Montgomery County covers about 501.5 square miles of the southern Piedmont, from the old, worn-down Uwharrie Mountains in the north to the shores of Badin Lake and Lake Tillery. Homes here sit on rolling, forested ground, and many of them are older, modest single-family houses in and around Troy, Biscoe, Star, Candor and Mount Gilead.
That mix of hillside lots, lake houses and older multi-story homes shapes which stair lift will work in a given house. This page walks through the common home styles in the county, what each one usually needs, and the state, federal, veteran and county programs that can help with the cost.
Most homes in the county are single-family, detached houses, with plenty of ranch-style and split-level homes and some low-rise buildings. The local housing stock is older and often built with more than one level, which is why stairs become a daily problem for many owners.
A ranch-style home may only have stairs down to a basement or out to a carport, and a straight stair lift often handles that well. Split-level homes are different. Their short flights and landings can call for a curved lift or more than one straight lift, so we measure each run before recommending anything.
A large share of homes near Badin Lake and Lake Tillery are seasonal or lake-adjacent. Houses built on slopes toward the water often have steps outside as well as inside, and an outdoor stair lift is built to handle that exposure.
Across the northern half of the county, the Uwharrie National Forest and the rivers that run through it, the Yadkin, Uwharrie and Pee Dee, mean few lots are flat. Where a path or entry has a steep climb, a platform lift can be a better fit than a chair, especially for someone using a wheelchair.
Montgomery County is classified as 100% rural. Residents who need a stair lift or other home modification often have to rely on regional providers rather than a shop in town.
Plan ahead for that. Ask any installer how they handle the first measurement, the installation day and later service calls, so you know what to expect before you sign anything.
Be aware that the VA HISA grant specifically excludes stair glides and porch lifts, so it will not pay for a stair lift.
The Montgomery County Veterans Service Office in Troy, at 219 S Main St, helps veterans file VA claims and can talk through which benefits apply. Call them at (910) 576-4711.
Several programs list home modifications or mobility and accessibility improvements among what they fund, even if they do not name stair lifts outright. These include NC Medicaid CAP/DA, the Housing and Home Improvement Assistance service under the Home and Community Care Block Grant, and USDA Section 504 repair loans and grants.
For a local starting point, Montgomery County Department of Social Services Adult Services in Troy at 102 East Spring Street serves older adults and adults with disabilities. You can reach them at (910) 576-6531. The full list of programs, and who to call, is below.
A Medicaid waiver for adults 18 and older who need a nursing-facility level of care, with a modification, equipment and technology budget raised from $13,000 to $28,000 over the waiver period for Plans of Care created on or after Nov. 1, 2024; home modifications are covered. Call NC LIFTSS at (833) 522-5429.
Pays up to $7,000 per individual per program year for people 60 or older with no one able and willing to do the work, and mobility and accessibility improvements are covered; it depends on the service being funded in the county that year, and the same home cannot be served again for 3 consecutive years. Call (800) 662-7030.
The regional intake and coordination point for Older Americans Act services in Montgomery County, including Housing and Home Improvement Assistance; it is not a direct grant, and stair lifts are not listed. Call (336) 904-0300.
Offers 1% fixed, 20-year loans up to $40,000 and, for homeowners 62 and older, grants up to $10,000 lifetime, combined up to $50,000, for very low income owners in eligible rural areas like Montgomery County; accessibility modifications are covered.
Provides $6,800 or $2,000 lifetime for medically justified home modifications for veterans, but it does not cover stair lifts, stair glides or porch lifts. Call the county Veterans Service Office at (910) 576-4711.
Grants for veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities, up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA in FY2026; stair lifts are not listed among the examples. Call (910) 576-4711 for help applying.
Helps veterans and eligible dependents in the county file VA claims for disability compensation, pension and health care; stair lifts are not listed. Call (910) 576-4711 or visit 219 S Main St in Troy.
The local access point for Home and Community Care Block Grant services and CAP/DA referrals for older adults and adults with disabilities; stair lifts are not listed. Call (910) 576-6531.
Older adults
130 Gillespie St., Fayetteville, 28301
Veterans
102 East Spring Street, Troy, 27371
Not through the HISA grant, which specifically excludes stair glides and porch lifts. The SAH and SHA grants do not list stair lifts either, so call the Montgomery County Veterans Service Office at (910) 576-4711 to review your options.
Yes, possibly. NC Medicaid CAP/DA serves disabled adults 18 and older who are on Medicaid and need a nursing-facility level of care, and its modification budget covers home modifications. NC LIFTSS can be reached at (833) 522-5429.
Montgomery County is rural and USDA-eligible for Section 504 repair loans and grants. You still need to own and live in the home, have very low income, and be unable to get affordable credit elsewhere, and the grant portion is only for homeowners 62 and older.
Start with Montgomery County Department of Social Services Adult Services at (910) 576-6531. They are the local access point for Home and Community Care Block Grant services, which include Housing and Home Improvement Assistance.
Often it cannot, because split-level homes have short flights broken up by landings. Depending on the layout, a curved lift or separate straight lifts may be needed, which is why each staircase gets measured first.
Outdoor stair lifts are made for steps that are exposed to weather, and hillside entries can sometimes suit a platform lift instead. The right choice depends on the slope and the steps themselves, so it starts with a measurement at the house.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
