Dodge County covers 907 square miles of glacial country in south-central Wisconsin, from the lakeside streets of Beaver Dam to the edge of Horicon Marsh and the farm roads around Lomira, Theresa and Reeseville. More than half of residents, 54.9%, live in rural areas. That means a lot of farmhouses and older multi-story homes in small cities and villages.
Those houses were built with stairs at the center of daily life: bedrooms up, laundry down, and steps at the porch. This page walks through how a stair lift fits the kinds of homes found across the county's 19 towns, and which local and state offices can help you figure out how to pay for one.
Walk through Mayville, Horicon or Fox Lake and you'll see plenty of older two-story houses. Many of these have a single straight flight between floors, which is the simplest and quickest kind of stair lift to fit. A straight rail mounts to the stair treads, not the wall, so plaster and woodwork are left alone.
Farmhouses are a different story. Stairs that turn at a landing, wind tightly, or split into two short runs usually need a curved rail built to the exact shape of the staircase. We measure every turn on site before anything is ordered, because a curved rail is made for one staircase only.
On a farmstead outside Juneau or Hustisford, the hardest stairs are often outside: the steps from the yard to the back door or down to a walkout basement. An outdoor stair lift uses a weather-rated rail and seat built to stay outside year round.
When someone uses a wheelchair or can't make the transfer onto a seat, a platform lift is usually the better answer. It carries the person in the chair up a short rise, such as a porch or a split-level entry. We'll look at both options during a visit and tell you plainly which one suits the home.
Not everyone in the county lives in a detached house. Townhouses and low-rise buildings have their own stairs, and about 29% of the county's 38,123 housing units are renter-occupied. If you rent, the owner or building manager has to approve the installation before we schedule it.
Inside a townhouse, the stairs are often narrow and straight. A slim folding seat and footrest leave room for others to use the stairs when the lift is parked at the top or bottom.
Of the county's 53,766 residents, 16.5% are 65 or older, and about 71% of housing units are owner-occupied. For many families, that adds up to a parent who wants to stay in a home they own but is starting to struggle with the stairs.
If the person who needs the lift served, it's worth a call to the county veterans office before you buy, since some federal housing grants may apply depending on the disability.
Most stair lifts are paid for out of pocket, but there are several places to check first. The ADRC of Dodge County in Juneau is the front door for publicly funded long-term care in Wisconsin, including IRIS and Family Care. None of the program sources we have name stair lifts specifically, so ask each one directly how they handle home modifications.
Veterans should start with the Dodge County Veterans Service Office, which helps with VA housing grant applications. WisLoan offers loans for assistive technology and home modifications to Wisconsin adults with disabilities. Statewide programs also worth asking about include the Community Options Program (COP), the WHEDA Home Improvement Loan Program (HILP), and VA benefits for veterans (HISA + Prosthetics).
Provides benefits counseling, resource navigation and access to Medicaid long-term care such as IRIS and Family Care for older adults and people with disabilities in the county. Its page does not list stair lifts or home modifications; call (920) 386-3580.
VA-accredited staff help veterans and their dependents in the county apply for federal and state benefits, including disability housing grants. The office's page does not itemize stair lift coverage; call (920) 386-3799.
A federal grant of up to $126,526 (FY2026) for veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities to buy, build or change a permanent home; the source names ramps and widened doorways but does not mention stair lifts. Apply with help from the county veterans office at (920) 386-3799.
A federal grant of up to $25,350 (FY2026) for veterans with qualifying disabilities such as loss of both hands, severe burns or breathing injuries; the source does not mention stair lifts. Call the county veterans office at (920) 386-3799.
A self-directed Medicaid long-term care program with an individual budget for people who are functionally and financially eligible, with enrollment through the ADRC. The source does not list which home modifications are covered; call (800) 815-0015.
A Medicaid managed long-term care program for eligible Wisconsin residents, with enrollment through the ADRC. The source does not detail covered services or mention stair lifts; call (800) 815-0015.
Loans of $500 to $80,000 for Wisconsin residents 18 and older with disabilities to buy assistive technology and make home modifications; stair lifts are not named on the source page. Call (608) 242-8484.
Older adults
199 County Road DF, Juneau, 53039
Veterans
199 County Road DF, Henry Dodge Office Building, 2nd Floor, Juneau, 53039
The Dodge County ADRC is at 199 County Road DF in Juneau, 53039. You can reach it at (920) 386-3580.
Yes, possibly. WisLoan accepts applications from Wisconsin residents 18 and older with disabilities, and the ADRC serves people living with a disability as well as older adults.
Yes. WisLoan accepts applications from a parent, relative, spouse, caretaker or legal guardian on the person's behalf. Call (608) 242-8484 to ask about using a loan for a stair lift.
The SAH and SHA grant sources do not name stair lifts, though SAH funds can be used to change a permanent home. The Dodge County Veterans Service Office, on the 2nd floor of the Henry Dodge Office Building at 199 County Road DF in Juneau, can review your case at (920) 386-3799.
Usually, yes. Stairs with a turn or landing need a curved rail made to fit that staircase, and we measure it on site before ordering.
An outdoor stair lift can handle exterior steps, and a platform lift works for someone who needs to stay in a wheelchair. We can look at both during a home visit.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
