Henrico County curves around the City of Richmond, running from Tuckahoe Creek on the west to Sandston and Richmond International Airport on the east. In between are communities like Short Pump, Glen Allen, Lakeside, Highland Springs and Montrose, each with its own mix of single-family homes, townhouses and walk-up apartments.
That spread matters when stairs start to feel like a problem. A two-story house in Tuckahoe, a townhouse in Wyndham and a walk-up unit near Chamberlayne can each call for a different lift. This page walks through what fits Henrico homes and which Virginia programs can help with the cost.
The county's housing ranges from detached houses and single-family homes to townhouses, walk-up apartments and low-rise buildings. The west side holds established communities like the Tuckahoe area, while the east side has older ones such as Highland Springs, Sandston and Varina, the county's original seat.
A single straight flight with no landing is the simplest case, and a straight stair lift usually handles it. Townhouses often stack several flights or turn at a landing, which points toward a curved rail built to the exact shape of the stairs. We measure every staircase in person, because the county's housing varies too much to guess from a photo.
Henrico has a humid subtropical climate, with hot, humid summers and moderately cold winters. The county averages about 88 days a year when the low drops below freezing and about 8 snow days.
If the hard part is the front porch or the steps down to a driveway, an outdoor stair lift is built with weather-resistant parts for that kind of exposure. Where a wheelchair user needs to get up a few steps, a platform lift may make more sense than a seat. The land itself is mostly suburban and gentle, so the climbing is usually inside the house or at the entry, not across a steep lot.
Per the 2020 Census, 62.7% of the county's 140,739 housing units are owner-occupied.
Ownership matters for a lift. Owners can install a permanent rail, and some programs below require the person to own or be about to own the home. If you rent, talk with the landlord early, and look at the Virginia Housing rental modification program listed further down.
The most direct help for a stair lift in this county comes from two state sources. Virginia Housing Accessibility Grants pay up to $10,000 with no repayment, and the program page lists chairlifts by name. Income limits apply, set at 60% or 80% of area median income depending on the program.
Many Henrico households earn too much for grant programs. For them, the Virginia Assistive Technology Loan Fund Authority (ATLFA) offers loans that list stair lifts as an example, with a standard rate around 5%. Henrico County's own repair program, Medicaid waiver services and VA grants may also apply in some cases, but their pages do not name stair lifts, so call and ask before you count on them.
A Virginia Medicaid waiver for older adults and people with disabilities who meet a nursing-facility level of care; it covers Environmental Modification and Assistive Technology, with amounts set by each person's plan of care. Stair lifts are not mentioned on the official page, so confirm with your care coordinator.
Grants of up to $10,000 that do not need to be repaid, and the program explicitly lists installing ramps and chairlifts; income limits are 60% of area median income, or 80% for the Granting Freedom program for veterans and service members with a service-connected disability. Apply through a Virginia Housing-accepted agent and call (877) 843-2123 for details.
A VA grant for medically necessary home changes, with a $6,800 lifetime maximum for service-connected disabilities and $2,000 for other eligible disabilities. It does not cover stair lifts: the VA excludes stair glides, porch lifts and portable ramps.
Larger VA grants for veterans with certain severe service-connected disabilities, up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA in FY2026, and the veteran must own or be about to own the home. Stair lifts are not named on the VA page, so ask the VA at (800) 827-1000.
A state loan fund open to any Virginia resident with a disability or their caregiver, with no stated minimum or maximum and a standard rate around 5%; stair lifts are listed as an example of what it funds. Call (804) 662-9000.
County repair help for low-to-moderate income homeowners, up to $10,000 for emergency and minor repairs or up to $45,000 for moderate rehabilitation, which includes adaptability improvements and requires the owner to be 62 or older or disabled. Stair lifts are not named, so call (804) 501-4757 to ask.
The area agency on aging for Henrico and neighboring localities, offering information, referral and care coordination rather than cash grants; no stair lift grant is listed. Call (804) 343-3000.
Older adults
24 E. Cary Street, Richmond, 23219
Veterans
121 Cedar Fork Road, Room 412, Henrico, 23223
Yes. Virginia Housing Accessibility Grants list chairlifts among covered modifications and pay up to $10,000 with no repayment, if household income is within the program limits. Call (877) 843-2123.
The Virginia Assistive Technology Loan Fund Authority (ATLFA) makes loans for stair lifts to Virginia residents with a disability or their caregivers, at a standard rate around 5%. Approval looks at credit and debt-to-income, with some allowance for disability-related hardship. Call (804) 662-9000.
The HISA grant does not, because the VA excludes stair glides. The SAH and SHA grants do not name stair lifts either, so ask the VA at (800) 827-1000, and note that a veteran with a service-connected disability may qualify for the Virginia Housing Granting Freedom grant. The Henrico Office of the Virginia Department of Veterans Services is at 121 Cedar Fork Road, Room 412, and can be reached at (804) 593-2782.
The county's Moderate Housing Rehabilitation Program serves low-to-moderate income homeowners who are 62 or older or disabled, with up to $45,000 that can include adaptability improvements. Stair lifts are not named, so call (804) 501-4757 to see if your project qualifies.
Yes, outdoor models are made for that. With about 88 days a year below freezing and some snow, it is worth choosing a lift built for weather and keeping the steps clear in winter.
The Span Center, the area agency on aging that serves Henrico, offers information and referral for older adults and caregivers. Call (804) 343-3000.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
