Bonneville County runs from the desert floors west of Idaho Falls up through the Snake River valley to the forested peaks around Swan Valley and Irwin. Between them sit Ammon, Lincoln, Iona and Ucon, each with its own mix of houses and stairs. That spread of towns and elevations shapes what kind of stair lift makes sense in a given home.
In Idaho Falls, many of the older homes near downtown were built long before anyone thought about accessible design. Bedrooms often sit on a second floor that you can only reach by an interior staircase. This page walks through how local homes, winter weather and funding programs fit together, so you can decide whether a lift is the right step.
Idaho Falls started as a ranching settlement founded in 1864 and became a railroad town after 1879. Its numbered-streets grid downtown, including the Eleventh Street Historic District, was the city's first planned neighborhood. Many houses there put the bedrooms upstairs with a single staircase as the only way up.
When that staircase is a straight run, a straight stair lift is usually the simplest fit. The rail mounts to the stair treads, not the wall, so the original walls and trim stay intact. If the stairs turn at a landing or wind as they climb, a curved lift with a custom rail is the option to look at.
Across the county you will find single-family homes, townhouses, split-level homes, walk-up apartments and low-rise buildings. Split-level homes tend to have several short flights instead of one long one. Each flight may need its own lift, or one curved rail if the flights connect around a turn.
Townhouses often have narrow, steep stairs, so we measure width and the clearance at the top and bottom before recommending a model. In walk-up apartments and low-rise buildings, a lift in a shared stairwell needs the building owner's approval first. For a short rise to a porch or entry, a platform lift can also be worth discussing, especially for someone using a wheelchair.
Bonneville County covers 1,901 square miles, and the mix of high desert, river valley and mountain elevation brings a wide seasonal temperature swing. Icy porch and entry steps are a real fall risk for seniors in winter. That is true in town along the Snake River in Idaho Falls and out toward the Palisades Reservoir.
An outdoor stair lift is built with weather-resistant parts and a cover for the seat. It lets someone get from the driveway or yard to the door without walking icy steps. We look at the step layout, the slope and where snow piles up before suggesting one.
Roughly 67.5% of residents are homeowners. In the 2020 Census, the county had 45,214 housing units, and 70.7% of occupied units were owner-occupied.
That matters for stair lifts because most seniors here own the house that needs one. Owners can generally decide on an install themselves, without waiting on a landlord. Veterans should also check the VA programs below, since the rules on what they pay for differ a lot.
No program on this page names stair lifts as a covered item, and one VA grant rules them out in writing. That does not mean there is no help. Several programs cover home modifications or accessibility changes in general, and it is worth asking each one directly whether a stair lift qualifies.
A good first call is EICAP, the Area Agency on Aging for Bonneville County, at (208) 522-5391. Veterans can reach the Bonneville County Veterans Service Office at (208) 529-1350. The Idaho Assistive Technology Project offers low-interest loans if you need to finance the cost. Homeowners may also want to look into the Idaho Property Tax Reduction (Circuit Breaker) program as a separate way to ease household costs.
A state Medicaid waiver for Idaho residents age 65+ or with a qualifying disability who meet income and resource limits; it includes an environmental accessibility adaptations benefit, but stair lifts are not named, so ask your waiver case manager whether one qualifies. The listed number, (866) 849-3843, is for the Estate Recovery office rather than a general benefits line.
Chore Services covers yard work, sidewalk maintenance, heavy cleaning and minor household maintenance for seniors, generally 60+, with functional limitations; stair lifts are not mentioned. Call (208) 522-5391 to ask what help may be available.
A VA benefit for permanent structural changes such as entrance access, bathroom modifications and ramping, with a lifetime maximum of $6,800 or $2,000 depending on disability status. It does not cover stair lifts; the VA explicitly excludes stair glides.
VA housing grants for veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities, with FY2026 caps of up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA. Stair lifts are not named among covered modifications, so ask the Bonneville County Veterans Service Office at (208) 529-1350 about your situation.
A statewide loan program offering $500 to $60,000 at about 5% APR with no origination fees, for Idahoans with a disability or their family members; home modifications are financeable, but stair lifts are not named. Call (800) 432-8324 to confirm whether a stair lift purchase and install qualifies.
A local Center for Independent Living that lends equipment such as shower chairs, grab bars, walkers and wheelchairs at no cost for up to 3 months; stair lifts are not on its loan list. Call (208) 529-8610 for independent living services and service-area details.
Older adults
420 N. Holmes Ave., Idaho Falls, 83401
Veterans
605 North Capitol Avenue, Room 101, Idaho Falls, 83402
The VA HISA grant does not; its source page excludes stair glides by name. The SAH, SHA and TRA grants do not name stair lifts either way, so veterans with severe service-connected disabilities should ask the Bonneville County Veterans Service Office at (208) 529-1350.
EICAP's programs are generally for seniors 60 and older, but limited funding exists for some individuals under 60 through United Way support. Call (208) 522-5391 to ask.
The Aged and Disabled Waiver includes environmental accessibility adaptations, but the state page does not name stair lifts. Ask your assigned waiver case manager whether one counts as an approved adaptation.
LIFE, Inc. in Idaho Falls lends equipment for up to 3 months at no cost, but stair lifts are not on its list. Its loan items, like grab bars and transfer benches, can still help in the meantime.
Outdoor models are built for weather, and they are a common answer to icy entry steps. The county's wide seasonal temperature swing is exactly why we check the outdoor step layout during a home visit.
The Area VI AAA is at 420 N. Holmes Ave., Idaho Falls, 83401. The phone number is (208) 522-5391.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
