Menomonie still carries the shape of its lumber-boom years. Around the Menomonie Downtown Historic District and the Mabel Tainter Memorial Building, you find older multi-story homes with steep, narrow staircases. Newer construction tied to the University of Wisconsin-Stout sits alongside them.
Head out toward Colfax, Boyceville, Elk Mound, Knapp or Downing and the picture changes to older farmhouses spread across about 850 square miles of the Chippewa Valley. Many of those farmhouses have bedrooms upstairs. That is usually where a stair lift conversation starts, so this page walks through the homes we see here and the local offices that can help with cost.
Houses near the historic downtown were built when stairs were the only way up. A straight staircase with no turns is the simplest case, and a straight rail stair lift mounts to the treads, not the wall.
Older staircases often have a turn, a landing or a narrow width. Those usually call for a curved rail built to fit that specific staircase. We measure first so you know which type your stairs need before any decision is made.
Dunn County averages roughly 53.4 residents per square mile, so many homes outside Menomonie sit on their own along country roads. Older farmhouses in places like Ridgeland, Wheeler and Downsville more often have stairs to an upper floor than a single-story ranch home does.
Rural homes also tend to have porch steps or a few stairs down to a yard or outbuilding. An outdoor stair lift or a vertical platform lift can handle that entry. A platform lift also works for someone who uses a wheelchair and cannot transfer to a seat.
Split-level homes have short flights between levels, and a person may need a lift on more than one of them. Ranch-style homes are often single-story living, but basement stairs to a laundry room can still be the hard part of the day.
Townhouses usually have a straight interior staircase, which keeps the job simple. In walk-up apartments, renters need the landlord's approval before anything is installed. Ask about this early, since some lifts can be removed later.
About 14.6 percent of county residents are 65 or older, and the county's median age was 35.8 as of the 2020 Census. So many households here are adult children helping a parent stay in the family home rather than moving.
If that includes your family, start with the Dunn County Veterans Service Office before paying out of pocket, because VA rules on stair lifts are specific.
Most of the local programs below do not list stair lifts by name. That does not always mean no. It means you should call and ask directly. The Dunn County ADRC at (715) 232-4006 is the best first call for older adults and adults with disabilities, and it handles enrollment for IRIS and Family Care.
Veterans should know that the VA HISA grant specifically excludes stair glides. The SAH and SHA grants do not name stair lifts either, so ask the Dunn County Veterans Service Office at (715) 232-1646 how they apply to your situation.
For income-eligible homeowners, West CAP and several home-repair groups it lists may help with repairs. Statewide programs worth asking about include the Community Options Program (COP), WisLoan (WisTech Alternative Loan Program) and the WHEDA Home Improvement Loan Program (HILP).
Provides information, benefits counseling, long-term care options counseling and enrollment help for Family Care and IRIS for residents 60 and older and adults with disabilities; stair lifts are not listed as a specific benefit. Call (715) 232-4006.
A self-directed Medicaid program for frail elders and adults with disabilities who meet a nursing-home level of care, so they can receive care at home; the source does not list stair lifts or home modifications. Apply through the Dunn County ADRC, or call IRIS at (877) 659-4500.
Offers up to $6,800 lifetime for a service-connected disability (or a non-service-connected disability with an SC rating of at least 50%) and $2,000 for other non-service-connected disabilities, but it does not cover stair glides or porch lifts. Call the county veterans office at (715) 232-1646 for help with other home changes.
For veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities, SAH goes up to $126,526 and SHA up to $25,350 in 2026; the VA does not name stair lifts among covered modifications. Call (715) 232-1646 to ask whether your project qualifies.
Helps veterans, dependents and survivors in Dunn County with claims and referrals to VA benefits; home modifications are not listed on its page. Visit 3001 US Highway 12 East, Suite 116, Menomonie, or call (715) 232-1646.
The community action agency for Dunn County offers weatherization, including an energy audit, for income-eligible homeowners; stair lifts and accessibility work are not listed. Call (715) 598-4750.
Helps with rent, security deposits, mortgages, utilities, home repairs and property taxes; whether accessibility work like a stair lift counts as a repair is not stated. Call (608) 238-3448.
Provides home buyer assistance and home repair support for rural, income-eligible homeowners; stair lifts are not mentioned. Call (715) 345-7600.
Offers financial assistance for critical repairs to homeowners who live in a manufactured or mobile home park; stair lifts are not listed. Call (608) 255-1088.
Listed by West CAP as a Dunn County resource for deferred loans for home repairs and a home buyer program; accessibility modifications are not confirmed. Call (715) 726-7801.
Offers home buyer and home repair assistance and runs a ReStore thrift shop; whether repairs can include a stair lift is not stated. Call (715) 833-8993.
Older adults
800 Wilson Ave., Room 143, Menomonie, 54751
Veterans
3001 US Highway 12 East, Suite 116, Menomonie, 54751
Yes, possibly. The Dunn County ADRC serves adults with disabilities as well as people 60 and older. Call (715) 232-4006 to talk through options, including IRIS and Family Care.
No. The VA lists stair glides and porch lifts as excluded from HISA. The SAH and SHA grants do not name stair lifts either, so ask the Dunn County Veterans Service Office at (715) 232-1646 what may apply.
Usually, yes. Staircases with a turn or landing typically need a curved rail made to fit those stairs. We measure the staircase first to confirm what will fit.
You need your landlord's written approval before any install. For veterans, the HISA grant does apply to rented homes, although it does not cover stair glides.
Tomorrow's Home Foundation offers critical repair assistance to homeowners in manufactured or mobile home parks. Whether a lift or ramp is covered is not stated, so call (608) 255-1088 to ask.
The Dunn County Veterans Service Office is at 3001 US Highway 12 East, Suite 116, Menomonie, WI 54751. The phone number is (715) 232-1646.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
