Big Timber is the only incorporated city in Sweet Grass County, and its in-town core still holds Victorian-era buildings like the restored 1890 Grand Hotel on McLeod Street. Past the edge of town, the homes are mostly farmsteads and ranch houses spread over about 1,855 square miles of open ranchland and forested mountain country.
That spread matters when someone starts struggling with stairs. Census data counts the county as 100.0% rural, and specialized care can be a long drive away on Interstate 90 or US Highway 191. Making the house itself work is often the most practical way to keep living at home here.
Most houses in the county are single-family homes, detached houses, ranch-style homes, split-level homes and manufactured homes. Each one raises a different stair question, so we look at the actual staircase before suggesting anything.
A single straight flight is the simplest case and usually takes a straight stair lift. Split-level homes often have short flights between levels, and a landing or turn can mean a curved rail built to fit those stairs.
Older houses near downtown Big Timber can have stairways that were built long before anyone thought about lifts. We measure width, turns and the top and bottom landings so the chair can be used safely and the stairs still work for everyone else.
On ranch homes and manufactured homes, the hardest steps are often the ones outside, up to the porch or front door. An outdoor stair lift or a platform lift can handle those, and a platform is the option to consider if a wheelchair is involved.
Anything mounted outside here has to deal with real extremes. The county has recorded -47F in February 1936 and 107F in July 2002, so outdoor equipment needs to be rated for cold and sun, and the path to it should be planned with snow in mind.
About 25.6% of county residents are 65 or older, and 71.4% of households own their homes. Owning the house makes a permanent installation simpler, and it is also a requirement for some of the repair and veteran housing programs below.
If that includes you or a parent, the Sweet Grass Veterans Service Center at (406) 388-3186 can help sort out which VA benefits apply before you pick equipment.
Few programs name stair lifts outright, so it helps to know what each one says. The Montana Big Sky Waiver lists home modifications for safety and accessibility, with ramps, grab bars and doorway widening as examples, but stair lifts are not named. The VA HISA grant specifically excludes stair glides and porch lifts.
The USDA Section 504 program offers loans up to $40,000 at 1% for 20 years and grants up to $10,000 for homeowners age 62 and older in rural areas, which includes this county. Its source material mentions ramps but not stair lifts, so ask directly whether your project qualifies.
For a local starting point, call the Area II Agency on Aging / ADRC at (406) 323-1320 or the Area II - Adult Resource Alliance of Yellowstone County in Billings at (406) 259-5212. Statewide options worth asking about include the Montana Assistive Technology Loan (MATL) and the Reverse Annuity Mortgage (RAM).
Montana's main Medicaid home and community-based waiver, with a home modifications category that lists ramps, grab bars and doorway widening; stair lifts are not named in the source. Applicants must be Medicaid eligible (2026 limits of $994/month income and $2,000 in assets for a single applicant) and meet nursing facility level of care; call (888) 706-1535.
The Roundup-based information, referral and options counseling office for adults 60 and older, adults with disabilities 18 and older, and family caregivers in the 13-county region that includes Sweet Grass County. It is not a cash grant and does not list stair lifts, but it can help with Medicaid waiver navigation; call (406) 323-1320.
Loans up to $40,000 at 1% for 20 years and grants up to $10,000 lifetime for very-low-income homeowners age 62 and older in rural areas, with Sweet Grass County qualifying as rural. The source mentions a wheelchair ramp as an accessibility example but does not mention stair lifts.
A VA grant of up to $6,800 or $2,000 lifetime, depending on disability status, for medically necessary home changes prescribed by a VA physician. It does not cover stair lifts, since stair glides and porch lifts are listed as excluded removable equipment.
Grants for veterans who own their home and have qualifying severe service-connected disabilities, up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA in FY2026. The VA mentions ramps and widened doorways as examples but does not name stair lifts.
A center for independent living serving people with disabilities in a 14-county southwest Montana area that includes Sweet Grass County, offering referral, peer mentoring, skills training and advocacy rather than modification grants. Stair lifts are not listed; call (406) 522-7300.
The senior center at 208 McLeod Street in Big Timber, offering meals, Meals on Wheels, activities, health screening and group trips. It does not list stair lift or home modification funding, but it is a good local contact at (406) 932-5455.
Older adults
1505 Avenue D, Billings, 59102
Veterans
3633 Veterans Drive, Room 110E, Fort Harrison, 59636
Often, yes. Split-level homes tend to have short flights between levels, and depending on the layout that can mean one or more straight lifts or a curved rail. We measure the stairs and landings first so the plan fits the house.
Yes, an outdoor stair lift or a platform lift can serve entry steps. Because the county has seen temperatures from -47F to 107F, the equipment needs to be rated for outdoor use in those conditions.
The VA HISA grant does not, since it lists stair glides and porch lifts as excluded. The SAH and SHA grants do not name stair lifts either, so call the Sweet Grass Veterans Service Center at (406) 388-3186 to ask about your situation.
The Area II ADRC serves adults with disabilities age 18 and older, not just people 60 and up. Ability Montana also serves people with disabilities in Sweet Grass County at (406) 522-7300.
The Montana Big Sky Waiver has a home modifications category, but its examples are ramps, grab bars and doorway widening, and stair lifts are not named. Services are set by each member's care plan, so ask at (888) 706-1535.
Hospitality House Senior Center at 208 McLeod Street, (406) 932-5455, offers meals and other senior services. For program questions, the Area II Agency on Aging / ADRC is at (406) 323-1320.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
