Most people in Inyo County live along the Owens Valley floor, in towns like Bishop, West Bishop, Big Pine, Lone Pine and Independence, with the Sierra Nevada on one side and the White Mountains on the other. Bishop is the county's only incorporated city and sits at 4,150 ft, which means freezing winter nights and hot summers for the homes spread across the valley.
The housing here is mostly detached single-family homes, with manufactured homes, mobile homes and cabins mixed in. Older houses sit alongside mid-to-late-20th-century subdivisions, and many are two-story or split-level. If climbing those stairs has become hard for you or a parent, a stair lift is often the simplest way to keep using the whole house.
A two-story house with one straight flight usually takes a straight stair lift. The rail mounts to the stair treads, not the wall, so it works in older homes and newer subdivision houses alike.
Split-level homes are a different job. They often have short runs with a landing or a turn, and that can call for a curved rail built to the exact shape of your stairs. We measure in person before quoting so the rail fits the first time.
If the person using the lift rides in a wheelchair, a seat lift will not solve the problem. In that case a platform lift may be the better fit, and we can talk through whether your stairs or entry have room for one.
Valley winters bring cold nights, and snow and ice on outside steps are a real fall risk for older residents. Indoor stairs are only half the picture if the trouble starts at the front door or the back porch.
Outdoor stair lifts are built for weather exposure and can serve entry steps on a house, cabin or manufactured home. We look at how your steps are built and where the lift would park when it is not in use before recommending one.
About 24.7% of county residents are 65 or older, and 72.7% own their homes. That is a lot of people aging in houses they own, which is exactly the situation where a lift makes sense instead of a move.
If that includes you or your parent, the VA grants listed below are worth checking before you pay out of pocket. The Veteran Services Office in Bishop at 1360 N. Main St., Suite 254 can be reached at (760) 873-7850.
Several programs may help, but they work differently. CalAIM Community Supports through a Medi-Cal managed-care plan explicitly lists stair lifts, with a lifetime home-modification maximum of $7,500. It is optional for each plan, so you need to confirm it with your Inyo County Medi-Cal plan.
Veterans with a qualifying service-connected disability can look at the VA SAH and SHA grants. The smaller VA HISA grant is generally not usable for a stair lift. Very-low-income owners age 62+ may qualify for a USDA Section 504 grant or loan, though stair lifts are not specifically named.
For help sorting this out, start with the Inyo-Mono Area Agency on Aging (PSA 16) at (760) 873-6364 or the local aging services listed below. Statewide options also include the Multipurpose Senior Services Program (MSSP) and the FreedomTech Low-Interest Assistive Technology Loan.
A Medi-Cal waiver for people who qualify for nursing-facility level care but want to stay home; it covers home modifications like ramps and grab bars, but whether stair lifts are covered is unknown, and the program has had a waitlist. Call (800) 776-5746 and confirm coverage with the county's Waiver Agency.
An optional Medi-Cal managed-care benefit that explicitly covers stair lifts for members at risk of hospital or nursing-facility care, up to a $7,500 lifetime maximum for home modifications. Confirm your plan offers it, or call (855) 427-1223.
Federal grants for veterans with qualifying permanent service-connected disabilities, up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA (FY2026); stair lifts may be covered as part of an approved adaptation plan. Apply with VA Form 26-4555 or call (800) 827-1000.
Rural home-repair help with grants up to $10,000 for very-low-income owners age 62+ and 1% loans up to $40,000 for accessibility and safety repairs; stair lifts are not specifically listed. Apply through the local USDA Rural Development field office.
Serves people 60+ and their caregivers in Inyo and Mono counties with meals, transportation, caregiver support and HICAP Medicare counseling; it does not list home-modification funding but can refer you to waiver and other resources. Call (760) 873-5240.
The Center for Independent Living for Inyo and Mono counties, helping people with disabilities with assistive technology, home-modification navigation and benefits advocacy; stair lift funding is unknown and handled case by case. Offices are by appointment at (909) 890-9516.
Older adults
P.O. Box 1799, Bishop, 93515
Veterans
1360 N. Main St., Suite 254, Bishop, 93514
It can. The CalAIM Community Supports Environmental Accessibility Adaptations benefit explicitly lists stair lifts, up to a $7,500 lifetime maximum, for managed-care members at risk of institutional care. It is optional per plan, so check with your Inyo County Medi-Cal plan first.
Generally no. HISA is usually not usable for stair lifts. The VA SAH and SHA grants are the route for a lift, if he has a qualifying service-connected disability. The Veteran Services Office in Bishop at (760) 873-7850 can help him apply.
Usually, yes. Split-level stairs often have short runs or a turn, which may need a curved rail made to fit. A straight flight in a two-story home typically takes a straight lift. We measure on site to tell you which one.
Yes, outdoor stair lifts are made for entry steps exposed to weather. With freezing nights in the Owens Valley, many families look at the outside steps as well as the inside stairs.
ESAAA services are for people 60+, but Rolling Start, Inc. serves people with disabilities of any age in Inyo County. Medi-Cal programs are based on medical need, not a 60+ age limit.
Start with the Inyo-Mono Area Agency on Aging (PSA 16) at (760) 873-6364 or ESAAA at (760) 873-5240. They can point you toward Medi-Cal waiver options and other home-modification resources.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
