Walla Walla County runs from the valley floor near the Blue Mountains out to the Columbia and Snake rivers, with eight towns in between: Walla Walla, College Place, Burbank, Walla Walla East, Garrett, Waitsburg, Touchet and Prescott. Much of the housing here went up long before anyone wrote accessibility codes. Downtown Walla Walla still has the 1928 Marcus Whitman Hotel and turn-of-the-century commercial blocks, and the neighborhoods around them are full of older two-story homes with interior stairs.
Out past city services, the picture changes to acreage, slopes and multi-level farmhouses. This page walks through how those homes affect the kind of stair lift that fits, and which local and state programs can help with the cost.
In the older two-story homes around downtown Walla Walla, the stairs are usually one flight between the main floor and the bedrooms. If that flight runs straight from bottom to top, a straight rail stair lift is the simplest fit and mounts to the stair treads, not the wall.
Many older staircases turn at a landing or have a curve partway up. Those need a curved rail built to the shape of your stairs. We measure the staircase in person before recommending one, because the turn, the landing and the width at the top all change what will work.
Split-level homes often have short flights going both up and down from the entry. Depending on which floors you actually use every day, that can mean one lift on the main flight or a rail that follows more than one section.
Townhouses and walk-up apartments tend to have narrow stairs and shared walls. A stair lift can still fit, but in a rental or a shared building you will want to talk with the owner or association before installation.
About 20.3% of county residents live in rural areas outside the urban centers, often on acreage around towns like Touchet, Prescott and Waitsburg. Multi-level farmhouses there may have both interior stairs and steps up to the porch or a side door.
For outside steps, an outdoor-rated stair lift is built to handle the weather. The valley sits in the rain shadow of the Cascade Mountains, with hot summers and relatively mild winters, but an outdoor unit still needs a cover and sealed parts. Where someone uses a wheelchair, a vertical platform lift at the entry can make more sense than a seat.
About 18.8% of Walla Walla County residents are 65 or older, and 65.6% of households own their homes. For a longtime owner in a two-story house, a stair lift is often what makes staying put practical instead of moving to a one-level place.
If that includes you or your parent, the veteran programs below are worth checking before you pay out of pocket.
The local entry point is the Aging & Long Term Care of Southeast Washington office at 125 East Cherry Street, Suite A, in Walla Walla, reachable at (509) 529-6470 or toll-free at 1-855-567-0252. That office handles applications for the COPES waiver, which can pay for home modifications when a case manager approves them.
Homeowners with limited income can look at the Blue Mountain Action Council repair grants, and rural homeowners may qualify for the USDA Section 504 program. The Northwest Access Fund offers loans that explicitly include stair lift installation. Veterans can contact County Veterans Services - Walla Walla at 314 W Main, (509) 524-2936. Other statewide options include Community First Choice (CFC) and the Senior Citizens & People with Disabilities Property Tax Exemption.
A state Medicaid waiver for people 65 and older, or 18 and older who are blind or disabled, who meet nursing-facility level of care and income limits. It covers home modifications, and a case manager decides whether a stair lift qualifies; call (509) 529-6470.
The local information, referral and case management office for adults 60 and older, Tribal members 55 and older, adults with disabilities and family caregivers. Its listed services do not mention stair lifts, but it is where COPES applications start; call (509) 529-6470.
Repair grants for income-qualified owner-occupants in eligible areas of Columbia, Garfield and Walla Walla counties, with priority for seniors, people with disabilities and veterans. Repairs supporting people with disabilities are covered, and stair lift funding is decided case by case; call (509) 529-4980.
Federal repair loans up to $40,000 at 1% interest and grants up to $10,000 for very-low-income rural homeowners, with grants limited to applicants 62 and older. The source does not mention stair lifts; call (360) 704-7700.
A grant of up to $126,526 for FY 2026 for veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities to adapt a home. It covers home modifications, with stair lifts approved case by case; call (509) 525-5200.
A grant of up to $25,350 for FY 2026 for veterans with certain service-connected disabilities, and the home may be owned by the veteran or a family member. It covers home accessibility changes, with stair lifts approved case by case; call (509) 525-5200.
A nonprofit lender offering home modification loans up to $60,000 over as long as 120 months to Washington, Oregon and Idaho residents with disabilities, including seniors. Stair lift installation is listed by name; call (206) 328-5116.
Older adults
3311 W. Clearwater Ave., Suite D-100, Kennewick, 99336
Veterans
314 W Main, Walla Walla, 99362
In most cases, yes. A straight flight takes a straight rail, and stairs that turn at a landing need a curved rail made to measure. We look at the staircase in person before recommending one.
Call the Aging & Long Term Care of Southeast Washington office in Walla Walla at (509) 529-6470 or 1-855-567-0252. It is the local entry point for the COPES waiver, which can cover home modifications when a case manager approves them.
Yes. COPES is open to adults 18 and older who are blind or disabled and meet its other rules, and the Northwest Access Fund lends to people of all ages with disabilities.
Most of Walla Walla County outside the core of the City of Walla Walla is rural-eligible for the USDA Section 504 program. Grants are limited to applicants 62 and older, and the source does not mention stair lifts, so call (360) 704-7700 to ask.
Veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities may qualify for the VA SAH or SHA grants, reachable at (509) 525-5200. County Veterans Services - Walla Walla at (509) 524-2936 can help with the paperwork.
Yes, an outdoor-rated stair lift is built for that. If the person uses a wheelchair, a vertical platform lift at the entry may be the better choice.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
