Marlin grew up around its mineral-water bath houses, and many of its early 20th-century single-family homes were built by doctors and others who served that trade. Those houses, along with older homes in Rosebud, Chilton, Golinda and Lott, often still have their original stairs and layouts, which were never planned with accessibility in mind.
Falls County covers 774 square miles of mostly flat farmland in the Brazos River Valley, so the ground outside is rarely the problem. The stairs inside the house are. This page explains which kind of stair lift fits the homes found here and which programs may help with the cost.
Much of the county's early-1900s building stock is multi-story, and with limited new construction in Marlin since the 1980s, a lot of families are living in those same houses today. A single straight flight is the simplest case, and a straight stair lift rides a rail mounted to the treads, not the wall.
Older staircases sometimes turn at a landing or curve partway up. Those need a curved rail built to the shape of that specific staircase, which takes more measuring and more lead time than a straight unit. We look at the stairs in person before recommending either one.
Ranch-style homes are often single-story, so the stairs that matter may be the ones at the door rather than inside. An outdoor stair lift is built to handle weather, and a platform lift is an option for someone who uses a wheelchair and cannot transfer to a seat.
Split-level homes are a different puzzle, with short flights between several levels. Sometimes one short straight lift covers the flight used most, such as the one to the bedrooms. We talk through daily routines first so you are not paying for rail you will not use.
About 18.3% of Falls County residents are 65 or older, and 74.1% of households own their homes. For many of them, staying in a paid-off house is the plan, and the stairs are what stands in the way.
Veterans here can start with Falls County Veterans Assistance at 125 Bridge Street, Room 203, in Marlin, (254) 883-1426, to ask about VA housing grants.
None of the programs listed below names stair lifts specifically, so coverage is not guaranteed. Several of them do fund home modifications for accessibility, and it is worth asking each one directly whether a stair lift can count.
For homeowners 60 and older, the first call is usually the Heart of Texas AAA at 320 Franklin Ave. in Waco, (254) 756-6631. Statewide programs to ask about also include the Amy Young Barrier Removal Program (AYBR), the Community Living Assistance and Support Services (CLASS) Waiver, and VA Benefits for Veterans (HISA + Prosthetics).
A case manager arranges contracted repairs and modifications that improve accessibility and safety for low-income homeowners age 60 and older in Falls County and the rest of the six-county Heart of Texas region. The program does not name stair lifts as a covered item; call (254) 292-1855 to ask.
This Texas Medicaid waiver helps Medicaid-eligible Texans who are 65 or older or disabled and meet nursing-facility level of care stay at home, and it covers home modifications such as grab bars and wheelchair ramps. Stair lifts are not named and there is an interest list; call (877) 438-5658.
Veterans or service members with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities can receive up to $126,526 for FY2026 to buy, build or modify a home they own or will own. The VA source does not specifically name stair lifts, so ask Falls County Veterans Assistance at (254) 883-1426.
Veterans with qualifying disabilities can receive up to $25,350 for FY2026 to modify a home they or a family member own to improve accessibility. Stair lifts are not specifically named on the source page.
Older adults
320 Franklin Ave., Waco, 76701
Veterans
125 Bridge Street, Room 203, Marlin, 76661
In most cases, yes. Straight stairs take a straight rail, and stairs that turn or curve take a custom curved rail. Because many Marlin homes still have original staircases, we measure in person before quoting.
The Heart of Texas AAA home repair program is for homeowners 60 and older. The STAR+PLUS HCBS Waiver serves people who are 65 or older or who are disabled, so a younger person with a disability may qualify if they meet its Medicaid and level-of-care rules.
The STAR+PLUS HCBS Waiver covers home modifications such as grab bars and wheelchair ramps, but its source does not name stair lifts. Call (877) 438-5658 to ask, and note the program keeps an interest list.
Falls County Veterans Assistance is at 125 Bridge Street, Room 203, in Marlin, (254) 883-1426. They can help you look at the VA SAH and SHA grants and VA HISA and prosthetics benefits.
Not always. Many families only need the flight they use every day, often the one to the bedrooms. We go over how you move through the house before suggesting a layout.
The Heart of Texas AAA is at 320 Franklin Ave. in Waco, (254) 756-6631. For the home repairs and modifications program specifically, the number is (254) 292-1855.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
