From the farmhouses outside Bridport and Shoreham to the village homes in Middlebury, Bristol and Vergennes, a lot of Addison County lives on two floors. The county's housing runs older than much of Vermont, and 27.0% of the homes measured were built in 1939 or earlier. Many of those are two-story timber-frame farmhouses with the bedrooms and bathroom at the top of a full flight of stairs.
That layout is the reason families here call us. When the stairs get harder, the choice is often between moving out, living on one floor, or putting in a lift. This page walks through how the county's homes and terrain shape that choice and which programs in Vermont may help with the cost.
Addison County ranks #9 among Vermont counties for oldest homes, with a median construction year of 1977. In the older timber-frame farmhouses, the interior staircase is the only way to reach the second-floor bedrooms and bathroom, so it gets used many times a day.
If that staircase runs in one straight line from bottom to top, a straight stair lift is usually the simplest fit. It mounts to the stair treads, not the wall, which matters in old plaster and timber walls. Stairs that turn at a landing or wind around a corner need a curved lift built to the shape of that staircase.
Not every home here is a farmhouse. Split-level homes have short runs of stairs between levels, and a lift is often only needed on the run that leads to the bedrooms. Ranch-style homes usually keep living space on one floor, but the steps down to a basement laundry or up to the front door can still be a problem.
Walk-up apartments raise a different question, because the stairs belong to the building. Anyone renting should talk with the landlord before planning a lift, and some assistance programs ask renters for a landlord form as part of the application.
The county covers 808 square miles between Lake Champlain and the Green Mountains, with about 48.8 people per square mile. Outside town centers like Middlebury, homes in places such as Ripton, Lincoln, Hancock and Granville are spread out, and getting into the house can matter as much as getting upstairs.
For porch or entry steps, an outdoor stair lift or a vertical platform lift may make more sense than a ramp when there is not enough yard for one. We look at the steps, the slope of the ground and how the person gets in and out of a car before suggesting one.
Of the county's 38,020 residents, 22.2% are 65 or older, and 79.3% of households own their home. That is a lot of people who plan to stay put in a house they own, which is the situation where a lift tends to pay off.
VA benefits have specific rules about stair lifts, covered below, so veterans should check before counting on that money.
No program in the list below names stair lifts as a covered item, and one VA grant rules them out. That does not mean help is out of reach. Several programs cover home modifications in general, and coverage of a lift is decided case by case.
A good first call is Age Well's Senior HelpLine at (800) 642-5119. Age Well is the Area Agency on Aging for Addison County and can help sort out Choices for Care and other applications. Veterans can also reach the Vermont Veterans Outreach Team in Colchester at (802) 338-4313. The Vermont Independence Fund (Assistive Technology Loan) is another statewide option to ask about.
A Medicaid home and community-based services waiver for Vermonters who meet nursing facility level of care, with a 2026 income limit of $2,982/month for a single applicant. It lists home modifications such as ramps, grab bars and widening of doorways, but stair lifts are not named, so ask your care coordinator; call (800) 642-5119.
The Area Agency on Aging for Addison, Chittenden, Franklin and Grand Isle Counties, offering referrals, case management, Meals on Wheels and application help rather than cash grants. It does not list a stair lift or home modification fund; call the Senior HelpLine at (800) 642-5119.
A statewide program providing home entry and bathroom accessibility modifications for low-income Vermonters with physical disabilities, with no age restriction. Stair lifts are not mentioned, and applicants need a doctor's note plus a property tax bill or landlord form; call (802) 224-1807.
A lifetime VA grant of up to $6,800 or $2,000, depending on disability status, for medically necessary fixed alterations like entrance access and bathroom changes. The VA explicitly excludes stair glides, so it does not cover a stair lift; call (800) 827-1000.
VA grants for veterans with specific severe service-connected disabilities to build or adapt a home, up to $126,526 (SAH) or $25,350 (SHA) for FY2026. Stair lifts are not named in the source, so confirm with the VA at (800) 827-1000.
Free energy-efficiency weatherization for income-qualified households, with an Addison County limit of $92,150 a year for a family of four. It does not mention stair lifts or accessibility changes; call (800) 545-1084.
Older adults
59 N. Main St., Suite 200, Barre, 05641
Veterans
789 National Guard Road, Colchester, 05446
Choices for Care covers home modifications such as ramps, grab bars and widening doorways, but stair lifts are not listed by name. Whether a lift is covered is decided through the participant's care coordinator as part of an approved support plan. Call (800) 642-5119 to start.
No. The VA excludes stair glides and other removable equipment from HISA. The SAH and SHA grants do not name stair lifts either, so ask the VA at (800) 827-1000 or the Vermont Veterans Outreach Team at (802) 338-4313.
The VCIL Home Access Program has no age restriction and serves low-income Vermonters with physical disabilities. It focuses on home entry and bathroom changes and does not mention stair lifts, so call (802) 224-1807 to ask.
Yes, in the asset limits. A single applicant can have $2,000 in assets, or $5,000 if a homeowner, and home equity can be up to $752,000. Married couples who both apply have a $4,000 limit.
Age Well is the Area Agency on Aging for the county. Its Senior HelpLine at (800) 642-5119 can point you toward the programs that fit your situation and help with applications.
Most straight stair lifts mount to the stair treads, so the old walls are not carrying the load. If the stairs turn or wind, a curved lift is made to fit that staircase. We measure the stairs in person before recommending either.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
