Grant County covers 2,791 square miles of the Columbia Plateau, the fourth-largest county in Washington by area. Homes range from neighborhoods in Moses Lake and Ephrata to farmhouses outside Quincy, Warden and Royal City, and lake and river communities like Soap Lake, Crescent Bar and Desert Aire.
Much of that housing was built for an agricultural workforce, and a good share sits out on farm ground rather than in town. When a house has a second floor, a basement or steps at the door, those stairs can decide whether someone stays home. This page walks through how stair lifts fit Grant County houses and where to look for help paying for one.
The common house types here are single-family homes, detached houses, split-level homes, ranch-style homes and walk-up apartments. Each one changes what kind of lift makes sense.
A straight staircase with no turns is the simplest case and usually takes a straight rail. Split-level homes often have short flights with a landing or a change in direction, which can call for a curved rail or a separate lift on each flight.
Ranch-style homes are mostly one floor, but many still have stairs down to a basement or steps at the entry. In a walk-up apartment, the building owner normally has to approve anything mounted to a shared stairway, so that conversation comes first.
The county sits in the rain shadow of the Cascade Mountains, so summers run hot and winters turn cold. Porch and deck steps that feel fine in May can be a real hazard in January.
For exterior stairs, an outdoor-rated stair lift is built to handle sun and cold. Where steps are few but a wheelchair is involved, a platform lift can be the better fit. We look at the entry, the slope of the yard and how the person gets from the car to the door before recommending either one.
Grant County has 69,401 residents, and 13.8% are 65 or older. It is a fairly young, working county, so many of the calls we get come from adult children helping a parent stay in the family home.
About 60.8% of households own their home, which matters because most funding programs and loans are tied to a home you own.
With 44.9% of residents living in rural areas, a lot of homes are far from town. That makes a dependable setup at home worth planning before a fall, not after.
There is no single program that pays for every stair lift, so it helps to know which door to knock on. Grant County is served by Aging & Adult Care of Central Washington in East Wenatchee at (509) 886-0700, which handles COPES waiver services including environmental modifications.
Veterans can start with Grant County Veterans Services at 1008 W Ivy Ave in Moses Lake, (509) 764-6325, to ask about VA grants. For people who need financing, the Northwest Access Fund offers a home modification loan that names stair lift installation as an eligible use. Each program is summarized in the list below.
A Medicaid waiver benefit that pays for physical adaptations to the home for COPES clients who are 65 or older or disabled and need nursing-home level of care; the source does not name stair lifts, so ask your case manager directly. Call Aging & Adult Care of Central Washington at (509) 886-0700.
A federal VA grant of up to $126,526 (FY2026 maximum) for veterans with certain service-connected disabilities, such as loss or loss of use of both lower extremities, usable up to 6 times for a home the veteran owns or will own. The VA describes it for home modifications like ramps and widened doorways; stair lifts are not named.
A federal VA grant of up to $25,350 (FY2026 maximum) for veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities such as loss or loss of use of both hands, and it can be used in a family member's home. The VA lists general home modifications; stair lifts are not named.
A low-interest nonprofit loan of up to $60,000 with a maximum 10-year term for Washington, Oregon and Idaho residents with disabilities, and it explicitly covers stair lift installation. It must be repaid; call (206) 328-5116.
Older adults
50 Simon Street SE, Suite A, East Wenatchee, 98802
Veterans
1008 W Ivy Ave, Moses Lake, 98837
Yes, in most cases. Split-level homes often have short flights with a landing between them, so the answer may be a curved rail or a separate straight lift on each flight. A home visit shows which layout fits.
It may, through COPES Environmental Modification if you are enrolled in the COPES waiver. The program covers physical adaptations to the home, but the source does not name stair lifts, so ask a case manager at Aging & Adult Care of Central Washington, (509) 886-0700.
Call Grant County Veterans Services at (509) 764-6325 or visit 1008 W Ivy Ave in Moses Lake. They can help you check eligibility for the VA SAH and SHA grants, which are for veterans with specific service-connected disabilities.
The Northwest Access Fund Home Modification Loan lends up to $60,000 over as long as 10 years to Washington residents of all ages with disabilities. Stair lift installation is listed as an eligible use. Call (206) 328-5116.
Yes, as long as it is an outdoor-rated model built for exposure to the weather. For a short run of steps with a wheelchair user, a platform lift is often the better choice.
Possibly, but the building owner usually has to approve a lift on a shared stairway. Get that permission before scheduling an assessment.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
