From the Victorian and timber-era houses in Quincy's historic core to split-level homes on steep lots around Lake Almanor, Graeagle and Portola, Plumas County homes tend to have a lot of stairs. Many of the older houses were built multi-story, with interior staircases and no elevator. That layout worked for mill and railroad families a century ago. It gets harder as the people living there get older.
This page walks through how the county's houses, hills and winters affect the choice between a straight, curved, outdoor or platform lift. It also lists the programs that Plumas County residents can contact for help paying, with phone numbers, so you can make calls before you decide anything.
Plumas County's building stock comes out of its Gold Rush, mining, logging and railroad years. Quincy, the county seat, started as a mining town, and Portola grew as a stop on the Western Pacific Railroad after it was built in 1910. Older homes in these historic cores are often two or more stories with one interior staircase connecting the bedrooms to the kitchen.
A single straight run of stairs usually takes a straight stair lift, the simplest and most common install. Older Victorian staircases often turn at a landing or curve, and those need a curved rail built to the exact shape of the stairs.
Split-level homes are common here too. These houses have several short flights instead of one long one, so we look at which flights a person actually uses every day before recommending a lift for each one.
The county sits in the northern Sierra Nevada, with terrain rising to 8,372 ft. Many homes are built on steep, hilly parcels, which means stepped entries from the driveway to the front door. For someone who struggles with stairs, the outside steps can be the bigger problem.
Winters bring heavy snow, especially in places like the Mohawk and Sierra valleys. Icy entry steps are a fall risk, so outdoor stair lifts made for exterior steps, or a platform lift for someone who uses a wheelchair, are worth discussing alongside an indoor lift. Keeping daily life on safe indoor routes matters even more during snow months.
This is an older county. About 30.7% of residents are 65 or older, and the median age at the 2020 census was 53.0 years. Around 72.7% of residents own their homes, so many people are planning to stay in a house they already know rather than move.
The Plumas County Veterans Service Office at 270 County Hospital Road, Suite 206, in Quincy can help with VA paperwork; call (530) 283-6271.
A large share of housing here is seasonal. At the 2020 census, 40.1% of the county's 15,396 housing units were vacant, typical of a mountain-recreation area with many second homes. If the house with the stairs is a second home, some funding programs below will not apply, because they require the home to be your primary residence.
Two Medi-Cal routes name home modifications or stair lifts directly: the HCBA Waiver and the Environmental Accessibility Adaptations benefit through CalAIM Community Supports. In Plumas County, the Medi-Cal managed-care plan is Partnership HealthPlan of California, so ask them whether the adaptations benefit is currently offered and what the cap is.
For veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities, the VA's SAH and SHA grants can fund home adaptations under an approved plan. Low-income homeowners can look at USDA Section 504 loans and grants, since nearly all of Plumas County is in a USDA-eligible rural area.
If you are not sure where to start, Plumas County Senior Connections and Passages, the Area Agency on Aging, can help sort out which programs fit. Details and phone numbers for each program are listed below.
A statewide Medi-Cal waiver that covers Environmental Accessibility Adaptations, the category that includes stair lifts, for people who meet a nursing-facility or similar level of care. There is a statewide participant cap (8,974 as of 2023) and a waitlist, and Plumas residents apply through the DHCS state intake unit at (916) 552-9105.
An optional Medi-Cal managed-care benefit that can cover stair lifts for members at risk of hospital or nursing-facility placement; one representative plan sets a $7,500 lifetime maximum. In Plumas County, confirm availability and the cap with Partnership HealthPlan of California at (800) 863-4155.
A federal VA grant of up to $126,526 for FY2026 for veterans with certain severe service-connected disabilities who own or will own the home. Stair lifts are not named in the program listing, but one can be part of an approved home-adaptation plan; call (800) 827-1000.
A federal VA grant of up to $25,350 for FY2026 for veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities such as loss of use of both hands. Stair lifts are not specifically listed, though accessibility adaptations may be funded through an approved plan; call (800) 827-1000.
Loans up to $40,000 at 1% and grants up to $10,000 for very-low-income homeowners age 62+, which can make a home accessible for a disabled household member; stair lifts are not named specifically. Call the local Rural Development office at (530) 792-5800.
The Area Agency on Aging for Plumas County, offering information and referral, caregiver support and Medicare counseling; it does not pay for stair lifts directly but refers residents to home-modification and waiver funding. Call (530) 898-5923.
County senior services for isolated or at-risk seniors 60+, including home-visiting assessments, case management and referral to funding sources. It does not fund stair lifts directly; call (530) 283-6407.
A nonprofit independent living center with an Assistive Technology program that can help identify and combine funding sources; it does not buy or install stair lifts. Its site does not name Plumas County among its service area, so confirm coverage at (530) 242-8550.
Older adults
2491 Carmichael Drive, Suite 400, Chico, 95928
Veterans
270 County Hospital Road, Suite 206, Quincy, 95971
It can. The HCBA Waiver covers Environmental Accessibility Adaptations for people who meet a nursing-facility level of care, and the CalAIM adaptations benefit lists stair lifts, but it is optional for each plan. Ask Partnership HealthPlan of California at (800) 863-4155 whether it is offered here.
Yes, in some cases. USDA Section 504 loans are open to qualifying homeowners of any age, while the grant portion is limited to age 62+. Medi-Cal programs are based on medical need rather than age, and the Disability Action Center works with people with disabilities.
Usually not through USDA Section 504, which requires that you own and live in the home as your primary residence. Paying privately is the more common route for a seasonal home.
Not always. We start with the flights used every day, such as between the bedroom and the kitchen, and fit a straight or curved lift to those first.
Outdoor stair lifts are built for exterior steps, and a platform lift can serve someone in a wheelchair. With heavy winter snow in parts of the county, the entry steps are often worth looking at along with the indoor stairs.
Call the Plumas County Veterans Service Office in Quincy at (530) 283-6271. They can help with the VA SAH and SHA grants, which can include a stair lift as part of an approved plan.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
