Botetourt County stretches across 546 square miles of western Virginia, with the Blue Ridge Mountains on its eastern side and the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians on its western side. Homes here range from older farmhouses and multi-story houses in Fincastle and Buchanan to newer suburban construction near the Roanoke County line in places like Daleville, Cloverdale and Troutville.
Many of those houses were built before single-level living was common. The 2020 Census put the county's median age at 48.0, with 23.5% of residents 65 or older. For a lot of families in Blue Ridge, Laymantown and the other towns, the question is whether a stair lift can keep a parent in the home they already own, and who can help cover the cost.
Fincastle is the county seat, and like Buchanan it has a good number of older farmhouses and multi-story homes. These houses often have the bedroom and full bath upstairs, which is exactly where a stair lift earns its keep.
If the staircase runs in one straight line from bottom to top, a straight stair lift is usually the simplest fit. Staircases with a turn, a landing partway up or a curve need a curved rail built to that specific stair. We measure in person before recommending either one.
Newer construction around Daleville, Cloverdale and Troutville includes single-family homes, townhouses, split-level homes and ranch-style homes. Each one raises a different stair question.
Split-level homes have several short flights, so a family may need a lift on the flight that matters most, or more than one. Townhouses tend to stack living space on multiple floors. Ranch-style homes keep most rooms on one level, but steps at the entry can still be a barrier, and an outdoor lift or platform lift may be the better answer there.
Walk-up apartments are part of the county's housing too. Renters should talk with the property owner before any installation, and there is a state grant tier written for rental units.
As of the 2020 Census, 59.4% of Botetourt County residents lived in rural areas. Many older adults here live on sloped or mountainous properties, where the steps from the driveway or porch can be as hard as the steps inside.
Outdoor stair lifts are built for weather exposure and can serve porch and deck steps. A platform lift is worth considering when someone uses a wheelchair and cannot transfer to a seat.
Distance matters as well. Aging-services offices and many home-modification contractors are based in Roanoke, so plan for a home visit to take some scheduling, and gather your paperwork before you call.
The Virginia Housing Accessibility Grants, administered locally by Blue Ridge Independent Living Center, are the one program in our list whose source names chairlift installation as an eligible modification. Grants go up to $10,000 per household with no repayment. Homeowners and renters qualify at or below 60% of area median income, and veterans or service members with a service-connected disability qualify at or below 80%.
The county's median household income was $81,213 in 2024, which means more local seniors may fit the Virginia Housing income tiers than the lower caps on USDA Section 504 (50% of area median income) or EHARP (80%). Those programs, along with the CCC Plus Medicaid waiver, cover accessibility work in general terms but do not name stair lifts, so coverage is decided case by case.
Be aware that the VA HISA grant specifically excludes stair glides. Statewide, it is also worth asking about the Virginia Livable Home Tax Credit (LHTC) and the Assistive Technology Loan Fund Authority (ATLFA).
A good first call is the Local Office on Aging at (540) 345-0451. They can point you toward CCC Plus, EHARP and other home-modification resources.
A Medicaid waiver for elderly or physically disabled people who meet a nursing-facility level of care, paying up to $5,000 per calendar year each for environmental modifications and assistive technology. Stair lifts are not itemized, so coverage is decided case by case; apply through the Local Office on Aging or a CCC Plus managed-care organization.
The local information, referral and application-help office for older adults in Botetourt, Roanoke, Craig and Alleghany counties and the cities of Roanoke, Salem and Covington. It does not mention stair lifts itself, but can connect you to programs that fund home modifications; call (540) 345-0451.
True grants up to $10,000 per household that list installing ramps and chairlifts as an eligible modification, with income limits of 80% of area median income for disabled veterans and 60% for homeowners and renters. Call (877) 843-2123.
Up to $4,000 per household for essential repairs and accessibility modifications such as wheelchair ramps, for households at or below 80% of area median income. Stair lifts are not specifically mentioned; call (804) 371-7000.
Loans up to $40,000 at a fixed 1% for up to 20 years, and grants up to $10,000 lifetime for homeowners 62 or older who cannot repay a loan, with income at or below 50% of area median income. Accessibility modifications are covered in general terms but stair lifts are not named; call (804) 287-1500.
A nonprofit that provides free critical and necessary home repairs to qualified homeowners in the Roanoke Valley area, prioritizing neighbors with low incomes. Stair lifts are not specifically listed; call (540) 400-0959.
A VA grant for permanent home alterations such as entrance access, roll-in showers and permanent ramps, up to $6,800 or $2,000 lifetime depending on disability status. HISA does not cover stair lifts, because it excludes stair glides.
VA grants for homeowners with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities, up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA in FY2026. The source names ramps and widened doorways but does not mention stair lifts.
Older adults
4932 Frontage Road NW, Roanoke, 24019
Veterans
210 Franklin Road, Suite 810, Roanoke, 24011
Yes. The Virginia Housing Accessibility Grants, handled locally by Blue Ridge Independent Living Center, list installing ramps and chairlifts as an eligible modification. Grants go up to $10,000 and do not need to be repaid. Call (877) 843-2123.
No. HISA excludes removable equipment, and its exclusion list names stair glides. Veterans with a service-connected disability can look at the Granting Freedom tier of the Virginia Housing grants, or call the Virginia Department of Veterans Services Roanoke Benefits Office at (540) 597-1730.
The Local Office on Aging (PSA 5) is at 4932 Frontage Road NW, Roanoke, 24019. Their phone is (540) 345-0451, and they serve Botetourt County residents.
The Rental Unit Accessibility Modification tier of the Virginia Housing grants is for renters at or below 60% of area median income. Applications go through a Virginia Housing-accepted local agent, which in this area is Blue Ridge Independent Living Center.
USDA Section 504 offers grants up to $10,000 lifetime for homeowners 62 or older who cannot repay a repair loan, with household income at or below 50% of area median income. It covers accessibility modifications in general terms but does not name stair lifts. Call (804) 287-1500.
Yes, outdoor stair lifts are made for porch and deck steps. With so many county homes on sloped or mountainous land, we often look at the outside entry along with the inside stairs during a home visit.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
