Placer County climbs about 65 miles from the Sacramento Valley floor at Roseville, at roughly 500 ft, through the foothills around Auburn and up to the shore of Lake Tahoe. Along the way you pass two-story tract homes in Rocklin and Lincoln, split-level houses on hillside lots in Colfax and Foresthill, and mountain homes in Kings Beach, Tahoe City and Carnelian Bay.
Those homes call for different stair lifts. This page walks through what we see across the county's 21 towns, which lift types fit which houses, and the programs that may help with the cost. It is written for older homeowners and for the adult children helping them plan.
Roughly three-quarters of Placer County residents live in South Placer, in Roseville (~148k), Rocklin (~72k) and Lincoln (~50k). Much of that housing was built from the 1990s onward, and most of it is two-story single-family homes with the bedrooms upstairs.
In a newer tract home the main staircase is often a single straight run, which is the simplest and quickest stair lift install. Some floor plans add a landing or a turn, and those need a curved rail built to the exact shape of the stairs. We measure on site before quoting either one.
Lincoln is also home to Sun City Lincoln Hills, a large active-adult community. Not every home there is single-story, so it is worth checking the stairs before assuming a lift is not needed.
Older housing in Placer County sits mostly in the Gold Country foothill towns: Auburn, the county seat, plus Colfax and Foresthill. Hillside lots there often produce split-level homes and multi-story houses with interior staircases that change direction.
A split-level home may have two or three short flights instead of one long one. Each flight can get its own straight lift, or one curved rail can run through a turn, depending on the layout and how often each level is used.
Many foothill homes also have a raised front entry with outside steps. An outdoor stair lift or a vertical platform lift can handle that climb, and a platform lift is the option when a wheelchair needs to come along.
The county tops out at 9,044 ft, and communities like Tahoe Vista, Dollar Point, Tahoma and Sunnyside-Tahoe City sit in alpine terrain. Homes on sloped lots here frequently have steep exterior steps between the driveway and the door.
For those steps, an outdoor-rated lift is the right choice, since an indoor model is not built for the weather. Inside, the same straight or curved options apply as anywhere else in the county.
About 19.4% of Placer County's 352,536 residents are 65 or older, and 72.2% of residents are homeowners. That means most people adapting a multi-level house own it and can make the change without asking a landlord.
Townhouses and walk-up apartments are part of the local mix too. In a shared stairwell, a lift usually needs approval from the owner or association, so start that conversation early.
Medicare is not on the list below, and most local programs do not pay for stair lifts directly. The clearest path is the Medi-Cal CalAIM Environmental Accessibility Adaptations benefit, which covers stair lifts for eligible members, with a lifetime home-modification cap of up to $7,500 where the member's plan offers it.
Veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities can look at the VA SAH and SHA grants, and the Placer County Veterans Service Office in Rocklin, at (916) 780-3290, can help with paperwork. For older adults 60 and up, the Agency on Aging Area 4 is the starting point for referrals to local home repair and modification help.
Statewide options also include the Multipurpose Senior Services Program (MSSP), VA Benefits for Veterans (HISA + Prosthetics) and the FreedomTech Low-Interest Assistive Technology Loan. Details on each county program follow.
A CalAIM Community Support that covers stair lifts and other home modifications for Medi-Cal managed-care members at risk of hospitalization or nursing-facility care, up to a $7,500 lifetime maximum. It is offered at the discretion of each managed-care plan, so ask your plan whether it is available in Placer County.
A state Medicaid waiver for medically fragile Medi-Cal members who need nursing-facility level of care; its home modifications list ramps, grab bars and bathroom changes, and stair lifts are not mentioned. Enrollment is limited with a waiting list; call (800) 541-5555.
Federal grants for veterans and servicemembers with qualifying service-connected disabilities who own or will own the home, with FY2026 caps of up to $126,526 (SAH) and $25,350 (SHA); the source does not mention stair lifts specifically. Call (800) 827-1000 or apply with VA Form 26-4555.
A referral hub for adults 60+ and adults with disabilities that connects people to home repair, modification and fall-prevention services; stair lift funding is not mentioned. Call (800) 211-4545, or the Area 4 Agency on Aging office in Sacramento at (916) 486-1876.
A free independent living program for seniors and people with disabilities in Placer, El Dorado and Alpine Counties that includes an in-home safety check and minor adaptive equipment. It does not cover stair lifts; call (530) 885-6100.
A county Medi-Cal program that pays caregivers for personal care, housework and meal prep for people who are 65+, blind or disabled with low income. It does not pay for stair lifts or home modifications.
A nonprofit offering free repairs through its Safe at Home program, but it does not cover stair lifts and serves only Sacramento County and the City of West Sacramento. Its number is (916) 455-1880.
Older adults
2260 Park Towne Circle, Suite 100, Sacramento, 95825
Veterans
1000 Sunset Boulevard, Suite 115, Rocklin, 95765
It can, through the CalAIM Environmental Accessibility Adaptations benefit, which covers stair lifts up to a $7,500 lifetime maximum for home modifications. Each managed-care plan decides whether to offer it, so call your plan to confirm.
No. In-Home Supportive Services pays for caregiver hours, not equipment or home modifications.
Yes. The Agency on Aging Area 4 serves adults 60+ in Placer County and refers people to home repair and modification services. Call (800) 211-4545.
The Placer County Veterans Service Office is at 1000 Sunset Boulevard, Suite 115, in Rocklin, phone (916) 780-3290. The VA itself can be reached at (800) 827-1000.
Usually, yes. Split-level homes often have several short flights, which can take separate straight lifts or a single curved rail, depending on the layout we find when we measure.
The nearest chapter, Rebuilding Together Sacramento, serves only Sacramento County and the City of West Sacramento, and it does not cover stair lifts.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
