The Northern Pacific Railway reached Livingston in 1882, and a lot of Park County's houses went up in the decades that followed. Many of those homes, especially in Livingston's historic district, have multi-level floor plans and staircases that nobody built with a lift in mind.
Outside the county seat, homes in Pray, Emigrant, Gardiner, Clyde Park, Wilsall and South Glastonbury sit across about 2,813 square miles of mountain country. This page covers how the local homes and terrain shape the choice of stair lift, and which programs may help with the cost.
Railroad-era and early-20th-century houses often have narrow staircases, landings that turn, or steps that change direction partway up. A straight stair lift works when the run goes from bottom to top with no turns. A staircase with a landing or a bend usually needs a curved rail built to fit that exact layout.
Before recommending anything, we measure the stair width, check where the rail can mount, and look at the space at the top and bottom for getting on and off safely. Older stairs sometimes need small adjustments, so it helps to see them in person.
Park County also has plenty of split-level homes, ranch-style homes and other detached single-family houses. A split-level often has short flights between levels, and each one can take its own straight lift. Ranch-style homes may have only a few steps, but those steps often lead down to a basement laundry or up from a garage.
Low-rise buildings can have shared or exterior stairs. In those cases the building owner usually needs to approve any installation, so it is worth asking early.
Much of the county is steep ground, with parts of Custer, Gallatin, and Lewis and Clark national forests and a portion of Yellowstone National Park inside its borders. Granite Peak, at 12,807 ft, is the highest point in Montana. Homes on slopes often have porch or entry steps that are as hard to manage as the stairs inside.
An outdoor stair lift is built for weather exposure and can handle entry steps or a stair from a lower parking area. For a wheelchair user, a platform lift may make more sense than a seat. Remote distances outside Livingston also make it worth planning ahead, since emergency access and service visits take longer.
About 22.8% of Park County residents are 65 or older, and 65.5% of households own their homes. Owning the house matters because most home modification programs, and most installations, need the owner's approval.
If someone in your family served, check the VA options below before paying out of pocket, but read the notes carefully, since one of the VA grants excludes stair glides.
No program in our records names stair lifts as a covered item in plain words. Several do fund home modifications or accessibility work, and coverage is decided case by case. The programs listed below are the places to start.
Montana also has statewide options worth asking about, including 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. Veterans can contact the Montana Veteran Affairs Division - Belgrade Service Office at 350 Airport Rd, Belgrade, at (406) 388-4601.
This Medicaid waiver pays for physical home modifications needed for health, safety or independence, as a one-time purchase, and adaptations over $5,000 need prior authorization with at least two contractor bids. Stair lifts are not listed by name, so coverage is decided through your service plan; you must be enrolled in Montana Medicaid and the waiver, which has a waiting list. Call (800) 219-7035.
This agency serves older adults (typically 60+) and adults with disabilities in Park County and nearby counties, and can help you find and apply for home modification assistance. It does not list a stair lift benefit of its own; call (406) 447-1680.
Very-low-income rural homeowners can get loans up to $40,000 at 1% fixed interest over 20 years, and homeowners 62+ who cannot repay a loan can get grants up to $10,000 lifetime to remove health and safety hazards. Stair lifts are not mentioned, so confirm eligibility with the local Rural Development office at (406) 585-2580.
HISA pays up to $6,800 lifetime for veterans with a service-connected disability, or up to $2,000 for other disabilities, for structural home improvements with a VA physician's justification. The VA explicitly excludes stair glides and porch lifts from HISA, so it does not cover a stair lift.
SAH provides up to $126,526 (FY2026 maximum) for veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities who own or will own the home. The VA describes ramps and widened doorways but does not name stair lifts; call (800) 827-1000.
SHA provides up to $25,350 (FY2026 maximum) for veterans with certain service-connected disabilities, where the veteran or a family member owns the home. Stair lifts are not named as a covered item; call (800) 827-1000.
This nonprofit serves people with disabilities in Park County and neighboring counties with peer mentoring, advocacy, training and information and referral. It does not list direct stair lift or home modification funding; call (406) 522-7300.
This Livingston-based center serves adults 50 or older in Park County with activities, low-cost senior housing and a place to gather. It does not list a stair lift fund, but it is a local place to ask about resources; call (406) 333-2276.
Older adults
208 N. Montana Ave., Suite 216, Helena, 59601
Veterans
350 Airport Rd, Belgrade, 59714
Often, yes. Older homes in Livingston's historic district tend to have multi-level layouts and stairs not designed for retrofits, so a turning staircase may need a curved rail. An in-home measurement tells you what will work.
The HISA grant explicitly excludes stair glides. The SAH and SHA grants do not name stair lifts as covered, so ask the VA at (800) 827-1000 or the Belgrade Service Office at (406) 388-4601 about your situation.
The Big Sky Waiver funds environmental accessibility adaptations, but it does not name stair lifts, so coverage is case by case. You must be enrolled in Medicaid and the waiver, and there is currently a waiting list. Call (800) 219-7035.
The Park County Senior Center serves adults 50 or older. Ability Montana serves people with disabilities regardless of age, and the Area IV agency also serves adults with disabilities.
Outdoor stair lifts are made for entry and porch steps exposed to weather. On steep lots, a platform lift may be the better fit for a wheelchair user. Because distances are long outside Livingston, plan the visit and any service needs ahead of time.
It offers repair loans up to $40,000 and grants up to $10,000 for very-low-income homeowners in eligible rural areas, with grants limited to people 62 or older. Stair lifts are not mentioned, so call (406) 585-2580 to confirm.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
