Madera County runs from the flat farm country around Madera and Chowchilla up through Coarsegold, Oakhurst and Ahwahnee to 13,149 feet at Mount Ritter. That climb shapes the houses. Down on the valley floor you find older bungalows and ranch homes. Up in the foothills, many homes sit on slopes with split-level entries and stairs both inside and out.
We install stair lifts across all 16 towns in the county, from Madera Acres and Parksdale to North Fork and Bass Lake. This page walks through which kind of lift tends to fit which kind of home here, and which programs may help cover the cost.
The City of Madera started as a timber and lumber settlement in 1876 and grew into a farm town. That history left a mix of older bungalows and ranch homes next to newer subdivisions. Many ranch homes are one story, so the problem is often a few porch or entry steps rather than a full staircase.
Where a home does have a second floor with a straight staircase, a straight stair lift is usually the simplest and least costly fit. Townhouses and two-story single-family homes in the newer subdivisions often fall into this group. If the stairs turn at a landing, you will need a curved lift built to that staircase.
The eastern half of the county rises through the Sierra Nevada foothills, and many homes there are built on hillsides. Split-level layouts mean short flights of stairs between living areas, and some houses have several of them. Each flight is measured on its own, and stairs with turns or landings usually call for a curved lift.
Sloped lots also put stairs outside, from the driveway or carport up to the front door or down to a lower deck. An outdoor stair lift is built to handle weather on those runs. For someone who uses a wheelchair, a platform lift may make more sense than a seat, since the person can stay in the chair.
About 13.6% of Madera County residents are 65 or older, and 63.4% of households own their homes. The 2020 census counted 49,572 housing units at 64.0% owner-occupied, above California's 55.8%. Owners can approve permanent changes like a stair lift without waiting on a landlord.
Foothill communities such as Oakhurst and Coarsegold lean toward retirement living, so many older homeowners there plan to stay put.
Cost is a real concern here. Median household income in the county is $76,920, below the state's $91,551, and the poverty rate is 24.3% compared with 12.2% statewide. That makes need-based help worth checking before you pay out of pocket.
The clearest route is CalAIM Community Supports through your Medi-Cal managed care plan, which lists stair lifts as a covered adaptation with a $7,500 lifetime home-modification limit. Low-income homeowners can also look at Self-Help Enterprises deferred-payment loans, and City of Madera residents can ask about the CalHome rehabilitation program. Each program is described below with its phone number.
A statewide Medi-Cal waiver for people who qualify for nursing facility level of care but can be safely served at home; home adaptations are covered case by case, though the source does not list stair lifts specifically and a waitlist was noted as of 2023. Call (916) 552-9105.
A Medi-Cal managed care benefit for members at risk of hospital or nursing facility placement, with stair lifts listed as a covered adaptation up to a $7,500 lifetime maximum. Madera County residents go through their assigned Medi-Cal managed care plan; the listed number is (800) 541-5555.
Offers information, referral and care management, including MSSP for Medi-Cal enrollees 65 and older at risk of nursing home placement; it does not fund stair lifts directly and the source does not mention them. Call (559) 214-0299, or the PSA 14 office at 3845 North Clark, Suite 103, Fresno, at (559) 453-6494.
Helps people with disabilities with assessment, referral and coordination of accessibility modifications, serving Madera County from its Fresno office; the source does not mention stair lifts. Call (559) 221-2330.
Deferred-payment loans for low-income owner-occupied homes in Madera County, with covered work that includes handicap-accessible modifications, though stair lifts are not named and funding varies by area. Call (559) 802-1647.
A CalHome-funded repair program for City of Madera homeowners who meet state income limits, covering accessibility modifications for residents with disabilities; stair lifts are not named and funding is limited. Call (559) 661-5400.
Federal grants for veterans with qualifying permanent service-connected disabilities, with FY2026 maximums of $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA; a stair lift may be covered only as part of an approved adaptation plan. Call (800) 827-1000.
Older adults
3845 North Clark, Suite 103, Fresno, 93726
Veterans
200 W. 4th Street, Madera, 93637
It can. CalAIM Community Supports lists stair lifts as a covered home adaptation for managed care members at risk of hospital or nursing facility placement, up to a $7,500 lifetime limit. You apply through your assigned Medi-Cal managed care plan, and the lift must be medically necessary.
Often, yes. Sloped lots in places like Oakhurst, Coarsegold and Ahwahnee commonly have exterior stairs, and an outdoor stair lift is made for that. If the person uses a wheelchair, a platform lift may be the better choice, and we look at that during the home visit.
The Fresno-Madera Area Agency on Aging offers information and assistance to adults 60 and older and their caregivers at (559) 214-0299. Low-income homeowners can also ask Self-Help Enterprises at (559) 802-1647 about deferred-payment loans that include accessibility work.
Not as a general benefit. The VA HISA grant excludes stair lifts, but SAH and SHA grants may cover one if it is part of an approved adaptation plan for a qualifying service-connected disability. The Madera County Veterans Service Office at 200 W. 4th Street in Madera, (559) 675-7766, can help with the paperwork.
Resources for Independence, Central Valley serves Madera County but has no office in the county, so help comes from its Fresno office. They can assess your needs and coordinate accessibility changes. Call (559) 221-2330.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
