Franklin County splits into two kinds of housing. Around Louisburg, the county seat, you find older multi-story homes built in the vernacular traditions of North Carolina county seats. Down in the southwest, Franklinton and Youngsville have filled in with newer commuter housing tied to the Raleigh-Durham area, while Lake Royale and Bunn sit out in the rural Piedmont along the Tar River and Sandy Creek drainage.
Those differences matter when you put a lift on a staircase. A narrow, turning stair in an older Louisburg house calls for a different rail than a straight flight in a newer Youngsville build. This page walks through what fits which home, and which state, regional and VA programs a Franklin County family can call about paying for it.
Multi-story houses in and around Louisburg's historic core often have stairs that were never designed with equipment in mind. Expect tighter widths, turns at the top or bottom, and sometimes a landing partway up.
When the stair turns or has a landing, a curved stair lift is usually the answer. The rail is custom-bent to the exact staircase, so we measure carefully before anything is ordered. If the flight is straight from bottom to top, a straight lift costs less and installs faster, even in an older house.
The commuter-era growth in the southwestern towns brought single-family homes, townhouses and split-level homes. Many of these have a single straight flight, which is the simplest stair lift job there is.
Split-level homes are the exception to watch. They often have two or three short runs between levels, and each run may need its own lift. Townhouse stairs can be narrow, so we check that a folded seat leaves room for others to pass.
As of the 2020 Census, about 78.9% of Franklin County residents lived in rural areas, even though the county counts as part of the Raleigh-Cary Metropolitan Statistical Area. Homes out toward Bunn and Lake Royale can be a fair drive from service providers, and that affects scheduling for contractors working in outlying parts of the county.
If the hard part is the steps up to the front or back door, an outdoor stair lift built for weather is one option. For someone who uses a wheelchair, a platform lift carries the chair itself rather than requiring a transfer to a seat. We plan installs and any follow-up service visits with the travel time in mind.
At the 2020 Census, 17.4% of Franklin County residents were 65 or older, and about 11.0% of households had someone 65 or older living alone. A person living alone with a second-floor bedroom is often the one who benefits most from a lift, since there is no one at home to help on the stairs.
Owning the home makes a permanent rail installation straightforward, and veterans have their own set of programs, covered below.
None of the programs below name stair lifts outright in their published descriptions, and one VA grant explicitly excludes them. Several do cover accessibility or home modifications in general terms, so the right move is to call, describe the stair lift, and ask whether it can be approved under that category.
For people 60 and older, start with the Region K - Kerr-Tar Regional Council of Governments AAA at (252) 436-2040, 1724 Graham Ave., Henderson. Veterans should contact the Franklin County Veterans Services Office at (919) 496-1939, 279 S. Bickett Boulevard, Room 200, Louisburg. Homeowners who are elderly or disabled may also want to ask the county about the Elderly or Disabled Property Tax Homestead Exclusion (G.S. 105-277.1).
A Medicaid waiver for adults 18 and older with a disability who need an institutional level of care; its services include 'Equipment, modification and technology,' but stair lifts are not named. Franklin County residents apply through their local CAP/DA case management entity; call (888) 245-0179.
Help of no more than $7,000 per individual per program year for people 60 or older without family able to help, including 'mobility and accessibility improvements,' though stair lifts are not specifically named. Call (800) 662-7030.
An interest-free deferred loan, forgiven at $5,000 per year of continued occupancy, for elderly or special-needs homeowners with household income below 50% of area median income; it can pay for accessibility modifications, but stair lifts are not specifically named. Call (919) 877-5700.
Grants for veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities to buy, build or change a permanent home for accessibility: SAH up to $126,526 and SHA up to $25,350 (FY2026). Stair lifts are not specifically named as a covered item.
A lifetime grant of up to $6,800 (or up to $2,000 for other non-service-connected disabilities) for medically necessary home alterations such as ramps. The VA explicitly lists stair glides as not covered, so HISA will not pay for a stair lift.
The regional access point for older adults in Franklin, Granville, Person, Vance and Warren counties, offering in-home aide services, caregiver support and referral to home-repair funding such as the NCHFA Urgent Repair Program. It does not list a stair lift benefit; call (252) 436-2040.
The county's intake and referral point for aging and disabled adults needing protective services or connection to benefits; no home-modification or stair lift program is itemized. Call (919) 496-5721.
A Center for Independent Living serving Franklin County with advocacy, peer counseling, information and referral, and independent-living-skills training rather than cash grants; stair lifts are not listed. Call (919) 833-1117.
A statewide program that offers short-term device loans so you can try equipment, with categories including mobility and environmental adaptations. It does not specifically name stair lifts and does not describe purchase financing.
Older adults
1724 Graham Ave., Henderson, 27536
Veterans
279 S. Bickett Boulevard, Room 200, Louisburg, 27549
The CAP/DA waiver covers 'Equipment, modification and technology,' but its description does not name stair lifts. Services are set individually in each person's care plan, so ask your CAP/DA case management entity directly. The program number is (888) 245-0179.
No. The VA explicitly excludes stair glides, porch lifts and portable ramps from HISA. Veterans with severe service-connected disabilities can ask about the SAH and SHA grants instead, starting with the Franklin County Veterans Services Office in Louisburg at (919) 496-1939.
NC Housing and Home Improvement Assistance serves people 60 or older who lack family or others able to help, with up to $7,000 per individual per program year for categories that include mobility and accessibility improvements. Franklin County is served through the Kerr-Tar network; call (252) 436-2040 or (800) 662-7030.
Yes, a turning stair or one with a landing typically takes a curved stair lift with a rail made to fit that exact staircase. We measure the stair in person before ordering.
It is for North Carolina homeowners who are elderly or have special needs, with household income below 50% of area median income. Local governments and nonprofit partners decide eligibility case by case. Call NCHFA at (919) 877-5700.
The North Carolina Assistive Technology Program lends devices short term so you can try them out. Its listings do not specifically name stair lifts, so ask what mobility equipment is available to borrow.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
