From the old plantation-town streets of Wailuku and Paia to the Upcountry slopes of Makawao, Kula and Pukalani, Maui County homes sit on very different ground. The county takes in 27 towns across Maui, Lanai and Molokai, and the stairs inside and outside those homes vary just as much.
This page walks through how local houses and terrain shape the choice between a straight, curved, outdoor or platform lift. It also lists the programs that may help with the cost, and the offices to call, so your family can plan before anyone schedules a home visit.
Much of the older housing here follows Hawaiian plantation architecture: low-profile wood-frame homes with vertical plank siding, large porticos and deep bracketed eaves. You can still see this pattern in former plantation towns such as Wailuku, Puunene and Paia. These homes often have a short run of steps up to the entry rather than a full second floor.
Elsewhere in the county you will find single-family homes, townhouses, walk-up apartments, low-rise buildings and split-level homes. A townhouse with one straight flight is usually the simplest install. A split-level home, with short flights and turns between levels, often calls for a curved rail or separate lifts for each run.
Maui island is built on two volcanic masses, Haleakala and the West Maui Mountains, joined by the central isthmus. Homes on Haleakala's western slopes in Upcountry communities like Makawao, Kula and Pukalani can sit on sloped lots where the hard part is getting from the driveway or yard up to the door.
For those homes the stairs that matter most may be outside. An outdoor-rated stair lift can follow exterior steps, and a vertical platform lift can raise a wheelchair user to a porch or portico. We look at the slope, the landing space and the path to the door before suggesting either one.
About 19.8% of Maui County residents are 65 or older, and 65.0% of households own their homes. For many of those owners, a stair lift is a way to keep using the whole house instead of moving to a single-story place.
Families in Lahaina face a different question. The August 2023 wildfire destroyed roughly 80% of the town, and county plans released in 2024 estimate a six-year recovery. If you are rebuilding, it is worth planning stair width, landings and outlets now so a lift can go in easily later.
Most commercial and medical services in the county are centered in Wailuku and Kahului. Residents along the Hana Highway, in Upcountry or on Lanai and Molokai live well outside that core, which matters for both the first install and later service visits.
When you call, tell us where the home is so we can talk through scheduling and how follow-up service would work for your location.
Hawaii's high cost of living makes the price of a lift a real concern for many families here. Several programs may help, but the sources behind them do not name stair lifts as a covered item, and one VA grant excludes them outright. Read each listing below before counting on any one of them.
For most older residents, the best first call is the Maui County Office on Aging. Veterans can also contact the Maui office of the Office of Veterans’ Services in Kahului at (808) 369-3541 to ask about VA options.
A Medicaid waiver run by the Hawaii Department of Health for people with intellectual or developmental disabilities who live in a Family Home or Living Independently, with a case manager coordinating providers. The service is listed by name, but the source does not mention stair lifts or home modifications, so ask the case manager what it can include.
The county's designated Area Agency on Aging for older adults and adults with disabilities on Maui, Molokai and Lanai, offering case management, chore and homemaker services, transportation and more. It is not a funding source, and stair lifts are not listed, but you can call (808) 270-7774 to ask about referrals for home-modification help.
A lifetime VA grant of up to $6,800 or up to $2,000, depending on disability status, for medically necessary structural changes to a home. It does not cover stair lifts: the VA explicitly excludes stair glides and porch lifts, and applications go through the local VA Prosthetic and Sensory Aids Service.
VA grants for veterans with specific severe service-connected disabilities to buy, build or adapt a home, with SAH up to $126,526 and SHA up to $25,350 for FY2026. The source gives ramps and wider doorways as examples and does not mention stair lifts.
A statewide nonprofit program offering low-interest loans to qualified Hawaii residents with disabilities, including seniors, for assistive technology devices, and it serves neighbor islands including Maui County. Stair lifts are not mentioned in the source, so call (808) 532-7110 to ask whether one would qualify.
Older adults
2200 Main St., Suite 547, Wailuku, 96793
Veterans
333 Dairy Rd., Suite 203, Kahului, 96732
No. The HISA grant excludes removable equipment such as stair glides and porch lifts. Veterans with severe service-connected disabilities can ask about SAH or SHA grants, though those sources do not name stair lifts either.
Start with the Maui County Office on Aging. The ADRC line is (808) 270-7774 and the Area Agency on Aging office in Wailuku is (808) 270-7755. Ask about case management and any referral for home-modification funding.
Split-level homes often need a curved rail that follows the turns, or a straight lift on each short flight. The right choice depends on the layout and landing space, which we check during a visit.
Yes, an outdoor-rated stair lift can run along exterior steps, and a vertical platform lift can raise a wheelchair user to a porch or portico. The slope and the path from the driveway shape which one fits.
The ATRC Alternative Financing Program offers low-interest loans for assistive technology to qualified Hawaii residents with disabilities, including seniors. Call (808) 532-7110 to ask whether a stair lift would be eligible.
If the new home will have stairs, planning for a future lift during the rebuild is easier than retrofitting later. County plans estimate a six-year recovery, so building in room for a lift can save work down the road.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
