Berkeley County holds two very different kinds of homes. Around Martinsburg, where the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad main line ran through in the 19th century, there are older multi-story houses with their original full staircases. Out toward Inwood, Falling Waters and Hedgesville, newer suburban single-family homes and townhouses have filled in as the county grew into the Hagerstown-Martinsburg metropolitan area.
Each of those homes poses a different stair lift question. An old staircase near the B&O Railroad Martinsburg Shops is measured and fitted differently than a short split-level run in a newer subdivision. This page walks through what the local housing and land mean for a lift, and which programs in West Virginia may help with the cost.
Many homes in and around the historic core of Martinsburg date from the railroad era and were built on several floors. The original full staircases in these houses are often the only way to the bedrooms and bathroom, so moving everything to the main floor is rarely practical.
When we look at a staircase like this, we check the width, the condition of the treads and whether the run is straight or turns at a landing. A straight run usually takes a standard rail. A turn or a landing partway up generally calls for a curved rail built to that staircase.
Newer construction across the county includes townhouses and split-level homes. Split-levels tend to have several short flights rather than one long one, which changes how a lift is planned. Sometimes the flight that matters most is the one between the main living area and the bedrooms, and a single straight lift handles it.
Townhouses usually stack living space over two or three floors with narrow stairs. Walk-up apartments and low-rise buildings raise a different issue: shared stairways may need the building owner's approval before anything is installed, so that conversation should happen first.
North Mountain splits Berkeley County into an eastern and western section. The western side is more mountainous, while the east slopes into rolling farmland and valley land along Back Creek and Opequon Creek toward the Potomac River.
Older rural homesteads and hillside properties in both areas often have multi-level construction with limited main-floor living. Some also have outside steps up to the front door or down to a lower entrance. In those cases an outdoor lift, or a platform lift where a wheelchair is involved, may be the piece that makes the house usable again.
The county has grown fast, from 36,356 people in 1970 to 122,076 at the 2020 census, so demand for aging-in-place help is rising and local aging agencies are busy. If you plan to apply for assistance, starting early helps.
Most stair lifts here are paid for privately, but a few programs are worth a call. None of the state or local programs below name stair lifts in their published material, so ask directly whether a lift would qualify before you count on the funding.
The Region IV - Eastern Panhandle AAA at 229 E. Martin St., Suite 3, Martinsburg, can be reached at (304) 263-0876 and is a good first call for older adults. Veterans can contact the State of West Virginia Department of Veterans Assistance at 115 Aikens Center, Suite 16, Martinsburg, at (304) 267-0040. West Virginia also lists a Technology-Related Assistance Revolving Loan Fund among its statewide programs, which you can ask about when you call.
A state Medicaid waiver for adults 18 and older who meet Medicaid financial rules and nursing-facility level of care; it covers physical adaptations to the home, but the program page does not mention stair lifts and publishes no dollar cap. Call Acentra Health at (866) 767-1575.
A statewide program that helps people 60 and older who need home modifications or accessibility devices to live more independently; its source does not mention stair lifts specifically. Call (866) 981-2372.
A Martinsburg agency offering in-home care, transportation, nutrition, outreach and caregiver support to older Berkeley County residents; it does not list home modifications or stair lifts but is a useful local contact. Call (304) 263-8873.
A VA grant of up to $6,800 or $2,000 for medically necessary changes such as permanent ramps or accessible bathrooms. It does not cover stair lifts, since the VA excludes stair glides and porch lifts.
VA grants for veterans with severe service-connected disabilities, up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA in FY2026; the source gives ramps and doorway widening as examples and does not mention stair lifts. The general VA benefits line is (800) 827-1000.
Older adults
229 E. Martin St., Suite 3, Martinsburg, 25401
Veterans
115 Aikens Center, Suite 16, Martinsburg, 25404
No. The VA states that HISA does not cover removable equipment such as stair glides, porch lifts or portable ramps. It can help with items like permanent ramping or an accessible bathroom.
The Safe at Home program is for people 60 and older. The Aged and Disabled Waiver starts at age 18, but it requires Medicaid financial eligibility and nursing-facility level of care, and it does not name stair lifts in its published material.
Often, yes. We measure the staircase and check whether it runs straight or turns at a landing, which decides between a straight rail and a curved one.
It can. We usually look at which flight blocks daily life the most, such as the one to the bedrooms, and plan the lift around that run.
Start with the Region IV - Eastern Panhandle AAA at (304) 263-0876 or Berkeley Senior Services at (304) 263-8873, both in Martinsburg. Veterans can call the State of West Virginia Department of Veterans Assistance at (304) 267-0040.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
