Augusta County has been settled since 1738, and plenty of its homes show it. From old farmhouses outside Weyers Cave and Mount Sidney to village houses in Greenville and Deerfield, many longtime owners still climb a full flight of stairs to reach their bedrooms every night.
Around Verona, Fishersville and Stuarts Draft, the picture changes to newer single-story and split-level construction. This page walks through what those different homes mean for a stair lift, how the county's rural spread affects service, and which programs can help with the cost.
The older rural farmhouses here usually have an interior staircase running up to a full second floor. If that staircase is one straight run, a straight stair lift is often the simplest fit. Many older homes, though, have a landing, a turn or narrow steps, and those call for a curved rail built to the exact shape of the stairs.
Split-level homes around Verona and Fishersville bring a different problem. Each flight is short, but there may be several of them, so we look at which levels a person actually needs to reach every day. Ranch-style homes may have no inside stairs at all, yet the steps up to the porch or front door can still be the hardest part of the day, which is where an outdoor lift or a platform lift can come in.
Augusta County covers about 967 square miles of land in the central Shenandoah Valley, with George Washington National Forest taking up parts of it. About 84.3% of residents live in rural areas, and the county wraps all the way around Staunton and Waynesboro without including either city.
That geography matters. Families in places like Craigsville, Sherando or Deerfield can find it harder to line up home-modification contractors and in-home care visits than people near the Staunton-Waynesboro core. When we plan an install, we measure carefully on the first visit so the rail can be ordered right and the job finished without repeat trips.
About 20.3% of county residents are 65 or older, and 73.1% own their homes. That is a lot of people who own the house they have lived in for years and would rather adapt it than move.
Several of the programs below are only for veterans, so it is worth checking service history and disability ratings before you choose how to pay.
The clearest local options are the two Virginia Housing accessibility grants. Both go up to $10,000, do not have to be repaid, and list chairlifts among the modifications they cover. Applications run through approved local agents, and Valley Associates for Independent Living (VAIL) in Harrisonburg serves Augusta County.
Other programs, including the CCC Plus waiver, USDA Section 504 repairs and Renewing Homes of Greater Augusta, cover home repairs or modifications in general but do not name stair lifts in the sources we reviewed. Call them and ask directly. Statewide, it is also worth asking about the Virginia Livable Home Tax Credit (LHTC) and the Assistive Technology Loan Fund Authority (ATLFA).
For veterans, the Staunton Office – Virginia Department of Veterans Services can be reached at (540) 332-8900. Older adults can reach Valley Program for Aging Services (PSA 6) at (540) 949-7141.
Virginia's main Medicaid waiver for aged, blind or disabled adults who need a nursing-facility level of care includes environmental modifications approved case by case, though the program page does not name stair lifts. Call Cover Virginia at (833) 522-5582 to ask about eligibility.
A grant of up to $10,000, with no repayment, for homeowners with a disability whose household income is at or below 60% of Area Median Income; chairlifts are listed as a covered modification. Call (877) 843-2123.
Up to $10,000, with no repayment, for veterans or service members with a service-connected disability, homeowners or renters, at or below 80% of Area Median Income; chairlifts are listed as covered. Call (877) 843-2123.
A Harrisonburg center for independent living that serves Augusta County and helps residents with disabilities apply for the Virginia Housing grants, with chairlifts among the modifications it coordinates. Call (540) 433-6513.
Serves adults 60 and over with transportation, Meals on Wheels and other services; stair lifts and home modifications are not mentioned on its pages. Call (540) 949-7141 to ask whether it offers home-modification referrals.
Repair loans up to $20,000 at 1% and grants up to $7,500 for very-low-income owner-occupants in eligible rural areas, with grants limited to those 62 and older. Stair lifts are not named in the source reviewed.
A lifetime grant of $6,800 or $2,000 for medically necessary home alterations for veterans. It does not cover stair lifts; the VA lists stair glides as excluded.
Larger VA grants, SAH up to $126,526 and SHA up to $25,350, for homeowners with certain severe service-connected disabilities. Stair lifts are not mentioned; the VA's examples are ramps and wider doorways.
Free repairs for low-income homeowners in the Staunton, Augusta County and Waynesboro area, including accessibility work like wheelchair ramps and safe bathroom access; stair lifts are not named. Call (540) 885-7894.
Older adults
325 Pine Avenue, Waynesboro, 22980
Veterans
1600 North Coalter Street Building 1, Suite 17B, Staunton, 24401
Often, yes. Older farmhouses here commonly have an interior staircase to a full second floor. A straight run usually takes a straight lift, while turns or landings need a curved rail made to fit.
Yes. The Virginia Housing Owner-Occupied Modification Grant and the Granting Freedom grant for disabled veterans both list chairlifts and go up to $10,000. VAIL at (540) 433-6513 helps Augusta County residents apply.
No. The VA excludes removable equipment such as stair glides from HISA. Veterans should look at the Granting Freedom grant instead, and can call the Staunton Office – Virginia Department of Veterans Services at (540) 332-8900.
Valley Program for Aging Services serves adults 60 and over at (540) 949-7141. Its listed services do not include home modifications, so ask directly whether it can point you to help.
Yes. The county is large and mostly rural, which can make contractor visits harder to arrange outside the Staunton-Waynesboro area. We plan around that by measuring carefully on the first visit.
That is common with ranch-style homes. An outdoor stair lift or a platform lift can handle porch and entry steps, and we can look at which fits your entrance.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
