Some of the oldest and largest houses in Charlotte sit on the tree-lined boulevards of Myers Park, Dilworth, and Eastover. Many of them are multi-story, with the bedrooms upstairs and the kitchen down. When the stairs get harder, those homes are where a stair lift often makes the difference between staying put and moving out.
We install stair lifts across all 7 towns in Mecklenburg County: Charlotte, Huntersville, Cornelius, Matthews, Mint Hill, Davidson, and Pineville. This page covers how local homes affect the kind of lift you need, and which programs to call before you decide how to pay.
The county's housing runs from single-family homes and townhouses to split-level homes, low-rise apartments, and walk-up apartments. Each one puts a different kind of staircase in front of you, and the staircase decides the lift.
A straight staircase with no landing or turn takes a straight stair lift. These are the simplest to fit, and many townhouses and single-family homes have exactly this layout.
Stairs that turn, wrap around a landing, or curve take a curved lift with a rail built to that exact staircase. The larger multi-story houses in Myers Park, Dilworth, and Eastover are more likely to have this kind of layout, so we measure every bend before quoting.
A split-level home usually has several short flights instead of one long one. Sometimes one lift on the flight used most is enough. Other times, a second lift or a platform lift is the better answer for the person using it.
Townhouses often stack living space on two or three floors. That can mean more than one flight to cover, so tell us which rooms the person needs to reach every day.
Walk-up apartments are a different case. The stairs are often shared, and the building owner has to agree to any installation. With 54.8% of households in the county owning their homes, a good share of residents rent, so get that permission first.
Mecklenburg County covers about 546 square miles of North Carolina's Piedmont, with Lake Norman and the Catawba River along its edges. Rolling ground means some houses have steps up from the driveway or down to a lower yard.
For those steps we fit outdoor stair lifts built to handle the weather. If the person uses a wheelchair and cannot transfer to a seat, a platform lift is usually the right choice instead.
If someone in your family served, start with the veterans resources below before you pay out of pocket for anything.
An adult child planning for a parent should look at the stairs with the parent, not just for them. A lift that matches how your parent actually moves through the house gets used every day.
Public home-modification money is limited here right now. According to Centralina Area Agency on Aging, the state-funded home repair and modification service is currently offered only in Cabarrus County within its region, not in Mecklenburg.
Median household income in the county reached $87,005 in 2024, and many local families pay for a stair lift privately. Before you do, call the programs listed below. Rebuilding Together of Greater Charlotte and the veterans offices are the most likely places to find help.
For veterans, the Mecklenburg County Veterans Service Office is at 3205 Freedom Drive, Suite 2000, Building D, Charlotte 28208, phone (704) 336-2102. For older adults, the Region F - Centralina Regional Council AAA is at 9815 David Taylor Drive, Suite 100, Charlotte 28262, phone (704) 348-2712.
A state program for people age 60 or older that can pay up to $7,000 per individual per program year for mobility and accessibility improvements and minor repairs, though stair lifts are not named. Per Centralina, as of August 2026 it is not offered in Mecklenburg County, so confirm availability before applying; the listed phone is (800) 662-7030.
A NC Medicaid waiver providing home and community-based services to adults 18 and older with disabilities who are at risk of institutionalization; the overview page does not mention stair lifts or home modifications. Call NC Medicaid customer service at (800) 662-7030 to be connected to a local case management agency.
A VA grant for medically needed structural changes such as ramps, widened doorways, and roll-in showers, with lifetime limits of $6,800 or $2,000 depending on the disability. The VA explicitly excludes stair glides and porch lifts, so HISA will not pay for a stair lift.
VA grants for veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities, up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA in FY2026. The VA gives ramps and doorway widening as examples but does not name stair lifts, so ask the Mecklenburg County Veterans Service Office at (704) 336-2102.
A nonprofit offering forgivable loans for critical home repairs and accessibility modifications to owner-occupants in Mecklenburg and nearby counties with household income below 80% of Area Median Income. Stair lifts are not specifically listed, so call (980) 236-0979 to ask whether your project would be in scope.
The regional aging agency for adults 60 and older and family caregivers in Mecklenburg County, acting as a referral point rather than a direct grant; it does not list stair lifts, and its home modification service is currently funded only in Cabarrus County. Call (800) 508-5777 to be referred to whatever resources are active.
Older adults
9815 David Taylor Drive, Suite 100, Charlotte, 28262
Veterans
3205 Freedom Drive, Suite 2000, Building D, Charlotte, 28208
Not through the state home repair program right now. Centralina Area Agency on Aging reports that this service is currently funded only in Cabarrus County in its region. Call Centralina at (800) 508-5777 to ask what referrals are available.
The HISA grant will not, because the VA lists stair glides as excluded equipment. The SAH and SHA grants do not name stair lifts either way, so a veteran with a qualifying disability should ask the Mecklenburg County Veterans Service Office at (704) 336-2102.
The state home repair program and Centralina serve people 60 and older. CAP/DA covers adults 18 and older with disabilities who are at risk of institutionalization and meet NC Medicaid criteria, though its overview page does not mention stair lifts. Call (800) 662-7030 to learn more.
Their application covers critical home repairs and accessibility modifications but does not list stair lifts by name. You must own and live in the home, plan to stay at least 5 years, and meet the income limits. Call (980) 236-0979 to ask about your project.
A staircase with a turn or landing needs a curved stair lift, with a rail made to fit that exact staircase. We measure the stairs in the home before giving a quote.
Possibly, but the building owner has to approve it first, since walk-up stairs are usually shared. Get that permission in writing before scheduling a measurement.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
