Clark County runs from the flat floodplain around Vancouver, Hazel Dell and Orchards up into the forested Cascade foothills past Yacolt and Amboy, where the land climbs to about 4,000 feet. We install stair lifts in all 25 of its communities, from Camas and Washougal along the Columbia River to Ridgefield, La Center and Battle Ground in the north.
The homes vary as much as the ground does. A split-level in Felida, a townhouse in Salmon Creek and a single-family home on acreage near Hockinson each call for a different lift. This page walks through what fits which kind of house and which local, state and federal programs may help with the cost.
The 2020 census counted 195,036 housing units in Clark County, with 64.8% owner-occupied. Much of that stock sits in suburbs around Vancouver, and many of those houses have stairs between the main living levels. That single staircase is often what decides whether someone can keep living at home.
Single-family homes with one straight run of stairs are usually the simplest case, since a straight lift rides a rail mounted to the treads. Townhouses tend to stack living space over two or three floors, so the stairs see daily use and a lift can matter more there than in a larger house.
Split-level homes are common in the county's older suburbs, and they bring short flights of stairs joined by landings or turns. A staircase that changes direction needs a curved rail built to that exact stair, while two separate short flights can sometimes be handled with two straight lifts.
We measure each run before recommending anything. The goal is a lift that covers the flight you actually use every day, such as the one up to the bedrooms, not every set of stairs in the house.
In the eastern and northern parts of the county, homes around Yacolt, Amboy, Venersborg and Fern Prairie often sit on sloped lots in the foothills. There the hardest steps may be outside, between the driveway and the front door or down to a lower entrance.
Outdoor stair lifts are built for exterior steps. Where a wheelchair user needs to get up a short rise, a platform lift can be the better fit. On the flatter floodplain ground around Vancouver and Hazel Dell, entry steps are usually fewer, and the interior staircase is the main concern.
Clark County also has walk-up apartments and low-rise buildings, and about a third of homes are renter-occupied. A renter who wants a stair lift needs written permission from the owner or building manager before any rail goes in, and shared stairways have to stay clear for other residents.
If you rent, bring your landlord into the conversation early. We can explain to them how the rail attaches and what removal looks like later.
Only one program below explicitly lists stair lifts: the Northwest Access Fund home modification loan. Most others cover home modifications or accessibility work in general without naming stair lifts, so a phone call to confirm is worth the time. The VA HISA grant specifically excludes stair glides.
Where you live in the county matters. The Clark County Housing Preservation Program serves homes outside Vancouver city limits, while Vancouver residents are directed to the City of Vancouver's own program. USDA Section 504 help is limited to rural areas, which generally leaves out urban Vancouver but can include outlying areas around Yacolt, Amboy or the rural fringe of Battle Ground.
Other statewide programs to ask about include Community First Choice (CFC) and the Senior Citizens & People with Disabilities Property Tax Exemption.
A county repair grant of up to $40,000 for households at or below 60% of area median income, for homes outside Vancouver city limits or in Woodland; accessibility items like ramps, grab bars and roll-in showers are covered, but stair lifts are not listed. The general waitlist is closed except for emergency repairs, so call (564) 397-7811 to ask about stair access.
Up to $8,000 for urgent health and safety repairs, as a 0% interest deferred loan for homeowners or a grant for mobile home owners on leased land, with the same 60% income limit; stair lifts are not listed. Call (564) 397-2000 to ask whether a stair-related fall risk could qualify.
A Medicaid waiver for people who need nursing-facility level of care and meet the 2026 limits of $2,982 monthly income and $2,000 in countable resources for a single applicant; it includes Environmental Modifications, but stair lifts are not specifically listed. Call the local DSHS Home and Community Services office at (360) 397-9500.
A state long-term care benefit for Washington workers who have contributed to the fund and have a qualifying care need; home modifications and assistive devices are mentioned, but stair lifts are not named. Call (844) 227-3492 to confirm.
A VA grant with a $6,800 or $2,000 lifetime maximum for medically needed home changes, prescribed by a VA physician. It does not cover stair lifts; the VA lists stair glides and porch lifts among items it will not fund.
Grants for veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities, up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA in FY2026; stair lifts are not mentioned either way. Call (800) 827-1000 to ask.
Loans up to $40,000 at 1% fixed interest and grants up to $10,000 for very-low-income homeowners in USDA-eligible rural areas, with grants limited to those 62 or older who cannot repay a loan. Accessibility changes are covered in general terms, but stair lifts are not named.
The local starting point for older adults and people with disabilities, offering information, referral and in-home assistance rather than direct grants; it does not list a stair lift program. Call the Clark County office at (360) 735-5720 to be screened for COPES, WA Cares and other options.
A nonprofit loan of up to $60,000 over up to 10 years for Washington residents with disabilities, including seniors with age-related limitations, and it explicitly covers stair lift installation. It must be repaid; call (206) 328-5116.
Older adults
1338 Commerce Avenue, Suite 309, Longview, 98632
Veterans
1305 Columbia Street, Suite 100, Vancouver, 98660
No. That program serves homes in Clark County outside Vancouver city limits, plus the city of Woodland. Vancouver residents are directed to the City of Vancouver's own program.
The HISA grant will not; it specifically excludes stair glides and porch lifts. The SAH and SHA grants do not mention stair lifts either way, so call (800) 827-1000, and you can also contact the Veterans Assistance Fund in Vancouver at (360) 693-7030.
Yes. The Northwest Access Fund home modification loan lists stair lift installation as an eligible item, with loans up to $60,000 over as long as 10 years. It is a loan, so it has to be repaid.
Possibly. USDA Section 504 repair loans and grants can include outlying parts of Clark County such as areas around Yacolt, Amboy or Battle Ground's rural fringe. Grants of up to $10,000 are only for homeowners 62 or older who cannot repay a loan, and you should confirm your address on the USDA eligibility map first.
The Housing Preservation Program's general waitlist is closed, and new applications are taken only for emergency repairs. The Emergency/Minor Home Repair Program is meant for urgent health and safety work, so call (564) 397-2000 to ask whether a stair-related safety need fits.
Not always. If the flights connect through a turn, a curved rail is usually needed, but two separate straight flights can sometimes each take a straight lift. An in-home measurement settles it.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
