Fond du Lac grew up on the southern shore of Lake Winnebago as a lumber, logging and milling hub, and a lot of its houses still date from the Fox Valley lumber boom. The city alone has 20 listings on the National Register of Historic Places, including four historic districts and two octagon houses. Many of those homes have two or more floors and the staircases that come with them.
Outside the city, the county's 14 towns run from Ripon and North Fond du Lac to Campbellsport, Oakfield, Rosendale, Brandon, Eden, Mount Calvary, Taycheedah and Fairwater. This page covers how local homes and winters affect the choice of a stair lift, and which programs a Fond du Lac County family can call about the cost.
The older, multi-story houses in central Fond du Lac and the older county communities are the homes most likely to need a stair lift retrofit. Newer single-story suburban houses usually don't have the same problem.
When we measure an older staircase, the first question is whether it runs straight from bottom to top. A straight run takes a straight rail, which is the simpler install. Stairs with a turn, a landing partway up or an unusual layout need a curved rail built to fit that specific staircase.
Historic homes can also have narrow stairs or decorative woodwork near the steps. We look at rail mounting points and the width left for walking before recommending a model.
Fond du Lac County housing is mostly single-family and detached houses, but there are also townhouses, walk-up apartments and split-level homes. Each one changes the job a little.
A split-level home often has several short flights instead of one long one. Sometimes one lift on the most-used flight is enough, and sometimes a curved rail that follows the turns makes more sense. Townhouses tend to have one straight interior staircase, which is usually a straightforward fit.
In a walk-up apartment the stairs may be shared space. Talk with the building owner before planning any install on a common stairway.
The county has a humid continental climate, with average lows below freezing in January and February. Icy steps raise the risk of a fall, especially for older adults.
For a home with steps up to the front or back door, an outdoor stair lift or a platform lift can cut down on trips over icy steps. Indoors, a lift between floors means a person doesn't have to tackle the stairs on the days they feel least steady.
Fond du Lac County has 67,922 residents, and 17.3% are 65 or older. About 61.8% of households own their home, which matters because owners can make permanent changes like a mounted rail.
Veterans and their families can reach Fond du Lac County Veterans Services at (920) 929-3117, on the 1st floor of the City/County Government Center, 160 S. Macy Street, Fond du Lac.
None of the programs listed below names stair lifts as a covered item in the sources we reviewed. Several do pay for home modifications, home repairs or accessibility work, so they are still worth a phone call.
A good first call is the Fond du Lac County ADRC at (920) 929-3466, 459 E. 1st St., Fond du Lac. Staff there can explain IRIS, Family Care and other home and community based services. Statewide options also include the Community Options Program (COP), WisLoan (WisTech Alternative Loan Program) and the WHEDA Home Improvement Loan Program (HILP).
A self-directed Medicaid program that gives adults 18 and older who meet nursing-home level of care an annual budget for goods and services. The source does not list stair lifts specifically; call (888) 515-4747.
Medicaid long-term care delivered through a managed-care organization care plan for frail elders and adults with disabilities who pass the Long-Term Care Functional Screen. The source does not list stair lifts; call (800) 362-3002.
A VA grant with a $6,800 lifetime maximum for service-connected disabilities and $2,000 for other non-service-connected disabilities, for medically necessary home changes. Stair lifts are not listed as covered, and the program's exclusions include stair glides; applicants work through their local PSAS office.
Grants for homeowning veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities, up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA (FY2026). The source does not name stair lifts among example modifications; Fond du Lac County Veterans Services at (920) 929-3117 can help with questions.
Loans up to $40,000 at 1% fixed interest and grants up to $10,000 for very-low-income homeowners 62 or older in eligible rural areas, to remove health and safety hazards or improve the home. Stair lifts are not listed; call (715) 345-7611.
A zero-interest deferred loan for owner-occupied homes inside Fond du Lac city limits, repaid on sale, transfer, lease or when the owner moves out. Eligible repairs do not include stair lifts or accessibility changes; call Merry Arndt at (920) 322-3445.
Zero-percent, deferred-payment rehab loans for low- and moderate-income homeowners in Fond du Lac County outside the city of Fond du Lac. Accessibility improvements such as wheelchair ramps and wider doorways are eligible, but stair lifts are not named; call Todd Mead at (920) 448-6480.
Not a grant, but the local office for information, benefits counseling and referrals to programs like IRIS and Family Care for older adults, people with disabilities and caregivers. Call (920) 929-3466.
Older adults
459 E. 1st St., Fond du Lac, 54935
Veterans
City/County Government Center- 1st Floor, 160 S. Macy Street, Fond du Lac, 54935
The VA HISA grant does not cover stair lifts; its list of excluded items includes stair glides. The SAH and SHA grants do not name stair lifts either. Call Fond du Lac County Veterans Services at (920) 929-3117 to talk through your situation.
The City of Fond du Lac Housing Rehabilitation Program only serves homes inside Fond du Lac city limits. Low- and moderate-income homeowners elsewhere in the county can call the Northeastern Wisconsin Housing CDBG Loan Program at (920) 448-6480.
The USDA Section 504 program offers grants up to $10,000 for very-low-income homeowners 62 or older in eligible rural areas who cannot repay a loan. Stair lifts are not listed, so ask about your project at (715) 345-7611.
Both are Medicaid programs for adults who qualify through the Long-Term Care Functional Screen. The sources we reviewed do not list stair lifts specifically. The ADRC at (920) 929-3466 can explain how to apply and what your plan may cover.
As of June 2026, gross household income limits range from $59,300 for one person to $111,750 for an eight-person household. The home must be owner-occupied year-round.
Yes, a staircase with a landing or a turn usually takes a curved rail made to fit it. Straight runs take a simpler straight rail. We measure the stairs in person to tell which one your home needs.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
