Bastrop County runs from Elgin in the north to Smithville in the south, with Bastrop itself on a bluff above the east bank of the Colorado River. In between are places like Camp Swift, Wyldwood, Cedar Creek, Circle D-KC Estates, Rosanky, McDade and Red Rock, many of them spread out under the Lost Pines.
That spread matters when you are planning a stair lift. A Victorian house in Old Town Bastrop, a split-level home near Cedar Creek and a manufactured home on acreage near Rosanky each have a different kind of stair problem, and the right answer for one is often wrong for the next.
Bastrop's Old Town historic district has more than 130 recognized heritage properties. Styles run from double-log construction to Greek Revival, Victorian, Prairie and Classical Revival.
Many of these older downtown houses are multi-story, with entry steps outside and interior stairs typical of 19th-century Texas town building. Stairs from that era often have landings or turns, which usually points to a curved stair lift built to fit the staircase. A straight staircase with no landing can take a straight rail, which is simpler to install.
If your house sits in the historic district, we look at how the rail mounts to the stair treads so the original walls and banisters are left alone as much as possible.
Across the rest of the county you will find single-family homes, townhouses, walk-up apartments and split-level homes. Split-levels and townhouses often have short, straight flights, which tend to be a good match for a straight stair lift.
Out in the rural parts of the county, ranch-style single-story homes, larger acreage properties and manufactured or mobile homes are common. These houses may have no inside stairs at all, but the front or back entry steps can still keep someone indoors. For those, an outdoor stair lift or a platform lift at the entry is usually the thing to look at, and a platform lift is the option if a wheelchair has to come along.
Bastrop, Elgin, Mustang Ridge and Smithville are the incorporated cities. Much of the county outside them is lower-density, with unincorporated communities such as Cedar Creek, Camp Swift, McDade, Paige, Red Rock and Rosanky.
That means longer drives for installers and home-modification contractors. If you live out past the city centers, ask up front about service visits and how quickly someone can come out if the lift needs attention.
About 14.8% of Bastrop County residents are 65 or older, and 68.1% of households own their home. Owners can generally install a stair lift without asking a landlord, and several of the funding programs below require that you own the house.
That is worth knowing because VA home grants work differently from what many families expect, as the programs list explains.
Some families in the county pay out of pocket, and others need a grant, loan or Medicaid waiver. Only one program in the list below names stair lifts outright, and that one is limited to people with certain conditions that began before age 22.
A good first call for anyone 60 or older is the Capital Area AAA (CAPCOG) at (512) 916-6062. They can screen you and point you to the programs that fit. Veterans can also reach the Bastrop County Veterans Service Office at 104 Loop 150 W, Bastrop, at (512) 581-4006.
A Texas Medicaid waiver that pays for minor home modifications up to a $7,500 lifetime limit, then $300 per year for repairs or additional modifications. Its source lists ramps and grab bars but does not mention stair lifts, so coverage would be decided case by case, and there is a statewide interest list with a multi-year wait.
A Texas Medicaid waiver for people with a qualifying related condition that began before age 22, and its adaptive aids explicitly include stair lifts, within a budget of $10,000 or less per plan year that also includes dental costs. It does not apply to age-related mobility decline alone; call (877) 438-5658.
Free benefits counseling, referrals and case management for adults 60 and older and caregivers in a 10-county region that includes Bastrop County. It does not name a stair lift fund but can route you to other programs; call (512) 916-6000.
Loans up to $40,000 at 1% fixed interest and grants up to $10,000 lifetime for homeowners 62 and older, for very-low-income owners in eligible rural parts of the county. Stair lifts are not named, so approval would depend on a documented health or safety need; call (512) 321-2489 to check whether your address qualifies.
A nonprofit center for independent living whose core service area includes Bastrop County, offering peer support, skills training, referral and advocacy for people with disabilities of any age. It does not list a stair lift fund; call (512) 832-6349.
A lifetime VA grant of up to $6,800 or $2,000 for medically necessary structural changes to a veteran's home. It explicitly excludes stair glides and porch lifts, so it will not pay for a stair lift; call (800) 827-1000 about other VA benefits.
VA grants for veterans with specific severe service-connected disabilities, up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA in FY2026, to buy, build or adapt a home. The source gives ramps and widened doorways as examples and does not mention stair lifts; call (800) 827-1000.
Older adults
6800 Burleson Road, Bldg. 301, Suite 165, Austin, 78744
Veterans
104 Loop 150 W, Bastrop, 78602
Often, yes. Older multi-story homes there tend to have interior stairs with landings or turns, which usually calls for a curved rail made for that staircase. A straight flight can take a simpler straight rail.
That is common with ranch-style and manufactured homes in the rural parts of the county. An outdoor stair lift or a platform lift at the entry handles those steps, and a platform lift is the choice if a wheelchair is involved.
The VA HISA grant explicitly excludes stair glides. The SAH and SHA grants do not mention stair lifts, so coverage is not confirmed. The Bastrop County Veterans Service Office at (512) 581-4006 can help you sort out what you qualify for.
Possibly. The CLASS waiver covers stair lifts for people with a qualifying condition that began before age 22, and ARCIL serves Bastrop County residents with disabilities of any age at (512) 832-6349.
USDA 504 grants go to very-low-income homeowners 62 and older in eligible rural areas, up to $10,000 lifetime. Call the Bastrop USDA Service Center at (512) 321-2489 to confirm your address qualifies and ask whether a stair lift fits a health or safety need.
Call the Capital Area AAA (CAPCOG) at (512) 916-6062. They offer free benefits counseling and can refer you to waivers, loans and other help.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
