Lake County wraps around Clear Lake, the largest natural lake wholly within California, with Mount Konocti and the Mayacamas Mountains rising behind towns like Kelseyville, Cobb and Clearlake Oaks. The ground is so hilly that Lake County is the only one of California's 58 counties never served by a railroad. That same terrain shows up in the houses: entry stairs on sloped lots, split levels stepping down a hillside, and bedrooms on a second story.
We install stair lifts across the county's 14 towns, including Clearlake, Hidden Valley Lake, Lucerne, Nice, Upper Lake, Soda Bay and Lower Lake. This page covers which kind of lift tends to fit local homes, and which programs in Lake County and California may help with the cost.
Most homes here are single-family homes, detached houses and manufactured homes, with some split-level homes and townhouses. Per the 2000 Census, 30% of housing units in Lake County were manufactured (mobile) homes, the highest share of any California county.
A manufactured home usually sits on a raised foundation, so the stairs are outside at the door. An outdoor stair lift, built to handle weather, is often the right answer there. Inside a two-story house with one straight run, a straight stair lift is the simplest and usually the least costly option.
Homes on hillside and lakeside lots often have several short flights, a landing that turns, or stairs that change direction halfway. Those need a curved stair lift, which is built to the exact shape of your staircase.
If the person using the lift rides in a wheelchair and cannot transfer to a seat, a platform lift may make more sense than a chair. We measure the stairs and the entry before recommending any of these, because on sloped ground no two layouts are quite the same.
Lake County has 52,501 residents, and 22.5% are 65 or older. The 2020 median age was 45.0, well above typical for the state. About 67.7% of households own their home, which matters because several repair and modification programs require the owner to live there.
Many residents live on fixed incomes, and the county is one of California's more economically vulnerable. For a lot of families, a stair lift is a practical way to keep using the whole house instead of moving.
Two Medi-Cal routes name stair lifts or home adaptations directly: the HCBA Waiver and the Environmental Accessibility Adaptations benefit, which in Lake County runs through Partnership HealthPlan of California (member services 1-800-863-4155). Both require that the adaptation be medically necessary.
For adults 60 and older, the Lake & Mendocino Counties AAA (PSA 26) at 747 South State Street in Ukiah, (707) 463-7775, can point you to local help. Statewide options also include the Multipurpose Senior Services Program (MSSP), VA Benefits for Veterans (HISA + Prosthetics) and the FreedomTech Low-Interest Assistive Technology Loan. Each program is listed below.
A statewide Medi-Cal waiver for people who qualify for nursing-facility level of care; it covers stair lifts when a doctor authorizes them as medically necessary, though there has been a waitlist (as of July 2023). Call (916) 552-9105 or apply through the regional HCBA Waiver Agency serving Lake County.
Covers stair lifts and other permanent home modifications for Medi-Cal members at risk of hospitalization or nursing-facility placement, up to a lifetime maximum of $7,500. In Lake County it is delivered through Partnership HealthPlan of California (1-800-863-4155); the program phone is (855) 427-1223.
Pays for in-home care hours such as personal care and meal prep for Medi-Cal eligible people who are aged, blind or disabled; it does not cover stair lifts or home modifications. Call Lake County Adult Services at (707) 995-4680.
Offers no-fee information, referral, family caregiver services, meals and health promotion for adults 60 and older and their caregivers; the source does not mention stair lift funding. Call (707) 468-5132.
A nonprofit offering free advice, advocacy and independent-living support, including a Home Access Modifications (HAM) service, for people with disabilities, seniors and families; the source does not mention stair lift grants. Call (707) 463-8875.
Lake County Community Development offers deferred-payment and low- or no-interest rehab loans and grants to very-low, low- and moderate-income owner-occupants. Whether stair lifts are covered is unknown, so ask when you apply.
Case-by-case critical home repairs for low-income Lake County homeowners, with a separate track for veterans; the source does not mention stair lifts. Call (707) 994-1100.
Federal grants for veterans and service members with qualifying service-connected disabilities who own or will own the home, up to $126,526 (SAH) or $25,350 (SHA) for FY2026; stair lifts are not named on the VA page. Call (877) 827-3702 or apply with VA Form 26-4555.
Older adults
747 South State Street, Ukiah, 95482
Veterans
285 N Main Street, Lakeport, 95453
It can. The HCBA Waiver and the Medi-Cal Environmental Accessibility Adaptations benefit both cover stair lifts when they are medically necessary. The EAA benefit has a $7,500 lifetime maximum and runs through Partnership HealthPlan of California, 1-800-863-4155.
Yes. Manufactured homes usually have their stairs outside because of the raised foundation, and an outdoor stair lift is made for that. We check the steps, the landing and the door before recommending one.
Only if each flight is a single straight run. Stairs with turns or landings between levels usually need a curved stair lift built to fit that staircase.
No. In-Home Supportive Services pays for in-home care hours, not equipment or home modifications. Lake County Adult Services, (707) 995-4680, can explain what IHSS does cover.
Call the Lake County Veteran's Service Office in Lakeport at (707) 263-2384. They can help with VA programs such as the SAH and SHA grants and VA Benefits for Veterans (HISA + Prosthetics).
The Area Agency on Aging of Lake & Mendocino Counties serves adults 60 and older and their caregivers at no fee, with information and referral. Reach them at (707) 468-5132.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
