBA Waiver Agency.
Offered through your Medi-Cal managed care plan, this benefit covers physical home adaptations such as ramps and stair lifts, up to a $7,500 lifetime maximum with documented exceptions. Ask your plan whether you have a medical need that qualifies.
IHSS pays for caregiver hours for Medi-Cal members who are blind, disabled or 65+, but it does not fund stair lifts or other equipment. Call (510) 577-1877.
An information and referral line for adults 60+ and their caregivers; it does not fund home modifications directly, and stair lifts are not mentioned. Call (800) 510-2020.
Free installations of exterior lifts or ramps, grab bars, handrails and similar items for low-income Berkeley residents with a disability or age 62+, owners or renters; stair lifts are not listed, and Oakland, Alameda, Emeryville, Piedmont and Albany get consultations only. Call (510) 841-4776.
Minor home repair grants for income-eligible owner-occupants that can pay for railings, grab bars and other repairs; stair lifts and ramps are not listed. Serves Albany, Dublin, Emeryville, Oakland (62+ and/or disabled, with a waiting list), Newark, Union City, Ashland, Castro Valley and San Lorenzo; call (510) 567-8280.
Deferred-payment loans of $15,000 to $200,000 at 1% simple interest for low-income owner-occupants, with an Accessibility category; stair lifts are not specifically listed. Call (510) 803-3388.
Free accessibility and fall-prevention modifications for income-qualified seniors, veterans and people with disabilities in Berkeley, Emeryville and Albany; stair lifts are not specifically listed. Call (510) 644-8979.
This program stopped serving residents in March 2024 and did not cover stair lifts. Former clients can try RTEBN or Renew Alameda County instead.
Federal grants for veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities, SAH up to $126,526 and SHA up to $25,350 (FY2026), that may cover a stair lift within an approved adaptation plan; the VA HISA benefit does not cover stair lifts. Call (800) 827-1000.
Older adults
6955 Foothill Boulevard, Suite 300, Oakland, 94605
Veterans
6955 Foothill Boulevard, Suite 300, Oakland, 94605
It can. The CalAIM Environmental Accessibility Adaptations benefit lists stair lifts and allows up to $7,500 over a lifetime, requested through your Medi-Cal managed care plan. The HCBA Waiver also covers home modifications for people who need a nursing facility level of care.
No. IHSS pays for caregiver time such as personal care and meal prep, not equipment or structural changes. You can still use IHSS alongside a separate program that funds the lift.
Several programs use other age lines or disability instead. The Area Agency on Aging serves adults 60+, the Center for Independent Living in Berkeley serves people 62+ or with a disability, and IHSS covers people who are disabled at any age.
For outdoor grade changes on homes built into slopes, an inclined platform lift is a common answer, especially for wheelchair users. Outdoor seat lifts are another option when the person can transfer to a seat.
No, it ceased serving residents in March 2024. Renew Alameda County at (510) 803-3388 and, for Berkeley, Emeryville and Albany, RTEBN at (510) 644-8979 are the suggested alternatives.
The SAH and SHA grants may cover a stair lift when it is part of an approved home-adaptation plan for a qualifying service-connected disability. The HISA benefit does not cover stair lifts. The Alameda County Veterans Service Office at (510) 577-1926 can help with the application.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
