Alamance County still shows its textile roots. The Alamance Mill Village Historic District alone holds 15 mill houses built between 1840 and 1947, standing in and around Burlington, Graham, and the village of Alamance. Bellemont and other mill villages are listed too, and newer ranch homes and split-levels fill in the suburban growth around them.
That mix matters when someone in the family starts struggling with the stairs. A frame mill house with an older staircase and a split-level in Mebane or Elon call for different equipment, and the rolling Piedmont lots along the Haw River add entry steps to the picture. This page walks through what fits which home and which programs to call about cost.
Mill houses in Burlington, Graham, Glen Raven and Haw River were built long before anyone thought about chair rails on a staircase. Older stair configurations can mean tight turns, landings, or uneven treads that need a careful measurement before anything is ordered.
A straight staircase with no turns usually takes a straight rail, which is the simplest install. If the stairs turn or have a landing partway up, a curved rail built to that staircase is the usual answer. We look at the wall, the treads and the space at the top and bottom before recommending either one.
Split-level homes often have two short flights instead of one long one. Each flight may need its own lift, or a single curved rail if the layout allows it, so it helps to decide which levels the person truly needs to reach every day.
Townhouses in the county tend to have one straight flight between floors, which keeps things simple. Walk-up apartments are a different case. With 59.1% of households owning their homes, plenty of residents rent, and a renter will need the landlord's approval before any rail goes on the stairs.
Alamance County covers 423.94 square miles of rolling Piedmont drained by the Haw River, Great Alamance Creek and Stony Creek. On sloped lots in places like Saxapahaw, Swepsonville or Ossipee, the hardest climb is sometimes the porch or entry steps, not the inside stairs.
Outdoor stair lifts are built for weather exposure and can handle those entry steps. Where a wheelchair user needs to move between levels without transferring to a seat, a platform lift may be the better fit. The outlying rural areas are spread out, so plan a little extra lead time for a site visit.
For many families, that means a parent who wants to stay in a long-time home in Burlington or Graham, or a veteran who may qualify for VA help with other home changes.
For general aging services, the Region G - Piedmont Triad Regional Council AAA in Kernersville serves the county at (336) 904-0300. Veterans can start with Alamance County Veteran Services at 102 North Maple Street in Graham, (336) 570-6763.
No program in our list names stair lifts directly. Several cover accessibility modifications or equipment in general terms, so the practical step is to call, describe the stairs, and ask whether a lift can be included.
Two programs are clear that they do not cover stair lifts: the VA HISA grant excludes stair glides, and the Front Street United Methodist Church ministry builds ramps, steps and handrails. Those can still help with an entry, and the remaining programs are worth a call. Details for each are below.
A Medicaid waiver for adults 18 or older who need a nursing facility level of care but want services at home; it lists equipment, modification and technology as a service category but does not name stair lifts. Call (888) 245-0179.
Helps Medicaid-eligible people move from a nursing facility or hospital setting back home, and lists accessibility modifications among its transition items without naming stair lifts. Call (888) 245-0179.
A VA grant for medically necessary home changes, up to $6,800 or $2,000 lifetime depending on disability status; it explicitly excludes stair glides and porch lifts. Call (919) 286-0411.
Up to $126,526 (FY2026) for veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities to buy, build or remodel a home; the source does not mention stair lifts. Call (800) 827-1000.
Up to $25,350 (FY2026) to adapt an existing home for veterans with certain service-connected disabilities; stair lifts are not mentioned on the source. Call (800) 827-1000.
For people 60 or older with no one else to do the work, up to $7,000 per year, including mobility and accessibility improvements; stair lifts are not named and county funding varies by year. Call (800) 662-7030 or the local Area Agency on Aging.
A forgivable, interest-free loan for countywide owner-occupants at or below 50% of statewide median income with a special need, and it includes accessibility modifications without naming stair lifts. The program is not currently accepting applications, so call (336) 222-5070 to check intake.
A forgivable loan for Burlington city homeowners at or below 80% of area median income, forgiven at $5,000 per year, that covers accessibility impediments but does not name stair lifts. Call (336) 222-5093.
1% loans up to $40,000 and grants up to $10,000 for homeowners 62 and older in eligible rural areas, covering accessibility modifications without naming stair lifts. Call (919) 873-2000 and confirm your address qualifies.
Free volunteer-built wheelchair ramps, steps and handrails for Alamance County residents; stair lifts are not part of its work. Call (336) 227-6263.
Older adults
1398 Carrollton Crossing Drive, Kernersville, 27284
Veterans
102 North Maple Street, Graham, 27253
Neither CAP/DA nor Money Follows the Person names stair lifts. CAP/DA lists equipment, modification and technology, and MFP lists accessibility modifications, so call (888) 245-0179 and ask whether a lift can be part of the plan.
The HISA grant explicitly excludes stair glides. The SAH and SHA grants do not mention stair lifts either way, so it is worth asking. Alamance County Veteran Services in Graham at (336) 570-6763 can help sort out which grant applies.
The DHHS block grant program starts at age 60, and the USDA grant starts at 62. CAP/DA serves Medicaid-eligible adults 18 or older who need a nursing facility level of care.
The Burlington Residential Rehabilitation Program only covers homes inside city limits. The Urgent Repair Program serves all of Alamance County but is not accepting applications right now, so call (336) 222-5070 for its status. Rural addresses may qualify for USDA Section 504.
Many can, but older stair configurations need to be measured first. Straight stairs take a straight rail, while turns or landings usually call for a curved rail made to fit.
Walk-up apartments can work, but you need the landlord's permission before installation. Most programs listed here require owning and living in the home.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
