From the subdivisions around Milton and Pace to the raised houses along Santa Rosa Sound in Gulf Breeze and Navarre, Santa Rosa County has its own mix of stairs. About 80.2% of housing units here are detached single-family homes, one of the higher shares in Florida, so most of the stairs we see are inside a family house, not in an apartment building.
The county covers 28 towns, from Jay, Chumuckla and Berrydale up near the Alabama line down to Navarre Beach on the barrier island. This page explains which kind of stair lift tends to fit the homes in each part of the county, and which local and state programs are worth a phone call when you start figuring out how to pay for one.
Most stair lift requests in Santa Rosa County come from split-level or two-story homes in the newer subdivisions around Milton, Pace, Gulf Breeze and Navarre. A two-story house with one straight run of stairs is usually the simplest job, since a straight rail can often go in quickly without changes to the staircase.
Split-level homes are different. They often have two or three short flights between levels, and each one needs its own look. Sometimes a short straight lift on the flight used most is enough. If the stairs turn at a landing, a curved rail built to that staircase is the usual answer.
Ranch-style homes and townhouses show up here too. A ranch may only have steps at the garage or a sunken room, while a townhouse usually has a full interior staircase. We measure every staircase in person before recommending a type.
Along Santa Rosa Sound and Pensacola Bay, many homes are raised, which puts the main living floor up an exterior staircase. For these houses an outdoor stair lift, or a platform lift for someone who uses a wheelchair, is often the practical choice.
Ground near the water is sandy and low, and storms come through. An outdoor install there has to account for that: how the rail is anchored, how the unit is protected from weather, and where it parks when it is not in use. We plan for those conditions at the first visit rather than after the fact.
Inland, along the Blackwater and Yellow River systems and the pine flatwoods, outdoor steps are more often a few porch or entry steps. Those can call for a short outdoor lift or a small platform lift instead of a long rail.
Naval Air Station Whiting Field, where Navy, Coast Guard and Marine Corps helicopter pilots train, is a big part of the county's economy.
Veterans in the county are served by the Pensacola VA Clinic (VA Gulf Coast Health Care). Santa Rosa County Veterans Services in Milton, at 6051 Old Bagdad Hwy, Suite 204, can help sort out which VA benefits apply. Their number is (850) 981-7155.
One thing to know up front: the VA HISA grant does not pay for stair lifts. It can still help with ramps, doorway widening, grab bars or a roll-in shower, which sometimes go hand in hand with a stair lift project.
About 16.6% of Santa Rosa County's 152,894 residents are 65 or older, and 79.7% of households own their home. For owners who plan to stay put, a stair lift is usually less disruptive than moving a bedroom downstairs or selling the house.
Because so many homes here are owner-occupied, the decision usually sits with the family, not a landlord. If you are helping a parent, it makes sense to look at the stairs together and talk about which floor they really need to reach every day.
None of the local or state programs listed below names stair lifts as a covered item, and the VA HISA grant specifically excludes them. That does not always mean a program can't help, but it does mean you should call and ask about your situation before counting on it.
For people 60 and older, the Northwest Florida AAA (PSA 1) at 5090 Commerce Park Cir. in Pensacola is a good first call at (850) 494-7101. Its Community Care for the Elderly program includes emergency home repair on the statewide service list.
Other statewide options to ask about include the FAAST New Horizon Loan Program and the Florida Homestead + Senior Additional Homestead Exemption. The programs section below lists what we know about each local option.
A Medicaid long-term-care service available through the enrollee's managed-care plan for people who meet nursing-facility level of care; the state's description lists grab bars and toilet seats, excludes major changes, and does not mention stair lifts. Call (877) 711-3662 to ask about your plan.
An in-home services program for functionally impaired residents age 60 and older, with emergency home repair on the statewide service list; stair lifts are not itemized in the materials we reviewed. Call (850) 494-7100 to confirm what it can cover.
A county housing rehabilitation program funded through CDBG/HUD for low-income homeowners, focused on safe and sanitary living conditions and building code violations, with a waitlist. Stair lifts and accessibility equipment are not named as eligible repairs on the published page.
A VA benefit for enrolled veterans with a medical need for home-access changes, up to $6,800 lifetime for service-connected disability or $2,000 for non-service-connected disability; it does not cover stair lifts but does fund ramps, doorway widening, grab bars and roll-in showers. Call (800) 296-8872.
Older adults
5090 Commerce Park Cir., Pensacola, 32505
Veterans
6051 Old Bagdad Hwy, Suite 204, Milton, 32583
Sometimes. Split-level homes often have short flights between levels, and a straight lift can work on a flight with no turn. If the stairs change direction at a landing, a curved rail is usually needed.
Yes, outdoor stair lifts and platform lifts are built for exterior stairs. Near Santa Rosa Sound and on Navarre Beach we plan for sandy, low ground and storm exposure when we design the install.
The HISA grant does not cover stair lifts. It can pay for ramps, doorway widening, grab bars and roll-in showers. Santa Rosa County Veterans Services at (850) 981-7155 can help you look at other VA benefits.
The Community Care for the Elderly program, run through the Northwest Florida Area Agency on Aging, serves functionally impaired residents 60 and older. Stair lifts are not itemized, so call (850) 494-7100 to ask what it can do.
The SMMC Long-Term Care Home Accessibility Adaptation service does not name stair lifts, and its description excludes major changes. If you are enrolled, call (877) 711-3662 or your plan to ask about your plan of care.
Santa Rosa County's 28 towns run from Jay, Munson and Berrydale in the north to Gulf Breeze and Navarre Beach in the south. Call us with your address and we will set up a time to measure your stairs.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
