Missoula County runs from the valley floor in Missoula, Orchard Homes and East Missoula out to Lolo, Frenchtown, Seeley Lake and Condon. The city sits at about 3,169 feet where the Clark Fork, Bitterroot and Blackfoot rivers meet, with Mount Sentinel and Mount Jumbo rising right behind town. Plenty of homes here were built into or around that slope, and it shows in their stairs.
This page walks through how the county's houses and weather shape the kind of stair lift that makes sense, and which local and federal programs may help with the cost. It covers 15 towns and a population of 96,639, so the right answer in a Missoula townhouse may differ from the right answer on a lot near Clinton or Turah.
The housing mix here includes single-family homes, townhouses, walk-up apartments, split-level homes and low-rise buildings. Each one puts a different kind of staircase in front of you. A single straight flight in a two-story house is the simplest job, and a straight stair lift usually handles it.
Split-level homes are a different story. They often have two or three short runs between floors, so you may be choosing between a separate straight lift on each run or one curved lift that follows the turns. We look at how the household actually moves through the house before suggesting either.
Walk-up apartments and townhouses can have narrow or turning stairs. In a rental or a shared stairwell, talk with the owner or building manager before anything is installed.
Citywide, the average home in Missoula was built in 1983. That average hides a wide spread, from older homes in the historic core to newer construction on the valley's edges.
Age matters for a retrofit. Older staircases can be steeper or tighter and may need a curved rail, while newer homes more often have standard straight runs. A home visit is the only way to know which one you have.
Missoula gets about 39.5 inches of snow a year, usually from late October to late April. If the trouble spot is a set of porch or entry steps, an outdoor stair lift built for the weather or a platform lift may be a better fit than a ramp on a steep lot.
The hills around the valley mean many lots slope, and entry stairs can be long. It is worth deciding early whether the problem is inside the house, outside it, or both, because the programs below split along that line too.
If you are helping a parent who served, the VA programs below are worth a call, though one of them excludes stair lifts outright.
Roughly 53.8% of households own their home. That matters because some programs require ownership and others accept renters, so check the eligibility line for each one.
No program listed here names stair lifts as a covered item, and the VA HISA grant specifically excludes stair glides. Several programs do fund home modifications or accessibility work in general, so ask each one directly whether your project qualifies before you count on the money.
Locally, start with Missoula Aging Services at (406) 728-7682, which is also the number for Area VI - Western Montana AAA at 401 Ryman St., Suite 107, Missoula 59802. Veterans can reach the Montana Veteran Affairs Division at (406) 542-2501, 1911 Tower St., Missoula 59804.
Statewide options to ask about include the Montana Assistive Technology Loan (MATL), the Reverse Annuity Mortgage (RAM), Community First Choice Services (CFCS), and the Property Tax Assistance Program (PTAP) & Elderly Homeowner/Renter Credit. The programs below have the details we could confirm.
Montana's main Medicaid waiver for people who meet a nursing-facility level of care but live at home; it lists home modifications such as ramps, grab bars and doorway widening, but does not name stair lifts. The 2026 limits for a single applicant are $994/month income and $2,000 in assets, there is a waitlist, and you can call (800) 219-7035.
Serves Missoula County owners and renters who are 60 or older or disabled, billing labor at $35/hour with parts at cost and financial help for those who need it. Covered items include grab bars, railings and toilet risers; stair lifts are not mentioned, so call (406) 728-7682 to ask.
Provides free wheelchair ramps and other exterior accessibility features to low-to-moderate income seniors and people with disabilities in Mineral, Missoula and Ravalli counties. Stair lifts are not mentioned; call (406) 728-3710.
A low-interest loan, with deferred payment in some cases, for income-qualified owners living in a single-family home; one covered category is accessibility for disabled family members. Stair lifts are not itemized, and funds are limited.
Pays up to $6,800 lifetime for a service-connected disability (or a non-service-connected disability with an SC rating of at least 50%) and $2,000 for other non-service-connected disabilities, for owned or rented homes. It does not cover stair lifts, since the VA excludes stair glides and porch lifts; call (800) 827-1000.
For veterans who own a home and have certain severe service-connected disabilities, with SAH up to $126,526 and SHA up to $25,350 for FY2026. The VA gives ramps and wider doorways as examples and does not name stair lifts; call (800) 827-1000.
Offers information, referral, advocacy and peer support for people with disabilities in Missoula, Ravalli, Mineral, Lake, Sanders, Flathead and Lincoln counties, not direct grants. Stair lifts are not mentioned; call (406) 728-1630 for help finding funding.
Older adults
401 Ryman St., Suite 107, Missoula, 59802
Veterans
1911 Tower St., Missoula, 59804
Not through the HISA grant, which specifically excludes stair glides and porch lifts. The SAH and SHA grants do not name stair lifts either way, so a veteran with a qualifying disability should ask at (800) 827-1000 or the Montana Veteran Affairs Division at (406) 542-2501.
Yes, if they have a disability. Missoula Aging Services accepts people who are 60 or older or disabled, and RAMP and Summit Independent Living Center also serve people with disabilities.
The Big Sky Waiver covers home modifications for safety and accessibility, but stair lifts are not named. It requires a nursing-facility level of care, has a waitlist, and needs a physician's documentation; call (800) 219-7035.
Some programs accept renters. Missoula Aging Services serves people who own or rent in Missoula County, and HISA applies to rented homes, but the CDBG loan requires owning and living in a single-family home.
With about 39.5 inches of snow a year, an outdoor stair lift or a platform lift can be worth comparing with a ramp. RAMP builds free ramps and exterior access features for qualifying households in Missoula County; call (406) 728-3710.
Not always. Short separate runs can sometimes take a straight lift each, while connected runs with turns usually need a curved rail, and a home visit settles it.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
