From the estuarine flats around the city of Napa to the narrow northern tip at Calistoga, Napa County packs a lot of different homes into a valley about 30 miles long and five miles across at its widest. In between sit American Canyon, Yountville, St. Helena, Angwin, Deer Park and Silverado Resort, each with its own mix of houses, hillsides and front steps.
In Old Town Napa, late-1800s Victorians with tall interior staircases and stepped entries are common. Farther out you find ranch-style and split-level homes, townhouses and walk-up apartments. Each of those layouts changes what kind of stair lift makes sense, and this page walks through how to match the lift to the house and where to look for help paying for it.
Napa has a well-preserved stock of historic homes, with nearly 300 historic buildings and residences across roughly 1,200 acres. You will see Queen Anne, Second Empire, Eastlake, Craftsman and Colonial Revival houses. Many are multi-level homes with interior stairs that turn at a landing or wind near the top.
A staircase that turns or has a landing usually needs a curved stair lift, with a rail built to follow that exact shape. A straight run with no turns can take a straight lift, which goes in faster. Ornate railings and trim are usually left in place, because the lift rail mounts to the stair treads rather than the wall.
Split-level homes have short flights between floors, often more than one. Each short flight may need its own straight lift, or a single curved rail if the flights connect around a corner.
Ranch-style homes are mostly on one floor, but many still have steps at the entry, into a sunken room or down to a garage. Townhouses tend to have straight interior stairs that suit a straight lift. In walk-up apartments, the stairs are often shared, so the building owner has to be part of the conversation before anything is installed.
The valley sits between the Mayacamas Mountains to the west and the Vaca Range to the east, and the ground rises toward Mount St. Helena at the Calistoga end. Gentle hills around the city of Napa and steeper lots up valley often mean a run of steps before you ever reach the front door.
For outside steps, an outdoor stair lift built to handle weather is one option. When someone uses a wheelchair, or the entry is a short rise at a porch, a platform lift (often called a porch lift) can carry the chair itself. We look at the slope, the number of steps and the landing at the top before recommending either.
About 19.9% of Napa County's 118,887 residents are 65 or older, and 62.9% of households own their homes. That is a lot of people who plan to stay in a house they know, even as the stairs get harder.
If a veteran in your family has a service-connected disability, the VA programs listed below are worth a call before you pay out of pocket.
Many families pay privately, but there are programs to check first. Medi-Cal has two routes that list home modifications, and both name stair lifts: the HCBA waiver and the managed-care Community Supports benefit. In Napa County the Medi-Cal managed-care plan is Partnership HealthPlan of California, so ask the plan directly about availability and limits.
Local groups such as Share the Care Napa Valley, the Disability Services & Legal Center and Solano-Napa Habitat for Humanity help with fall prevention, ramps, porch lifts and grab bars. Veterans can call Napa County Veterans Services at (707) 253-4558, and the AAA Serving Napa and Solano (PSA 28) can be reached at (707) 644-6612. Statewide, the Multipurpose Senior Services Program (MSSP) and the FreedomTech Low-Interest Assistive Technology Loan are also worth asking about.
This Medi-Cal waiver covers stair lifts when they are medically necessary and in your Plan of Treatment, for people with full-scope Medi-Cal who qualify for nursing-facility level of care; the waiver has a waitlist (as of July 2023). Call (916) 552-9105.
This CalAIM benefit for Medi-Cal managed-care members at risk of nursing-facility care can include stair lifts, with one plan's page showing a lifetime cap of $7,500, though caps vary by plan. In Napa County, verify availability with Partnership HealthPlan of California, or call (800) 863-4155.
Older adults in Napa County can get fall assessments, home modifications and education to reduce falls; stair lifts are not listed in the source. Call (707) 784-8960 to confirm what is covered.
A free program for people with disabilities under income limits ($65,550 for one person, $76,050 for two) that covers ramps, porch lifts, grab bars and bathroom equipment; stair lifts are not listed. DSLC has a Napa branch, so call (707) 258-0272 to confirm Napa coverage.
Low-income Napa County homeowners who are seniors, have disabilities or face financial hardship can get free or very low cost repairs and accessibility work like grab bars and ramps; stair lifts are not mentioned and mobile homes are excluded. Call (707) 422-1948.
Veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities can receive up to $126,526 (SAH) or $25,350 (SHA) for FY2026; whether a stair lift is covered depends on the approved adaptation plan. Call (800) 827-1000.
IHSS pays for personal-care and household help hours for Medi-Cal-eligible aged, blind or disabled residents, and it does not pay for stair lifts or home modifications. Call (707) 253-4331 for in-home care questions.
Older adults
601 Sacramento Street, Suite 1400, Vallejo, 94590
Veterans
650 Imperial Way, Suite 101, Room 202, Napa, 94559
It can. Both the HCBA waiver and the managed-care Community Supports EAA benefit list stair lifts, but each has medical and eligibility rules, and the HCBA waiver has a waitlist. Since Partnership HealthPlan of California is the Napa County plan, ask them directly about EAA.
No. IHSS pays for personal-care and household service hours, not equipment or home modifications. Home modification funding goes through the HCBA waiver or the managed-care EAA benefit instead.
Usually, yes. Turning or winding staircases in older multi-level homes typically need a curved lift with a custom rail, while a straight flight can take a straight lift. The rail attaches to the treads, so railings and trim can generally stay.
An outdoor stair lift can handle a run of exterior steps. For a wheelchair user or a short porch rise, a platform or porch lift may fit better. The Disability Services & Legal Center HAM program lists porch lifts for those who qualify.
Yes. Napa County Veterans Services at 650 Imperial Way in Napa, (707) 253-4558, can help with VA claims. The VA SAH and SHA grants may help veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities, depending on the approved plan.
Under the HCBA waiver, renters need written consent from the landlord before an adaptation is installed. In a walk-up apartment with shared stairs, the building owner will need to approve the work either way.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
