From a Victorian-era house off Main Street in Breckenridge to a townhouse in Frisco or a condo near Keystone, Summit County homes tend to climb. Many were built in a multi-level mountain style meant to shed heavy snow, so interior stairs are part of daily life across Silverthorne, Dillon, Blue River and Copper Mountain.
That works fine until a knee, hip or balance problem makes one flight feel like a hike. A stair lift lets a person keep living on every floor of the house they already own. This page covers which lift fits local homes, what the snow and altitude mean for entries, and where Summit County residents can look for help paying.
Summit County's towns grew from 19th-century mining camps into ski-resort communities, and the housing reflects that history. You will find single-family homes, townhouses, condominiums, split-level homes and low-rise buildings, and a large share of them spread living space across several floors.
Mountain-style construction built for heavy snow loads often puts bedrooms upstairs and garages or entries below. For someone aging in place, that layout is usually the reason a stair lift comes up in the first place.
A straight stair lift runs on a single rail along one uninterrupted flight. It is the simplest install and suits many townhouses and single-family homes with a plain run of stairs.
Split-level homes and staircases with landings or turns usually need a curved lift, built on a rail shaped to that specific stair. In low-rise buildings or homes where a wheelchair user needs to change levels, a platform lift may be the better answer. We measure the stairs in person before recommending any of these.
Summit County sits entirely within the Colorado Rockies, from about 7,957 feet at Green Mountain Reservoir to 14,270 feet at Grays Peak. Breckenridge, the county seat, is at 9,602 feet, with cool summers and heavy winter snowfall.
Long winters make exterior steps and entries a real hazard for older residents, and altitude can add to mobility problems. If the hardest steps are outside, ask about an outdoor stair lift rated for weather so the entry is covered along with the interior stairs.
About 17.6% of Summit County's 16,033 residents are 65 or older. As of 2026 reporting, Summit Daily reports the county has no long-term-care facility, and neither Grand nor Summit counties have a memory-care facility.
A local in-home-care business owner quoted in that reporting said the high cost of living and low Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement rates make it hard for agencies to staff here. That puts more weight on changes to the home itself, and a stair lift is one of the most direct ones for a multi-story house.
No program listed below states that it pays for stair lifts outright, and the VA HISA grant excludes them. Several local offices, though, can review your situation for free and point you to waivers, grants or loans that may apply.
A good first call is Summit County Government Senior Services Care Navigation at (970) 668-2943 or Vintage at (970) 455-1067. The Northwest Colorado Council of Governments AAA is at 249 Warren Ave., Silverthorne, (970) 468-0295. Statewide, it is also worth asking about the Assistive Technology Act Program of Colorado (AT Partners) and the Colorado Senior Property Tax Exemption (Senior Homestead Exemption).
A Medicaid waiver home modification benefit for people enrolled in the EBD or certain other HCBS waivers who meet nursing-facility level of care; current details and stair lift coverage could not be confirmed from a live source. Ask Care Navigation or Vintage to check its status before relying on it.
Free information, referral and care navigation for older adults and caregivers in Summit and five neighboring counties, connecting them to Medicaid waivers, local grants and loans. Stair lifts are not listed specifically; call (970) 455-1067 to be routed to the right source.
Free one-on-one consultation and help with applications for older adults living in Summit County; no stair lift or home modification grant is named. Schedule with the Care Navigator at (970) 668-2943.
Loans up to $40,000 at 1% fixed interest and grants up to $10,000 for very-low-income homeowners age 62+ in USDA-eligible rural areas; stair lifts are not listed by name. Eligibility depends on your address, so call (970) 399-8198.
A VA grant of up to $6,800 or $2,000 for medically necessary home changes, but it explicitly excludes stair glides, so it does not cover stair lifts. Call (800) 827-1000 about other VA options.
Grants of up to $126,526 (SAH) or $25,350 (SHA) in FY2026 for veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities; stair lifts are not listed among examples. Call (800) 827-1000.
Free information, referral and benefits help for people with disabilities and seniors in Summit and four other counties, including connections to assistive technology; no stair lift program is itemized. Call (970) 871-4838.
A directory page pointing to Town of Breckenridge and Summit County Government housing program guidelines, with no stated amounts or stair lift coverage. Call (970) 668-4172 for details.
The local Habitat affiliate in Silverthorne does home construction and repair work, but no accessibility or stair lift program is described. Call (970) 423-7445 to ask what is currently offered.
Older adults
249 Warren Ave., Silverthorne, 80498
Veterans
308 Byers Ave, Hot Sulphur Springs, 80451
Not through the HISA grant, which explicitly excludes stair glides. The SAH and SHA grants do not list stair lifts either, so call the VA at (800) 827-1000 or the Veterans Service Office at (970) 725-3122 to ask about your case.
The USDA Section 504 program offers grants up to $10,000 to very-low-income homeowners age 62+ who cannot repay a loan, in USDA-eligible rural areas. It does not name stair lifts, and eligibility depends on your address, so call (970) 399-8198.
Summit County Government Senior Services Care Navigation at (970) 668-2943 offers free one-on-one help, and Vintage at (970) 455-1067 does free referrals. Both can point you toward waivers, grants or loans.
Yes, in most cases. Stairs with landings or turns usually take a curved lift built to fit that staircase, which we measure in person first.
As of 2026 reporting, Summit Daily reports Summit County has no long-term-care facility and no memory-care facility. That is a big reason many families here focus on making the home itself safer.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
