Eagle County runs from 6,128 feet along the Colorado River up to 14,011 feet at Mount of the Holy Cross, and its homes sit at many points in between. Vail alone averages 8,150 feet. Families here live in Edwards, Gypsum, Eagle, Avon, Vail, Basalt, El Jebel, Dotsero, Minturn and Red Cliff, and a stairway in one of those towns can look very different from a stairway in the next.
This page walks through what the local housing means for a stair lift, which lift types tend to fit, and which agencies and programs to call about paying for one. If a parent is starting to avoid the stairs, or you are, it is a practical place to begin.
The county's housing covers single-family homes, detached houses, townhouses, condominiums and walk-up apartments. In resort towns like Vail and Beaver Creek, the architecture follows the mountain-resort style, with Vail modeled on European ski towns and divided into Vail Village, Lionshead, and East/West Vail.
Townhouses and condominiums often have stairs that are narrower or that turn at a landing. Walk-up apartments add a shared stairwell, which brings building rules into the picture. Detached houses in Eagle, Gypsum or Edwards may have a simple straight run between floors, which is the easiest case for a lift.
A straight stair lift runs on a rail along one flight with no turns. It is usually the quickest to install and works on many standard indoor staircases.
A curved lift uses a rail built to follow the exact shape of your stairs, including landings and turns. Stairs in townhouses and multi-floor condos often need this type. For entries with steps outside the house, an outdoor lift is made for exposure to the weather, and a platform lift can serve someone who needs to stay in a wheelchair.
As of the 2020 census, 81.5% of residents lived in urban areas such as Vail, Avon, Edwards, Eagle and Gypsum, while 18.5% lived in rural areas. Much of the county is White River National Forest and Bureau of Land Management land, with Interstate 70 crossing from east to west.
On a hillside lot, the hardest stairs are sometimes the ones between the driveway and the door, not the ones indoors. During an assessment we look at both, so you know whether an outdoor or platform lift belongs in the plan alongside an indoor one.
Around 66.2% of households own their homes, which matters because several grants require that you own the home or get the owner's written approval.
Veterans should look closely at the VA programs below, and adults 60 and older can reach the local Area Agency on Aging for help with services at home.
No program on this list names stair lifts as a guaranteed benefit, so expect to confirm coverage case by case. The Colorado Medicaid EBD waiver lists home modifications for safety and accessibility, and the Case Management Agency decides whether a lift is medically necessary.
For veterans, the VA HISA grant explicitly excludes stair glides, while the SAH and SHA grants fund home adaptations without naming stair lifts. The Eagle County Veterans Service Office at (970) 328-9674 is the local starting point. Statewide, you can also ask about the Assistive Technology Act Program of Colorado (AT Partners) and the Colorado Senior Property Tax Exemption (Senior Homestead Exemption).
This state Medicaid waiver lists home modifications for safety and accessibility, but the source does not mention stair lifts by name, so coverage must be confirmed as medically necessary with the Case Management Agency. It serves people 65 and older, or 18 to 64 with a qualifying disability, who need nursing facility level of care; call (800) 221-3943.
HISA pays for medically necessary home alterations up to a $6,800 or $2,000 lifetime maximum, depending on disability status. Stair glides and porch lifts are explicitly excluded, so it does not cover a stair lift; call (970) 328-9674 for other uses.
SAH provides up to $126,526 for veterans with severe service-connected disabilities to build, remodel or pay toward an adapted home. The source does not mention stair lifts specifically; call (970) 328-9674 to ask.
SHA provides up to $25,350 to adapt a home owned by a veteran or qualifying family member with certain service-connected disabilities. Stair lifts are not named on the source; call (970) 328-9674.
Vintage serves adults 60 and older and their caregivers in Eagle, Grand, Jackson, Pitkin, Routt and Summit counties with in-home services, caregiver support, transportation vouchers and Medicare counseling. The source does not mention home modifications or stair lifts; call (970) 468-0295.
This county office helps veterans and their families apply for VA benefits and claims but does not fund equipment itself. The source does not mention stair lifts, yet it is the practical local place to start a VA housing grant; call (970) 328-9674.
Older adults
249 Warren Ave., Silverthorne, 80498
Veterans
551 Broadway, PO Box 660, Eagle, 81631
Not through the HISA grant, which explicitly excludes stair glides. The SAH and SHA grants fund home adaptations but do not name stair lifts, so call the Eagle County Veterans Service Office at (970) 328-9674 to ask about your situation.
The EBD waiver lists home modifications for safety and accessibility, but it does not name stair lifts. Whether a lift is covered is decided case by case as medically necessary; the program phone is (800) 221-3943.
For 2026, the monthly income limit is up to $2,982 for a single applicant. The asset limit is $2,000 for one applicant or $3,000 if both spouses apply, and home equity cannot exceed $1,130,000.
Yes, Vintage, the Alpine Area Agency on Aging, serves adults 60 and older and their caregivers in Eagle County. It offers in-home services and caregiver support, though the source does not list stair lifts; call (970) 468-0295.
Often, yes. Townhouse and condo stairs frequently turn at a landing, which usually calls for a curved lift, and shared stairwells in walk-up apartments may need building approval first.
The SAH and SHA grants require that the veteran owns or will own the home. HISA is open to renters with the owner's authorization, but it does not pay for stair lifts.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
