From the master-planned streets of The Woodlands to the county seat in Conroe and the smaller communities around Lake Conroe and the Sam Houston National Forest, Montgomery County has a lot of two-story houses. Much of it was built as newer builder-grade construction during Houston's northward suburban growth, and those plans usually put the bedrooms upstairs.
That layout works fine until the stairs become the hard part of the day. A stair lift lets someone keep using the second floor without moving or rebuilding. This page covers the homes we see across the county's 19 towns, which lift fits which staircase, and the local and federal programs worth calling about cost.
Most homes in Shenandoah, Oak Ridge North, Magnolia and the newer subdivisions around The Woodlands are single-family homes and detached houses with one main staircase. In many of these builds that staircase runs in a single straight flight from the entry or living room to the bedrooms.
A straight staircase is the simplest case for a stair lift. The rail mounts to the stair treads, not the wall, so it does not require structural changes. If the staircase has a landing or a turn partway up, a curved lift with a custom-bent rail is the usual answer.
About 14.6% of county residents are 65 or older. For many of them, the issue is not the whole house, just the one flight between the kitchen and the bed.
Townhouses often have narrower stairs and sometimes more than one flight. We measure the width of each run and check the top and bottom for room to get on and off safely, since a folding seat and rail still need clearance.
Split-level homes bring short runs of a few steps between levels. Each run is its own installation, so it helps to decide which levels the person actually needs every day before picking a lift.
Walk-up apartments raise a different question: permission. Installing a lift in a shared stairwell needs the property owner's approval, so that conversation should come first.
Further north, the county moves from dense suburbs into more rural, forested areas toward the Sam Houston National Forest. Communities like Willis, Splendora, Cut and Shoot and Grangerland include homes where the challenge is the steps up to the front or back door, not an interior staircase.
Outdoor stair lifts are built for exposure to the weather and can handle a run of entry steps. When someone uses a wheelchair and cannot transfer to a seat, a platform lift that carries the chair is the better fit. A ramp is another option, and one of the programs below builds ramps at no charge.
Here is the plain truth: none of the programs we found for this county name stair lifts as a covered item, and the VA HISA grant specifically excludes stair glides. That does not mean every door is closed. Several programs fund home modifications or repairs for older and lower-income homeowners, and their staff can tell you directly what they will consider.
The Montgomery County Veterans Service Office at 2247 North 1st Street, Suite 219, Conroe, 77301 can help sort out VA benefits; call (936) 539-7842. For aging services, the Houston-Galveston AAA is at 3555 Timmons Ln., Suite 120, Houston, 77027, phone (832) 681-2600.
Statewide, it is also worth asking about the Amy Young Barrier Removal Program (AYBR) and the Community Living Assistance and Support Services (CLASS) Waiver. Many households in the county pay privately, and in that case we can measure the staircase and explain the options before anything is ordered.
A VA grant for disability-related home changes, with a $6,800 or $2,000 lifetime maximum depending on the veteran's disability status. The VA explicitly excludes stair glides and porch lifts, so this grant does not pay for a stair lift.
Grants for veterans with specific severe service-connected disabilities, up to $126,526 (SAH) or $25,350 (SHA) for FY2026; the VA gives ramps and doorway widening as examples and does not list stair lifts. Call (800) 827-1000.
A Medicaid waiver for Texans age 65+ or disabled who meet income and asset limits, covering services such as personal care, therapy and durable medical equipment. Stair lifts and home modifications are not listed; call (800) 696-4674.
Loans up to $40,000 at 1% and grants up to $10,000 for homeowners age 62+ (for grants) in eligible rural areas, which applies to smaller Montgomery County communities rather than the Conroe and The Woodlands urban core. Ramps and grab bars are named examples; stair lifts are not listed.
County housing rehabilitation help for low- and moderate-income homeowners outside cities with their own CDBG funding. The source does not say whether stair lifts qualify, so call (936) 538-8060 to confirm.
Critical home repairs at no cost for qualifying low-income homeowners in the county, after a pre-qualification form and interview. Stair lifts are not listed; call (936) 441-4663.
Help for older homeowners such as widening hallways, grab bars, ramps and flooring updates, plus referrals to social-service partners. Stair lifts are not named; call (936) 441-4663.
A nonprofit that builds wheelchair ramps for free, serving Montgomery County through its Houston - North Region. It builds ramps only and does not mention stair lifts; call (214) 558-0339.
Offers health workshops, Medicare benefits counseling and information and assistance for older adults in the 12-county region. No home-modification program is listed, but staff can point you to current referrals at (800) 437-7396.
Older adults
3555 Timmons Ln., Suite 120, Houston, 77027
Veterans
2247 North 1st Street, Suite 219, Conroe, 77301
Not through the HISA grant, which specifically excludes stair glides. The SAH and SHA grants do not name stair lifts either, so ask the Montgomery County Veterans Service Office at (936) 539-7842 or the VA at (800) 827-1000 about your situation.
Generally no. The program covers eligible rural areas, which applies to the smaller communities in the county rather than the Conroe and The Woodlands urban core. The grant portion also requires the homeowner to be 62 or older.
The STAR+PLUS waiver covers people 65 and older or people with a disability who meet its income and asset limits. The USDA 504 loan has no age requirement, while its grant requires age 62 or older.
Yes. A staircase with a landing or turn usually needs a curved lift with a rail made to fit that specific staircase. A straight single flight can take a standard straight lift.
An outdoor stair lift can handle exterior steps. If the person uses a wheelchair, a platform lift or a ramp may fit better, and the Texas Ramp Project builds free ramps in the county; call (214) 558-0339.
Start with the Houston-Galveston AAA at (832) 681-2600 for referrals, then Habitat for Humanity Montgomery County at (936) 441-4663 and Montgomery County Community Development at (936) 538-8060. Ask each one directly whether a stair lift falls within what they fund.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
