Calvert County is a long peninsula with the Chesapeake Bay on one side and the Patuxent River on the other. Its 14 towns run from North Beach and Chesapeake Beach in the north down through Prince Frederick, St. Leonard and Lusby to Solomons at the southern tip. The land climbs in three terraces to about 100 feet, so plenty of houses here sit on slopes with steps at the front door as well as stairs inside.
Most people here own their homes. In 2020, 83.6% of occupied housing units were owner-occupied, and 9.0% of households had someone 65 or older living alone. If a parent in Huntingtown or Drum Point is starting to struggle with the stairs, this page covers which kind of lift fits which house and where to look for help paying.
The housing here is mostly single-family homes and detached houses, with split-level homes, townhouses and walk-up apartments mixed in. A single straight flight, common in many detached houses and townhouses, usually takes a straight stair lift. That is the simplest rail to measure and install.
Split-level homes are different. They often have several short flights between levels, sometimes with a turn. Each run might get its own straight lift, or one curved rail can follow the turns, and we decide that after measuring the actual stairs.
Walk-up apartments raise a separate question, because a lift in a shared stairwell needs the building owner's approval. Renters should talk to the landlord before anything else.
With the ground rising in terraces, a lot of homes have steps up to the porch or down to a lower yard. An outdoor stair lift is built for that kind of run and is a separate unit from the one inside. Where the person uses a wheelchair, a vertical platform lift can be a better answer than a seat.
When we visit, we look at the whole path from the driveway to the bedroom. Fixing the indoor stairs does little good if the front steps still keep someone stuck at home.
About 61.9% of Calvert County residents live in rural areas and 38.1% in urban areas. For homes farther out, near Broomes Island or Chesapeake Ranch Estates for example, scheduling and service visits can take longer than in town.
Plan ahead if a hospital discharge or surgery date is coming up. Getting the stairs measured early gives the most room to work with.
Start with the Calvert County Office on Aging at 450 West Dares Beach Road in Prince Frederick, (410) 535-4606. They handle intake for the Accessible Homes for Seniors loan and Maryland Access Point, and can point you to other programs listed below.
Be aware that none of the local program sources we checked name stair lifts specifically. Most mention ramps, grab bars, doorway widening or bathroom work. That does not always mean a stair lift is ruled out, so ask each program directly. The Accessible Homes for Seniors loan has income limits of $57,960 for one person and $66,240 for two, and the county's median household income was $90,838 in 2010, so some households here will be over the limit.
Statewide, it is also worth asking about Community First Choice (Maryland Medicaid), the Maryland Assistive Technology Loan Program, and VA Benefits for Veterans (HISA + Prosthetics). Veterans can get help with VA paperwork from the Calvert County Commission for Veterans and Military Families at 30 Duke Street, Suite 105, Prince Frederick, (410) 535-1600.
A 0% interest, deferred loan with a 30-year term for homeowners with at least one household member age 55+, repaid when the home is sold, transferred or refinanced; income limits are $57,960 for one person and $66,240 for two. The source lists grab bars, railings, ramps, doorway widening, accessible showers and lever handles but does not name stair lifts; call (410) 535-4606.
Rehabilitation funds for housing or plumbing repairs on owner-occupied single-family homes and one to four unit rental properties. The source does not mention stair lifts; call (800) 638-7781.
Grants and low-interest loans for home rehabilitation, indoor plumbing, and well and septic repair for owners who live in the home and meet USDA income guidelines. Stair lifts are not mentioned in the source; call (240) 776-6616.
Help for people age 16+ with a physical, mental or emotional disability to stay independent at home, through means such as ramps and bathroom modifications. Stair lifts are not named in the source; call (410) 535-2620.
A local listing for basic and complex medical equipment, with no further detail given. The source does not mention stair lifts; call (240) 230-8000 to ask what is available.
A volunteer-based home repair program listed for low-income homeowners, elderly residents and people with disabilities in Calvert County, with a fall application deadline. Stair lifts are not mentioned and eligibility details should be confirmed by calling (410) 535-9044.
Serves people with disabilities in Calvert, Charles and St. Mary's counties, with services including an assistive-technology loan library and portable ramps. Stair lifts are not mentioned in the source; call (301) 884-4498.
Medicaid home and community-based services for older adults and people with disabilities who meet nursing-facility level of care and Medicaid financial rules, including medical supplies and equipment. Home modifications and stair lifts are not mentioned in the source; start through Maryland Access Point at (410) 535-4606.
A VA grant of up to $126,526 (FY2026) for veterans and service members with severe service-connected disabilities, such as loss or loss of use of more than one limb, who own or will own the home. The source gives ramps and doorway widening as examples and does not name stair lifts.
A VA grant of up to $25,350 (FY2026) for veterans with qualifying disabilities such as loss or loss of use of both hands, or severe burns. Stair lifts are not named in the source.
Helps SAH- or SHA-eligible veterans adapt a family member's home they are temporarily living in, up to $50,961 for SAH-eligible and $9,100 for SHA-eligible veterans (FY2026). Stair lifts are not named in the source.
Older adults
450 West Dares Beach Road, Prince Frederick, 20678
Veterans
30 Duke Street, Suite 105, Prince Frederick, 20678
The program's list of covered improvements names grab bars, railings, doorway widening, ramps, accessible showers and lever handles, but not stair lifts. Call the Calvert County Office on Aging at (410) 535-4606 and ask directly before you plan around it.
The Accessible Homes for Seniors loan needs one household member age 55+. The Division of Rehabilitation Services works with people age 16+ who have a disability, at (410) 535-2620, and SMCIL serves people with disabilities in Calvert, Charles and St. Mary's counties at (301) 884-4498.
Split-level homes often need either a separate straight lift on each short flight or one curved rail that follows the turns. Which makes sense depends on the layout, so we measure every run during the home visit.
It can. About 61.9% of residents live in rural areas, and homes farther from installers may see longer lead times and service visits. Booking a measurement early helps, especially before a planned surgery or discharge.
Call the Calvert County Commission for Veterans and Military Families at (410) 535-1600 in Prince Frederick. They can help with VA grants such as SAH, SHA and TRA, which list ramps and doorway widening but do not specifically name stair lifts.
Yes, outdoor stair lifts are a separate unit made for porch and yard steps, which are common on the county's sloped lots. For a wheelchair user, a vertical platform lift may fit better than a seat.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
