Tazewell County sits on some of the most folded ground in far southwestern Virginia, where the Ridge-and-Valley province meets the Cumberland Plateau. Homes in Richlands, Bluefield, Cedar Bluff, Pounding Mill and Pocahontas were often built into hillsides, with steps at the front walk, steps inside, and sometimes steps down to a lower level.
Much of the older building here dates to the Pocahontas coalfield boom, when Richlands grew fast and dense. If a parent has lived in one of those houses for decades, the stairs that never mattered before can become the hardest part of the day. This page walks through which kind of lift tends to fit local homes and which programs can help with the cost.
The boom years in Richlands produced multi-level construction packed into town centers, along with mansions and the elaborate Richlands Hotel. Houses from that period often have narrow staircases, landings that turn, and more than one flight to reach the bedrooms.
A straight staircase with no turns usually takes a straight rail, which is the simplest install. Where a staircase turns at a landing or curves, a custom curved rail is built to follow it. We measure each staircase in person because older homes rarely match a standard layout.
Across the county you will find single-family homes, townhouses, duplexes, split-level homes and walk-up apartments. Split-level homes often have several short flights rather than one long one, so a family may only need a lift on the flight that leads to the bedroom or bathroom.
Townhouses and duplexes tend to have a straight interior stair, which suits a straight rail. In a walk-up apartment or a rental duplex, talk with the building owner before planning an install, since the rail mounts to the stair treads.
Tazewell County covers about 520 square miles of rugged, high-relief terrain. Burke's Garden, the high bowl-shaped valley the county is known for, shows how steep and folded the land is, and that shapes how homes sit on their lots.
On a hillside property the hard climb is often outside: steps from the driveway or road up to the porch. Outdoor stair lifts are built to handle weather on those exterior steps. When a wheelchair has to come along, a platform lift may be the better fit than a seat.
About 24.3% of county residents are 65 or older, and 67.2% own their homes. That is a lot of longtime owners in houses they intend to stay in, which is exactly where a stair lift tends to make sense.
If that includes someone in your family, the Tazewell Office of the Virginia Department of Veterans Services at 657 Main Street in Tazewell, (276) 988-3761, can help sort out which VA benefits apply.
The clearest source of help for a stair lift in Virginia is the Virginia Housing Accessibility Grant, which lists chairlifts among covered modifications and does not need to be repaid. Other programs, including Medicaid CCC Plus, USDA Section 504 and the Livable Home Tax Credit, cover accessibility or repair work but their sources do not name stair lifts, so confirm with them before you count on it.
Veterans should know that the VA HISA grant does not pay for stair glides. The local Area Agency on Aging, the Appalachian Agency for Senior Citizens at 216 College Ridge Road in Tazewell, is a good first call for older homeowners. The programs below list who to contact.
A grant of up to $10,000 per unit for barrier-free modifications, and the official program page lists installing ramps and chairlifts as covered. Owner-Occupied grants serve homeowners with a disability at 60% or less of area median income, Granting Freedom serves disabled veterans and service members at 80% or less, and you apply through a Virginia Housing accepted agent; call (877) 843-2123.
For people enrolled in CCC Plus who meet a nursing-facility level of care, this waiver covers environmental modifications and assistive technology, though the source does not mention stair lifts or state a dollar cap. Ask the DMAS screening team or your managed care organization about current benefit limits.
Tazewell County's Area Agency on Aging provides materials at no cost and volunteer labor for income-qualified older adults and adults with disabilities, covering ramps, railings, grab bars and kitchen or bathroom adaptations; stair lifts are not mentioned on its page. Call (276) 964-4915.
This VA grant pays for permanent alterations such as roll-in showers and permanent ramps, with a lifetime maximum of $6,800 or $2,000 depending on disability type, but it specifically does not cover stair glides. Call (800) 827-1000.
Grants for veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities, up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA in FY2026, generally used for larger structural remodeling; the VA page does not mention stair lifts. Call (800) 827-1000 to confirm whether your project qualifies.
Tazewell County is USDA RD-eligible, so owner-occupants at or below 50% of area median income can get loans up to $20,000 at 1% interest, and those 62 or older can get grants up to $7,500 for work that removes a health or safety hazard. The reviewed source does not name stair lifts; call (804) 287-1500.
A state tax credit of up to 50% of retrofit cost, capped at $6,500, for making an existing home more accessible, drawn from a $2,000,000 statewide annual allocation. DHCD's page does not name stair lifts as a qualifying feature, so call (804) 371-7000 to confirm eligibility and deadlines.
Older adults
216 College Ridge Road, Tazewell, 24609
Veterans
657 Main Street, Tazewell, 24651
Yes, in most cases. A staircase that turns at a landing or curves needs a custom curved rail rather than a straight one, and we measure on site to build it to your stairs.
Outdoor stair lifts are made for exterior steps like those on hillside lots common in the county. If the person uses a wheelchair, a platform lift may be the better choice.
The Virginia Housing Accessibility Grant lists chairlifts among covered modifications and provides up to $10,000 per unit with no repayment. Call (877) 843-2123 to find the accepted agent for Tazewell County.
No. The VA lists stair glides as removable equipment that HISA will not fund. Veterans can ask the Tazewell Office of the Virginia Department of Veterans Services at (276) 988-3761 about other options, including the Granting Freedom grant.
USDA Section 504 offers grants up to $7,500 for homeowners age 62 and older who meet income limits, for work that removes a health or safety hazard. Its source does not name stair lifts, so call (804) 287-1500 to ask.
The Appalachian Agency for Senior Citizens, the county's Area Agency on Aging, at (276) 964-4915. Its emergency home repair program covers items like ramps and grab bars for income-qualified residents.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
