Ada County's houses span more than a century. Original South Boise was platted in 1890, Warm Springs holds Victorian homes built around the turn of the 20th century, and places like Meridian, Eagle, Kuna, Star, Garden City, Hidden Springs and Avimor keep adding newer streets. Each era built its stairs differently, and that shapes which stair lift will work.
Terrain matters too. The foothills of the Boise Range border the North End and Northwest Boise, so many lots sit on a slope, and four real seasons mean winter ice on outdoor steps. This page walks through what those homes and hills mean for a lift, then lists the programs in Ada County and Idaho that may help with the bill.
Boise's North End has many of the city's older homes. Warm Springs has some of its largest, many put up by wealthy miners and businessmen in Victorian styles. Original South Boise, platted in 1890, has a varied mix of houses.
Homes from these periods were built long before accessibility codes, and multi-story layouts are common. When a staircase turns, has a landing partway up, or is narrow, a straight rail will not fit and a curved lift with a custom-bent rail is usually the answer. We measure the stair in person before quoting, because older stairs rarely match a standard size.
The Boise Highlands were built out mostly in the 1970s, and Southwest Boise grew mostly from the 1960s to the early 1980s on acre-sized lots. Split-level homes show up often in this part of the housing stock.
A split-level can mean two or three short flights instead of one long one. Short, straight runs are often the simplest and quickest installs, but a person who needs to reach every level may need more than one lift. It helps to decide first which floors matter most, such as the bedroom, bathroom and laundry.
Along the foothills, many homes have steps up from the driveway or down to a back entry. Snow and ice make those steps a fall risk for several months of the year.
An outdoor stair lift is built with weather-resistant parts and a cover for the seat. Where a wheelchair user needs to get from the yard to the door, a vertical platform lift can be a better fit than a seat lift. For townhouses, walk-up apartments and low-rise buildings, check with the owner or association before planning any outdoor equipment.
About 15.8% of Ada County residents are 65 or older, and 70.2% of households own their homes. Owners can usually install a lift without a landlord's approval, and owning the home is also a requirement for the VA housing grants listed below.
If someone in your family served, it is worth a call to the Idaho Division of Veterans Services – Office of Veterans Advocacy (Ada County Service) at (208) 780-1380, 444 West Fort Street, Room 140, Boise, before you buy.
Only one program in our list names home modifications as something it pays for: the Idaho Assistive Technology Project loan, which lends up to $60,000 with no income cap. The Medicaid A&D waiver lists environmental accessibility adaptations as a service but does not name stair lifts, and the VA grants name ramps and wider doorways but not stair lifts, so ask each one directly.
For local aging services, the Area III AAA office is at 3637 S. Orchard, Suite A, Boise 83705, phone (208) 332-1835. Statewide, Idaho also offers the Idaho Property Tax Reduction (Circuit Breaker) and VA Benefits for Veterans (HISA + Prosthetics), which are worth asking about as part of a full plan.
For Idaho Medicaid enrollees 65+ or adults with disabilities who meet nursing-facility level of care; environmental accessibility adaptations are a listed service, but stair lifts are not named. The number on the state page, (866) 849-3843, is for the Estate Recovery Office, not general intake.
The entry point for aging services for adults 60+ and their caregivers, including homemaker, respite, transportation and caregiver support; stair lifts and home modifications are not listed. Call (208) 898-7060.
Up to $126,526 for permanent home changes (FY2026), or up to $50,961 for Temporary Residence Adaptation, for veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities who own or will own the home. The VA names ramps and wider doorways; stair lifts are not listed.
Up to $25,350 for permanent home changes (FY2026), or up to $9,100 for Temporary Residence Adaptation, for veterans with qualifying disabilities such as loss of use of both hands. Stair lifts are not listed; the examples given are ramps and doorway widening.
Loans up to $60,000 at 5% APR for most loans, with a variable rate for home modifications, open to Idahoans with a disability or their family members or guardians, with no income cap. Home modifications are an explicit financeable category; call (800) 432-8324.
Serves people with disabilities in southwest Idaho, with a focus on wheelchairs, scooters and ramps; stair lifts and structural home modifications are not listed. Call (208) 336-3335 for referrals.
Older adults
3637 S. Orchard, Suite A, Boise, 83705
Veterans
444 West Fort Street, Room 140, Boise, 83702
AAA Southwest serves adults 60 and older. Younger adults with a disability can look at the Idaho Assistive Technology Project loan, the Medicaid A&D waiver if they qualify, and LINC at (208) 336-3335.
The A&D waiver lists environmental accessibility adaptations as a covered service, but the state page does not name stair lifts and gives no dollar cap. Ask your Medicaid case manager whether a lift can go into your service plan.
The VA SAH and SHA grants pay for home changes for veterans with qualifying disabilities who own the home, but stair lifts are not named. The Office of Veterans Advocacy in Boise, (208) 780-1380, can help you check eligibility.
No. The loan has no income cap, but the applicant must be deemed creditworthy. Call (800) 432-8324 to ask about the rate for home modifications.
Usually yes. Stairs with turns or mid-flight landings take a curved lift with a rail made to fit that staircase, so an in-home measurement comes first.
Yes, outdoor stair lifts are built for weather, which matters with Ada County winters. If someone uses a wheelchair, a vertical platform lift at the entry may work better.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
