Oconee County sits in Georgia's Piedmont, about 184 square miles of rolling ground bordered in part by the Oconee River, with part of the Oconee National Forest inside its lines. We install stair lifts in Watkinsville, Bogart, North High Shoals and Bishop, and in the country homes and subdivisions between them.
The homes here range from older two-story houses near downtown Watkinsville to newer ranch-style and split-level construction built as the county grew into a suburb of Athens. Each of those layouts calls for a different kind of lift, and the sections below explain how to match the lift to the house and where to look for help paying for it.
Internal stairs are common in the established homes near downtown Watkinsville, the county seat. A straight staircase with no landing is the simplest case, and a straight rail lift usually fits along the wall side of the steps.
If the staircase turns at a landing or curves, a straight rail will not work. A curved rail is built to follow that specific staircase, so we measure the stairs at the home before anything is ordered.
Split-level homes often have short runs of steps between floors. A short straight lift can work on each run, and we look at whether the person can walk safely between the runs or needs a lift on more than one.
Ranch-style homes usually keep living space on one floor, but many still have steps down to a basement, a garage or the front and back doors. Townhouses tend to have narrow, straight stairs, so the width of the staircase and the fold-up size of the seat matter.
As of the 2020 census, 54.1% of Oconee County residents lived in rural areas. Out in the county, the hardest climb is often the porch or entry steps, not the inside staircase.
An outdoor stair lift is built to handle weather on exterior steps. Where someone uses a wheelchair and cannot transfer to a seat, a platform lift may be the better fit, and we will tell you which one the steps can take.
Countywide, 82.0% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied, so most families here are deciding about their own home rather than asking a landlord.
Owning the house makes it easier to install a lift and to apply to the home-modification programs below, several of which require the applicant to own and live in the home.
The county's economy is strong, and many stair lifts here end up as private-pay purchases because households often do not meet the income limits of the deepest-need federal grants. That does not rule out help, especially for people with a disability or those 60 and older.
The Georgia Home Access Program, Multiple Choices Center for Independent Living and the Older Americans Act home-modification services are the programs in this list that cover home modifications. The Northeast Georgia Regional Commission AAA at 305 Research Drive in Athens, (706) 583-2546, is a good first call to get screened. Veterans can reach the Athens Veterans Field Service Office at (706) 733-0188.
A state home-modification grant for people with disabilities who own and live in their Georgia home, and home modifications are covered. It is delivered in Oconee County through Multiple Choices Center for Independent Living; call (770) 270-6860.
A nonprofit Center for Independent Living serving 10 northeast Georgia counties, including Oconee, that offers home modification services as funding permits. Call (706) 850-4025.
A Medicaid waiver for elderly or disabled Georgians who need a nursing-facility level of care; the source does not mention stair lifts or home modifications among its services. Ask a caseworker at (706) 583-2546 whether a home-modification add-on is available.
A Medicaid waiver for Medicaid or SSI-eligible people 65 and older or with a disability who need a nursing-home level of care; the source does not mention stair lifts or home modifications. Call (866) 552-4464.
The regional intake and referral office for residents 60 and older in the 12-county region that includes Oconee County; it does not itself list stair lifts but can screen you for EDWP, SOURCE or the Home Access Program. Call (706) 583-2546.
In-home services for Georgians 60 and older and their caregivers, including home modification and repair, though some services have waitlists. Call (866) 552-4464, or start through the regional ADRC.
Federal repair loans and grants for very-low-income homeowners in USDA-eligible rural areas, with grants limited to applicants 62 or older; the source does not mention stair lifts. Check your address on the USDA eligibility map and call (800) 414-1226.
A VA benefit for permanent home changes such as entrance ramps and roll-in showers, but it explicitly excludes stair glides and porch lifts, so it does not cover stair lifts.
A grant of up to $126,526 for FY2026 for veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities to buy, build or change a permanent home; stair lifts are not listed as a covered item.
A grant of up to $25,350 for FY2026 for veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities to modify permanent housing; stair lifts are not listed as a covered item.
Older adults
305 Research Drive, Athens, 30605
Veterans
9249 U.S. Highway 29, Athens, 30601
Usually, yes. A turning staircase needs a curved rail made to fit those exact stairs, so we start by measuring the staircase in person.
The Georgia Home Access Program covers home modifications for people with disabilities who own and live in their home, and it is delivered locally through Multiple Choices Center for Independent Living at (706) 850-4025. The state program line is (770) 270-6860.
Call the Northeast Georgia Regional Commission AAA in Athens at (706) 583-2546. It serves Oconee County residents 60 and older and can route you to Older Americans Act home-modification services or Medicaid waiver screening.
No. The VA excludes stair glides and porch lifts from HISA. The SAH and SHA grants do not list stair lifts either, so ask the Athens Veterans Field Service Office at (706) 733-0188 about your situation.
Parts of Oconee County outside Watkinsville's incorporated area may fall inside USDA's rural eligibility map. The program is for very-low-income homeowners, grants require age 62 or older, and stair lifts are not specifically mentioned, so call (800) 414-1226 to check.
An outdoor stair lift is built for exterior steps. If the person uses a wheelchair and cannot move to a seat, a platform lift may be the better choice.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
