Salt Lake County's homes went up in waves. Murray and Midvale filled in during the suburban boom of the late 1940s through the 1960s, Sandy and West Jordan turned farmland into large residential tracts in the 1970s and 1980s, and newer houses now sit partway up the foothills on the southern and western benches. Each wave left a different kind of staircase behind.
This page covers the county's 24 towns, from Salt Lake City and West Valley City down to Bluffdale, Copperton and the canyon communities of Emigration Canyon, Brighton and Alta. It explains how local homes and weather affect the choice of a stair lift and lists the programs that may help with the cost.
Split-level homes are common here, and they rarely have one long flight of stairs. You often get a few steps up to the bedrooms and a few steps down to the family room. Each short run can take its own straight lift, or a curved rail can follow the stairs if they turn at a landing.
Townhouses and row houses usually stack the kitchen, bedrooms and bathroom on different floors. A straight stair lift works when the flight runs top to bottom without a turn. If the stairs wrap around a corner, a curved lift is built to fit that staircase.
Walk-up apartments raise a different question. The stairs are often shared, so the building owner has a say in anything installed there. Several programs below also require that you own the home.
The Salt Lake Valley floor is flat, but the Wasatch Range to the east and the Oquirrh Mountains to the west rise sharply from it. Homes built partway up the foothills often have front steps or a sloped walk before you even reach the door. For those entries, an outdoor stair lift or a vertical platform lift can matter as much as anything inside.
The valley gets roughly 15 inches of precipitation a year, while the surrounding mountains can receive up to 500 inches of snow. Heavy regional snowfall runs November through March, and winter inversions trap cold air in the valley. Icy outdoor steps are a real fall risk in those months, so outdoor equipment needs to be rated for that weather.
Up in Brighton and Alta, snow is part of daily life for much of the year. If an outdoor lift is on the table there, plan for how the rail and seat will be cleared and covered.
About 11.6 percent of the county's 1,178,217 residents are 65 or older, and 68.7 percent of households own their home. Ownership matters because the VA grants and the ASSIST programs below require that the person owns the home.
If someone in your family served, check the VA grants first, since they are built around home modification for service-connected disabilities.
No single program here names stair lifts outright, so the goal is to find the one that fits the person's age, income and service history. The Utah Medicaid Aging Waiver and the two VA housing grants are the closest fits, because both fund home modifications. Coverage of a specific item is decided case by case.
Other local programs, like ASSIST, Habitat for Humanity and the Utah Assistive Technology Program, do not list stair lifts in their published materials. They may still help with related work or financing, so it is worth a call. Statewide options to ask about include the New Choices Waiver, the Utah Assistive Technology Foundation (UATF) Loan and VA Benefits for Veterans (HISA + Prosthetics).
If you are not sure where to begin, Salt Lake County Aging & Adult Services at (385) 468-3200 can point you to the right program. Their office is at 2001 South State, Suite S1600, Salt Lake City 84190.
For people 65 or older who need nursing-facility level of care and meet Medicaid financial rules; its covered services include Environmental Accessibility Adaptations, the Medicaid term for home modifications. Whether a stair lift is approved depends on individual assessment and prior authorization, so call (866) 435-7414 to confirm.
Serves adults 18 and older with functional loss of 2 or more limbs who need at least 14 hours a week of paid personal assistance, with a waiting list and limited slots. The source lists no home-modification service and does not mention stair lifts; call (801) 538-4200 with questions.
Pays up to $126,526 (FY2026 maximum) toward building, buying or modifying a permanent home for a veteran or service member with a qualifying service-connected disability who owns or will own the home. It is an open-ended home-modification grant, though the source does not name stair lifts specifically; call (800) 698-2411.
Provides up to $25,350 (FY2026 maximum) for home modifications when a veteran has a qualifying service-connected disability, such as loss or loss of use of both hands, and the veteran or a family member owns or will own the home. The source gives ramps and doorways as examples rather than naming stair lifts; call (800) 698-2411.
Offers modifications at no cost to qualifying homeowners, mainly seniors and people with disabilities who meet income rules, including handrails, exterior ramps and vertical platform lifts. Stair lifts are not on its published list; call (801) 355-7085.
Handles life safety or critical home repair problems for homeowners at or below 50% of area median income. The source does not mention stair lifts or home modifications; call (801) 355-7085.
A statewide program at Utah State University offering loans and small grants for assistive technology to Utah residents with disabilities and their families. Stair lifts are not mentioned in its materials, so ask staff at (800) 524-5152 whether one qualifies.
Provides safety and health repairs for income-qualified homeowners in Salt Lake, Davis and Tooele counties, with applications through Habitat's online portal. Stair lifts and accessibility equipment are not mentioned; call (801) 263-0136.
Case management for county residents who meet age and income rules for in-home services and want to age in place. It does not fund stair lifts directly but can refer you to resources such as the Medicaid Aging Waiver; call (385) 468-3200.
Older adults
2001 South State, Suite S1600, Salt Lake City, 84190
Veterans
550 Foothill Drive, Suite 105, Salt Lake City, 84113
The Utah Medicaid Aging Waiver covers Environmental Accessibility Adaptations, which is how Medicaid funds home modifications. A stair lift is decided through individual assessment and prior authorization, so call (866) 435-7414 before counting on it.
The Utah Medicaid Physical Disabilities Waiver starts at age 18, but its listed services do not include home modifications. The Utah Assistive Technology Program serves Utah residents with disabilities of any age and offers loans and small grants; ask them at (800) 524-5152 whether a stair lift qualifies.
Look at the VA Specially Adapted Housing Grant, up to $126,526, and the Special Home Adaptation Grant, up to $25,350, both FY2026 maximums for qualifying service-connected disabilities. Call (800) 698-2411, or contact the Utah Department of Veterans and Military Affairs at (801) 326-2372, 550 Foothill Drive, Suite 105, Salt Lake City 84113.
Its published list of accessible modifications includes handrails, exterior ramps and vertical platform lifts, but not stair lifts. A vertical platform lift is a different device, often used at entry steps, so call (801) 355-7085 to see whether it fits your situation.
Outdoor stair lifts are made for exposed steps, which matters here because heavy snow runs November through March and inversions hold cold air in the valley. Homes on the benches and in the canyons should plan for covering and clearing the lift in winter.
Shared stairs belong to the building, so the owner has to agree to an installation. The VA grants and the ASSIST programs also require that you own the home, so check eligibility rules before applying.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
