Union County runs from the older streets around the 1886 Old Union County Courthouse in Monroe out to the new subdivisions filling in Waxhaw, Indian Trail, Weddington and Stallings. That spread shapes the stairs we see. In-town Monroe often has older multi-story houses with steep, narrow flights. The suburbs tend to have newer two-story and split-level layouts with landings and turns.
The county also covers 15 towns, from Marshville and Wingate in the east to Marvin, Wesley Chapel and Lake Park closer to Charlotte. This page walks through what Union County homes usually need in a stair lift, who in the county tends to need one, and which programs may help pay for it or for related safety work.
Most homes here are single-family homes, along with townhouses, split-level homes, ranch-style homes and some walk-up apartments. A straight staircase with no landing is the simplest job, and that is common in many townhouses and newer two-story builds. A straight rail mounts to the stair treads, not the wall, so it rarely needs any construction.
Split-level homes are different. They usually have two or more short flights with a landing between, so the choice is either a curved rail that follows the whole route or separate straight lifts on each run. A curved rail is custom-bent to your stairs, which is why we measure in person before quoting.
Ranch-style homes are mostly one floor, but many still have a basement stair or a few steps at the entry. Those front or back steps can call for an outdoor-rated lift. In walk-up apartments the stairs are usually shared, so the building owner has to approve anything mounted there.
Older in-town homes near Monroe can have tight stairwells, steep risers and doorways at the top or bottom that sit close to the last step. We check the width of the stairs, where the rail can park, and whether a folding rail is needed so it does not block a hallway or door.
Newer construction in places like Waxhaw, Indian Trail and Weddington often has wider stairs, but open railings and turns at the landing are common. Those details decide whether a straight or curved lift fits, and where the seat can swivel off safely at the top.
Union County sits in the Piedmont along the South Carolina border, with ground rising toward the southern foothills of the Uwharrie Mountains in the north. Rolling lots often mean a house sits above the driveway or has a walk-out basement with steps outside.
Homes near Lake Monroe, Lake Lee and Lake Twitty, or along creeks like Lanes Creek, may have deck or yard steps leading down a slope. An outdoor stair lift is built for weather exposure. For a wheelchair user who cannot transfer to a seat, a platform lift is the option to discuss instead.
About 12.2% of Union County residents are 65 or older, and 79.7% of households own their homes. Owning the home matters, because most repair programs and grants below require it, and it means you can make permanent changes without a landlord's sign-off.
The Union County Veterans Service Office at 407 N Main Street in Monroe, (704) 283-3807, can help a veteran sort out which VA benefits apply before you buy anything.
None of the programs listed on this page names stair lifts on its source page, and the VA HISA grant specifically excludes stair glides. That does not rule out help. Several programs fund home modifications or accessibility work in general, and the decision is made case by case.
A good first call is the Region F Centralina Regional Council AAA at (704) 348-2712, which can point you toward CAP/DA, home repair and other aging services. For seniors who need ramps, rails or grab bars alongside a lift, the Council on Aging in Union County and Rebuilding Together of Greater Charlotte do that work at no cost.
Homeowners who are older or disabled may also want to ask the county about the Elderly or Disabled Property Tax Homestead Exclusion (G.S. 105-277.1). It does not pay for a lift, but lower property taxes can free up room in a fixed budget.
A Medicaid waiver for adults 18 and up with disabilities, or adults over 65, who meet a nursing-facility level of care; it lists 'Equipment, modification and technology' as a service, but stair lifts are not named and amounts are set by a case manager's assessment. Call (888) 245-0179, or apply through your local CAP/DA case management agency.
The Area Agency on Aging for Union County, offering information, referral and options counseling that connects residents to CAP/DA, home repair and other aging services rather than cash grants; stair lifts are not listed. Call (704) 372-2416.
Volunteers install grab bars, wheelchair ramps, handrails and medical alert buttons and do fall and fire hazard checks for older adults at no cost; stair lifts are not mentioned, and volunteers are not licensed contractors. Call (704) 292-1797.
State home repair funding for elderly, special-needs or low-income homeowners, run through local partners under the Urgent Repair Program, Essential Single-Family Rehabilitation Program and Displacement Prevention Partnership, which focuses on accessibility modifications; stair lifts are not named. Call (919) 877-5700.
Loans up to $20,000 at 1% for 20 years, and grants up to $7,500 for owners age 62+, for very-low-income homeowners in USDA-eligible rural areas (about 78.7% of Union County per usdaproperties.com); it covers repairs and health and safety hazards, but stair lifts are not named. Call (919) 873-2051.
A VA grant of up to $6,800 for service-connected disabilities, or $2,000 for other non-service-connected disabilities, for medically necessary changes like ramps and roll-in showers. It does not cover stair lifts; the VA explicitly excludes porch lifts and stair glides.
Grants for veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities, up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA in FY2026; examples given are ramps and doorway widening, and stair lifts are not named. The Union County Veterans Service Office at (704) 283-3807 can help with the application.
A center for independent living serving Union, Cabarrus, Gaston and Mecklenburg counties with advocacy, peer counseling, information and referral, and skills training rather than direct funding; no stair lift or home modification money was documented. Call (704) 537-0550.
Serves low-income seniors, veterans and people with disabilities in Union County, installing ramps, railings, grab bars, walk-in showers and widened doorways at no cost, with larger critical repairs averaging around $25,000; stair lifts are not named. Call (980) 236-0979.
Fixes harmful or dangerous home conditions for income-qualified homeowners with a need such as age 62+, disability or veteran status; stair lifts are not named. Its page currently says applications are being accepted for Anson County only, so call (704) 296-9414 to check whether Union County is open.
Older adults
9815 David Taylor Drive, Suite 100, Charlotte, 28262
Veterans
407 N Main Street, Monroe, 28112
The VA HISA grant does not; its exclusion list names stair glides. The SAH and SHA grants do not name stair lifts either way, so a veteran with a qualifying service-connected disability should ask. Start with the Union County Veterans Service Office in Monroe at (704) 283-3807.
CAP/DA, North Carolina's Medicaid waiver for disabled adults, lists equipment, modification and technology as a covered service, but does not name stair lifts. Coverage depends on an individual needs assessment by a case manager. The number to call is (888) 245-0179.
Yes, possibly. USDA Section 504 grants up to $7,500 are for very-low-income homeowners age 62+ in eligible rural areas, and much of Union County qualifies. NCHFA home repair programs also serve elderly homeowners through local partners.
Usually, yes. Split-level stairs with a landing can take a curved rail that runs the whole route, or a separate straight lift on each flight. The right answer depends on the measurements, so we look at the stairs in person.
Its Home Safety Modifications program installs grab bars, ramps and handrails at no cost, but it does not mention stair lifts, and its volunteers are not licensed contractors. It can still help with the other safety work around the stairs. Call (704) 292-1797.
Call the Region F Centralina Regional Council AAA at (704) 348-2712. It serves Union County and connects older adults and caregivers to aging services and home repair funding.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
