Richmond County sits on Virginia's Northern Neck, with the Rappahannock River along its main boundary and about 25 of its 216 square miles under water. Warsaw is the county seat and the one town on our list, home to regional government agencies, a community college and a vocational center. Past that small town core, most of the county is rural land reached by U.S. Route 360 and state routes like 3, 203 and 608.
That spread-out setting shapes how a stair lift gets chosen and paid for here. Homes are often single-family and detached, and the nearest help with paperwork may be in Warsaw or farther out in Urbanna. This page walks through which lift fits which kind of house, and which programs in Virginia actually name stair lifts or chairlifts as something they will fund.
The home styles common in this area include single-family homes, detached houses, split-level homes and ranch-style homes. Each one asks something different of a stair lift, so we look at the stairs before talking about models.
A straight staircase with no landing is the simplest case and takes a straight rail. Split-level homes often have short flights that turn or break at a landing, and those usually need a curved rail built to the exact shape of the stairs. A ranch-style home may have few or no inside stairs, so the problem is often the steps up to the porch or door.
For outside entry steps, an outdoor stair lift is built to handle the weather. A platform lift is a different machine for someone who needs to stay in a wheelchair, and it takes more space at the top and bottom of the steps.
In Warsaw, 17.4 percent of residents are 65 or older, and 49.6 percent are homeowners. That second number matters: about half of households rent, and renters have fewer options for permanent changes to a home.
The county as a whole counted 8,923 people at the 2020 census, down from 9,254 in 2010. With Richmond about an hour away and Washington, D.C. about two hours, many families coordinating care for a parent here are doing it from a distance, which makes a clear plan for the stairs more useful.
The county's official profile describes farming, fishing and forestry as the backbone of the local economy, and lists a 2010-2014 median household income of $53,482. For many households, outside help with the cost will make the difference.
The program that names chairlifts outright is the Virginia Housing Accessibility Grants, at up to $10,000 per household with no repayment. Homeowners at or below 60% of area median income can apply through the Owner-Occupied Modification track, and the application has to go through a Virginia Housing-approved agent.
Several other programs fund accessibility work but do not list stair lifts by name, including the CCC Plus waiver, EHARP and the Livable Home Tax Credit. Ask each one directly before counting on it. The full list with phone numbers is below.
The Virginia Department of Veterans Services (DVS) District 33 office is at 471 Main Street in Warsaw, and its phone is (804) 333-3286. That is a good first stop for sorting out which veteran benefits apply.
Be aware that the VA HISA grant specifically excludes stair glides, so it will not pay for a stair lift. The Granting Freedom track of the Virginia Housing Accessibility Grants is the better fit for veterans and service members with a service-connected disability at or below 80% of area median income, since that program lists chairlifts as eligible.
Pays up to $5,000 per person per calendar year for home modifications such as ramps and grab bars for Medicaid members who meet nursing facility level of care, but stair lifts are not named in the regulation. Apply through Bay Aging or a managed care care coordinator, or call (833) 522-5582.
A true grant of up to $10,000 per household that explicitly lists installing chairlifts, with tracks for low-income homeowners, disabled veterans and renters with a disability. Applications go through a Virginia Housing-approved agent; call (877) 843-2123.
Funds permanent alterations like ramps and roll-in showers for veterans with a VA prescription, up to $6,800 or $2,000 lifetime depending on disability status. It does not cover stair lifts, since stair glides are specifically excluded.
Grants of up to $126,526 (SAH) or $25,350 (SHA) in FY2026 to build, buy or remodel a home for veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities. The program page does not specifically mention stair lifts.
Low-interest repair loans and, for owners age 62 and older, grants to remove health and safety hazards in eligible rural areas, which include rural Richmond County. Stair lifts are not specifically mentioned; call (804) 287-1500 to confirm current terms.
Up to $4,000 per applicant for essential repairs and accessibility work such as wheelchair ramps, for households at or below 80% of area median income, but stair lifts are not named. Richmond County is not on the excluded list; call (804) 371-7000.
A refundable state income tax credit of up to 50% of retrofit cost, capped at $6,500 per residence, for permanent accessibility features. Stair lifts are not itemized, so ask DHCD at (804) 371-7000 whether your project qualifies.
The area agency on aging serving Richmond County and the main local intake point for CCC Plus waiver screening and aging-services referrals; it does not list a stair lift benefit. Call (804) 758-2386.
Offers information, referral, peer support and independent-living skills training to people with disabilities in Richmond County, not direct cash for stair lifts. Call (804) 684-5607.
Older adults
5306 Old Virginia St., Urbanna, 23175
Veterans
471 Main Street, Warsaw, 22572
Yes. The Virginia Housing Accessibility Grants explicitly list installing chairlifts and provide up to $10,000 per household with no repayment. You apply through a Virginia Housing-approved agent, and you can reach the program at (877) 843-2123.
The CCC Plus waiver covers Virginia residents under 65 who have a qualifying disability and meet nursing facility or hospital level of care. Its environmental modifications benefit is capped at $5,000 per year, and stair lifts are not named in the regulation, so confirm before planning on it.
Not through HISA, which specifically excludes stair glides. The SAH and SHA grants do not name stair lifts either. The DVS District 33 office at 471 Main Street in Warsaw, (804) 333-3286, can help sort out options, and the Granting Freedom track of the Virginia Housing grants does list chairlifts.
No. The exclusion applies to Richmond city, which is a federally designated entitlement jurisdiction. Richmond County is not on that excluded list, so households here at or below 80% of area median income can apply by calling (804) 371-7000.
The Rental Unit Accessibility Modification track of the Virginia Housing grants serves renters with a disability at or below 60% of area median income. EHARP also accepts tenants with the owner's authorization.
Bay Aging at (804) 758-2386 is the local intake point for aging services and CCC Plus waiver screening. Its office is at 5306 Old Virginia St. in Urbanna.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
