From Yadkinville and Jonesville to Boonville and East Bend, a lot of Yadkin County homes were not built at street level. Older farmhouses, manufactured homes and split-level houses often mean porch steps out front, a raised foundation at the entry and a staircase or two inside.
The land adds to it. The county sits in the Piedmont foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, crossed by the Yadkin River, the Brushy Mountains, Fox Knob and several creeks, so many home sites sit on a slope. This page walks through which kind of stair lift tends to fit these homes and which programs are worth a phone call when it comes to paying.
A two-story farmhouse with one straight flight is usually the simplest job. A straight stair lift runs on a rail mounted to the stair treads, not the wall, so older plaster and uneven walls are rarely a problem.
Split-level homes are different. Each short flight between levels may need its own lift, or a curved rail that follows a turn or landing. Curved rails are built to the exact shape of your staircase, so we measure before quoting anything.
Townhouses often have narrow, steep stairs between floors. A straight lift with a folding seat and footrest can keep the stairs usable for everyone else in the house.
On hilly lots, the hardest stairs are often outside. Front-porch steps and raised-foundation entries on farmhouses and manufactured housing can be the one thing keeping someone from getting to the car or the mailbox.
Outdoor stair lifts are built for weather and can run along porch or deck steps. If the person uses a wheelchair, a platform lift may make more sense than a seat, since the chair rides on the platform. We look at the ground at the top and bottom of the steps, because a slope there affects where a lift can safely start and stop.
About 23.3% of residents are 65 or older, and the county counts as fully rural in the 2020 Census. Many people here want to stay in the house they already own, and 55.1% of residents are homeowners.
If someone in your family served, the veteran programs below are worth checking, though not every VA grant will pay for a stair lift.
Be ready for this: none of the program sources we checked name stair lifts specifically, and the VA HISA grant lists stair glides and porch lifts as excluded. That does not close every door, but it means you should ask each office directly whether a stair lift can be approved in your case.
The most direct repair money for older rural homeowners is the USDA Section 504 program, which offers loans up to $40,000 at 1% fixed interest over 20 years and grants up to $10,000 for owners 62 and older who cannot repay a loan. Its source mentions accessibility items like wheelchair ramps and walk-in tubs. Medicaid's CAP/DA waiver has a category for equipment and home modifications, and the NC Housing Finance Agency rehabilitation programs mention accessibility modifications.
For help sorting through options, the Region G - Piedmont Triad Regional Council AAA in Kernersville can be reached at (336) 904-0300. Veterans can visit Yadkin County Veteran Services at 208 N. Jackson St. in Yadkinville or call (336) 849-7914.
An NC Medicaid waiver for adults 18 and older who meet nursing facility level of care, with an approved category for equipment, modification and technology; the official page does not mention stair lifts. Call (888) 245-0179.
Ongoing financial help for in-home personal care for low-income, Medicaid-eligible residents 65+ or disabled adults 18-64 who want to stay home; stair lifts and home modifications are not mentioned. Call (336) 849-7910.
Help with housekeeping, cooking, shopping and bill paying, with no income requirement for Level I service; the program page does not mention stair lifts or home modifications. Call (336) 849-7910.
Loans up to $40,000 and grants up to $10,000 (owners 62+ who cannot repay a loan) for very-low-income homeowners, and Yadkin County is a served county; the source lists ramps and walk-in tubs but does not name stair lifts. Call (919) 873-2000.
A VA grant of up to $6,800 or $2,000 lifetime for medically necessary home changes prescribed by a VA physician. The VA explicitly excludes stair glides and porch lifts.
Grants for veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities, up to $126,526 (SAH) or $25,350 (SHA) for FY2026. The VA page describes ramps and widened doorways but does not name stair lifts.
A county office that helps veterans and families apply for federal VA benefits; it is not a funding source and its page does not mention stair lifts. Call (336) 849-7914.
A center for independent living serving Yadkin and nearby counties with advocacy, skills training, referrals, transition services and peer support; no home-modification funding or stair lifts are mentioned. Call (336) 767-7060.
State repair help for low-income elderly or special-needs homeowners, applied for through a local government or nonprofit partner, and it mentions accessibility modifications without naming stair lifts. Call (919) 877-5700 to ask about a partner serving Yadkin County.
Older adults
1398 Carrollton Crossing Drive, Kernersville, 27284
Veterans
208 N. Jackson St., P.O. Box 336, Yadkinville, 27055
Often, yes. Outdoor stair lifts are built to run along porch and deck steps. We check the steps and the ground at the top and bottom, since sloped lots are common in the county.
Not through the HISA grant, which lists stair glides and porch lifts as excluded. SAH and SHA grants do not name stair lifts either way, so ask Yadkin County Veteran Services at (336) 849-7914 about your situation.
The USDA Section 504 program offers grants up to $10,000 for owners 62 and older who cannot repay a loan, and Yadkin County is a served county. Its source does not name stair lifts, so confirm with USDA at (919) 873-2000.
The CAP/DA waiver includes an equipment, modification and technology category, but its page does not mention stair lifts. Call (888) 245-0179 to ask whether one can be approved after a case-manager assessment.
Sometimes. Each short flight may need its own straight lift, or a curved rail can follow the turns. We measure the stairs before recommending either.
The Region G - Piedmont Triad Regional Council AAA at (336) 904-0300 is the area agency on aging for the county. Solutions for Independence (SICIL) at (336) 767-7060 offers information and referral for people with disabilities.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
