From the Broad River at about 1,394 feet to Little Pisgah Mountain at 5,278 feet, Henderson County covers a lot of ground in a short distance. That climb shows up in the houses. In Hendersonville, Laurel Park, Flat Rock, Etowah and Mills River, many homes sit on sloped or hillside lots with raised entries, daylight basements and floor plans spread over more than one level.
Those designs look good from the road, but they usually mean stairs between the front door and the kitchen, or between the bedroom and the garage. This page walks through how local home styles affect the kind of stair lift you would need, and which county, state and federal programs are worth a phone call when it comes to paying for one.
The county sits in the Blue Ridge Mountains along the South Carolina border, with the Eastern Continental Divide running along the crest and the Blue Ridge Escarpment dropping toward the lowlands. Builders here work with the grade instead of against it. The result is a lot of split-level homes, raised entries and walk-out lower floors.
Many single-family homes in the county were built for the retirement and second-home market, which is part of why the county became one of the nation's top retirement destinations. A house that worked fine at the time of purchase can become hard to manage once a knee, hip or heart condition makes every step count.
About 26.4% of residents are 65 or older, and 70.6% of households own their home. For owners, that usually means a stair lift is a practical option, since you control what gets installed.
A straight stair lift fits a single run of stairs with no turns or landings. Ranch-style homes with a few steps down to a basement or garage are often good candidates, and these are usually the quickest installs.
Split-level homes and multi-level mountain floor plans are different. Short flights with landings, or stairs that turn, call for a curved lift with a rail built to the exact shape of your staircase. We measure on site before quoting because no two of these are alike.
Raised entries and steep front steps on hillside lots may need an outdoor lift or a vertical platform lift. Mean annual temperature in the county is about 55.1F, but the higher mountains run cooler than the lower valleys around Fletcher or East Flat Rock, so outdoor equipment should be chosen with your elevation in mind.
Some residents live in walk-up apartments, where the stairs belong to the building owner. A stair lift in a shared stairwell needs the landlord's written approval before any work can start.
If you rent, talk with the property owner first. Bring the questions about rail placement and stair width to that conversation, and we can help answer them once the owner agrees.
No program on our list names stair lifts as a covered item, so plan to ask each one directly. Several do fund accessibility work in general. The NC Housing Finance Agency Urgent Repair Program says it can pay for accessibility modifications after an injury or serious illness, and Habitat for Humanity of Henderson County lists accessibility options such as ramps and grab bars.
For residents 60 and older, the NC Home and Community Care Block Grant housing service can cover up to $7,000 per individual per program year for mobility and accessibility improvements, among other categories. Land of Sky Regional Council is the regional Area Agency on Aging and can point you to local providers.
Be aware that the VA HISA grant specifically excludes stair glides and porch lifts. Henderson County Veterans Services at 900 North Main Street in Hendersonville, (828) 694-6500, can help a veteran sort through the other VA options.
A Medicaid waiver for adults 18 and older with a disability who qualify for long-term-care Medicaid; services are set by an in-home needs assessment, and the source does not mention stair lifts or home modifications. Call (888) 245-0179.
A Medicaid waiver for people of any age with an intellectual or developmental disability, with standard Medicaid income limits waived; it lists accessible home modifications such as ramps or a lift, though stair lifts are not named. Call Vaya Health at (800) 962-9003.
Funds mobility and accessibility improvements, minor home repairs and other help for people 60 and older, capped at $7,000 per individual per program year; stair lifts are not named. Call (800) 662-7030.
The regional aging agency for Buncombe, Henderson, Madison and Transylvania counties, which plans and funds services for adults 60 and older rather than giving cash grants; it does not list a stair lift benefit. Call (828) 251-6622.
A local nonprofit for residents 60 and older or with disabilities, offering Meals on Wheels, an Adult Day Program, caregiver support and more; no home modification or stair lift program is listed. Call the helpline at (828) 692-4203.
A forgivable, interest-free loan for owner-occupants inside Hendersonville city limits with household income below 80% of area median income, with priority for elderly, disabled and veteran households; it covers accessibility improvements in general but does not name stair lifts. Call (828) 692-4744.
Critical home repairs for low-income homeowners in Henderson, Transylvania and Polk counties; stair lifts are not mentioned. Call (828) 692-4744.
Repairs for owner-occupied homes with household income between 30% and 80% of HUD area median income, including accessibility options such as ramps and grab bars; stair lifts are not named. Call (828) 694-0340.
An interest-free deferred loan, forgiven at $5,000 per year of continued occupancy, for elderly or special-needs homeowners below 50% of area median income; it can pay for accessibility modifications, though stair lifts are not named and it runs through a local partner. Call (919) 877-5700.
Loans up to $40,000 at 1% and grants up to $10,000 for homeowners 62 and older in eligible rural areas, for removing health and safety hazards or improving the home; stair lifts are not named. Call (800) 414-1226.
A lifetime grant of up to $6,800 or $2,000, depending on the disability, for medically necessary changes such as ramps and roll-in showers. It does not cover stair lifts, which the VA lists as excluded removable equipment.
Grants for veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities, up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA in FY2026; examples include ramps and wider doorways, and stair lifts are not named.
Older adults
339 New Leicester Hwy, Suite 140, Asheville, 28806
Veterans
900 North Main Street, Hendersonville, 28792
Usually, yes. Split-level and multi-level homes often have short flights with landings or turns, which typically call for a curved lift built to the shape of your stairs, so we measure in the home before quoting.
Raised entries are common on sloped lots across the county. An outdoor stair lift or a vertical platform lift may fit, and the choice depends on the steps, the grade and how cold it gets at your elevation.
Yes. The HCCBG Housing and Home Improvement Assistance service is for people 60 and older and covers mobility and accessibility improvements up to $7,000 per individual per program year. Mountain Aging Partners at (828) 692-4203 and Land of Sky Regional Council at (828) 251-6622 can explain local options.
Not through the HISA grant, which lists stair glides as excluded equipment. SAH and SHA grants do not name stair lifts either, so ask Henderson County Veterans Services at (828) 694-6500 what applies to your situation.
The City of Hendersonville Home Repair and Accessibility Improvement Program offers a forgivable, interest-free loan to owner-occupants below 80% of area median income. It funds accessibility improvements in general; call (828) 692-4744 to ask whether a stair lift qualifies.
Only with the building owner's written permission, since the stairs belong to the property. Talk to your landlord first, then we can look at the stairway.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
