Palm Beach County runs from the Atlantic barrier islands, including the Town of Palm Beach, across the coastal plain to the Everglades wetlands on its western edge. Along the way you pass through West Palm Beach, Boca Raton, Jupiter, Wellington, Belle Glade, Pahokee and dozens of other communities. The homes change as much as the landscape does.
A stucco Mediterranean Revival house in one of the older neighborhoods needs a different lift than a townhouse in Greenacres or a single-family home in The Acreage. This page walks through what the local housing means for a stair lift and which programs may help with the cost.
The style people picture first here is Mediterranean Revival, popularized by architect Addison Mizner in the 1920s. Think white stucco, terracotta roofs, arched doorways and multi-story estates with staircases that connect formal living levels. Those staircases are often the reason a family starts looking at a lift.
Older historic neighborhoods such as Old Northwood have many two-story 1920s Spanish-style and Monterey Revival homes with second-floor balconies. When a staircase turns or has a landing partway up, a straight rail will not work and a curved rail has to be measured and built for that exact stair. A straight run with no turns is usually the simpler and quicker install.
Roughly 45.5% of housing units in the county are detached single-family homes, and they range from single-story bungalows to multi-story waterfront estates. A one-story bungalow may not need an indoor lift at all, but the steps up to the front door can still be a problem. That is where an outdoor lift or a platform lift comes in.
The county also has a lot of condominiums, apartments, townhouses and low-rise buildings. A townhouse with an inside staircase is often a good fit for a straight lift. In a condominium or low-rise building, any work on shared stairs usually goes through the building's management first, so it helps to ask them before scheduling a visit.
At approximately 1,964.3 square miles, this is Florida's largest county by land area. Homes on the coast and the barrier islands face salt air, so an outdoor lift there should be built for that exposure. Ask about weather covers and materials before you choose a model.
Out west, in places like Belle Glade, Loxahatchee Groves, Jupiter Farms and The Acreage, many properties have entry steps, porches or raised floors. An outdoor straight lift or a platform lift for a wheelchair can handle those. We measure every step and landing on site so the quote fits the actual home.
About 22.1% of county residents are 65 or older, and 66.7% of households own their home. Owners can generally decide on a lift themselves, while renters need the landlord's approval first.
The Thomas H. Corey VA Medical Center in West Palm Beach and the Boca Raton VA Clinic serve the area, and Palm Beach County Veterans Services can help sort out which benefits apply.
There is no single program that simply pays for stair lifts here, so it helps to know what each one does. Florida's SMMC LTC Medicaid program includes Home Accessibility Adaptation as a covered benefit, but whether a stair lift is approved is decided case by case by the person's managed care plan and care plan.
The VA HISA grant specifically excludes stair glides and porch lifts. The VA's own guidance points veterans to SMMC LTC Medicaid, SAH/SHA grants or private pay instead. The Area Agency on Aging of Palm Beach/Treasure Coast can refer residents 60 and older to current home repair or modification help.
Statewide, Florida also has the FAAST New Horizon Loan Program and the Florida Homestead + Senior Additional Homestead Exemption. Details on each local program are listed below.
A Florida Medicaid long-term care program for people 65+ (or 18+ and disabled) who meet Nursing Facility Level of Care; Home Accessibility Adaptation is a covered benefit, but stair lifts are not named and are decided case by case by the managed care plan. Call (877) 711-3662.
General intake and helpline for residents 60 and older in Palm Beach and the Treasure Coast; it is not known whether stair lifts are covered, so ask about current minor repair and home modification referrals. Call (866) 684-5885.
A VA grant for structural home alterations for veterans with a qualifying disability, with a lifetime maximum of $6,800 or $2,000 depending on the disability rating; stair lifts are not covered, as the VA explicitly excludes stair glides and porch lifts. Call (877) 222-8387.
Older adults
701 Northpoint Parkway, Ste. 115, West Palm Beach, 33407
Veterans
810 Datura Street, Suite 300, West Palm Beach, 33401
No. The official HISA exclusion list names stair glides and porch lifts. The VA points veterans to SMMC LTC Medicaid, SAH/SHA grants or private pay for a stair lift. Palm Beach County Veterans Services at (561) 355-4720 can help you look at other options.
It might. The SMMC LTC program covers Home Accessibility Adaptation, but stair lifts are not named, so the enrollee's managed care plan decides case by case. You need a CARES assessment showing Nursing Facility Level of Care, and the 2026 limits for a single applicant are $2,982 a month in income and $2,000 in assets. Call (877) 711-3662.
The Area Agency on Aging serves people 60 and older. SMMC LTC Medicaid is open to people 65 and older, or 18 and older with a disability, if they meet the other requirements.
The helpline is (866) 684-5885. The office, AAA of Palm Beach/Treasure Coast (PSA 9), is at 701 Northpoint Parkway, Ste. 115, West Palm Beach 33407, phone (561) 684-5885.
Yes, staircases that turn or have landings use a curved rail built to fit that particular stair. Many of the county's Mediterranean Revival and 1920s Spanish-style homes have multi-story staircases, so we measure on site before quoting.
Palm Beach County Veterans Services is at 810 Datura Street, Suite 300, West Palm Beach 33401. The phone is (561) 355-4720.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
