Custer County covers about 3,793 square miles of southeastern Montana, and Miles City is its one town. Older houses near the Art Deco Custer County Courthouse date to the early 20th century. Out on the acreage, ranch-style homes sit far from the nearest neighbor.
Those two kinds of homes raise different stair questions. An older Miles City house may have a full second story and no single-floor living. A rural ranch-style place may have entry steps or a basement that gets harder to manage each winter. This page walks through what fits each home and where to look for help paying for it.
Homes and multi-story buildings from the early-20th-century era commonly lack elevators, grab bars or a bedroom and bath on the main floor. When the only full bathroom is upstairs, the staircase decides whether someone can keep living there.
A straight staircase with no landing usually takes a straight rail lift, which is the simplest install. Many period homes have a landing, a turn or a narrow run. Those usually call for a curved rail built to the exact shape of the stairs, so we measure in person before quoting.
Split-level homes are their own case. Each short flight may need its own straight lift, or one curved rail can sometimes run the whole path. We look at how often each level gets used before suggesting either.
A ranch-style home is often all on one level inside, but that doesn't always mean step-free. Front and back entries frequently have a few steps, and some homes have a basement with the laundry or a spare room down below.
For entry steps, an outdoor stair lift or a vertical platform lift are the usual choices. A platform lift suits someone who uses a wheelchair or can't transfer to a seat. Custer County has a record low of -49 F, so any outdoor unit needs a weather cover and a plan for snow and ice on the steps around it.
Rural properties also bring upkeep and isolation. If a parent lives alone on acreage, keeping the bedroom, bath and laundry on one reachable level can matter as much as the lift itself.
About 19.7 percent of Custer County residents are 65 or older, and 62.2 percent of households own their home. Owners can generally install a lift without asking anyone's permission, which is not the case for renters.
If that includes your parent, it is worth calling the Montana Veterans Affairs Division Miles City Service Office at (406) 232-1203 before you buy anything, so you know which VA benefits apply.
The county averages about 3.137 people per square mile. That lengthens travel times for contractors, medical assessments and in-home services once you leave Miles City.
Miles City is the regional commercial and healthcare hub, anchored by Holy Rosary Healthcare, with services reaching roughly 100 miles in each direction. If a program needs a medical assessment or a doctor's note, plan those appointments early so paperwork and installation line up.
No program in this county is listed as paying for stair lifts by name. Several cover home modifications or accessibility work in general, and a stair lift may qualify case by case. The VA HISA grant is the one that clearly excludes stair glides.
For a Medicaid-enrolled senior who needs nursing-facility level care, the Montana Big Sky Waiver is the first call. For a rural homeowner with very low income, the USDA Section 504 loans and grants are worth checking. Veterans with severe service-connected disabilities should ask about the VA SAH and SHA grants.
Montana also has statewide options to ask about, including the Montana Assistive Technology Loan (MATL), the Reverse Annuity Mortgage (RAM), Community First Choice Services (CFCS) and the Property Tax Assistance Program (PTAP) & Elderly Homeowner/Renter Credit. The local agencies below can help sort out which ones fit.
A Medicaid waiver for Montanans 65 and older, or physically disabled under 65, who need nursing-facility level of care; it lists home modifications, but stair lifts are not named and would be decided case by case. Medicaid-enrolled residents can call Mountain Pacific at (800) 219-7035.
Rural home-repair loans up to $40,000 at 1% interest and grants up to $10,000 for owners 62 or older with very low income; accessibility modifications are eligible uses, but stair lifts are not named. Grants must be repaid if the home is sold within 3 years.
A lifetime grant of $6,800 or $2,000 for medically necessary home changes like ramps and roll-in showers; the VA explicitly excludes stair glides and porch lifts. Call the Miles City VA Outpatient Clinic at (406) 442-6410.
Grants of up to $126,526 (SAH) or $25,350 (SHA) for veterans with severe service-connected disabilities to build, buy or structurally modify a home; stair lifts are not named on the VA page. Call (800) 827-1000.
Provides meals, transportation and home visits by nurses, personal care assistants and homemakers for county residents 60 and older; no stair lift or home-modification program is listed. Call (406) 874-3482.
An information and referral agency based in Glendive that offers outreach, Medicare and Medicaid counseling and other services for seniors and adults with disabilities; stair lifts are not listed. Call (406) 377-3564.
A center for independent living offering referral, skills training, peer mentoring and a personal care assistant program for people with disabilities; it does not list an equipment fund but can help with Big Sky Waiver navigation. Call the Glendive office at (406) 948-8500.
A statewide nonprofit that helps people with disabilities request reasonable accommodations or modifications from a landlord or housing provider; it does not pay for equipment. Call (406) 782-2573.
Older adults
2030 N. Merrill Ave., Glendive, 59330
Veterans
1020 N Haynes, Miles City, 59301
Not through the HISA grant, which specifically excludes stair glides and porch lifts. The SAH and SHA grants fund structural modifications for severe service-connected disabilities but do not name stair lifts. Call the Montana Veterans Affairs Division Miles City Service Office at (406) 232-1203 to review your options.
The Montana Big Sky Waiver lists home modifications, but it does not name stair lifts, so coverage depends on a case-by-case decision. Medicaid-enrolled residents can call Mountain Pacific at (800) 219-7035, and anyone not yet enrolled can call the Public Assistance Helpline at (888) 706-1525.
The Custer County Council on Aging serves residents 60 and older. The Big Sky Waiver also covers people under 65 with a physical disability, and LIFTT works with people with disabilities of any age in its service area.
The USDA Section 504 program offers repair loans and grants to very-low-income owners in eligible rural areas, and accessibility work is an allowed use. Grants are only for owners 62 or older, and you should confirm your address on the USDA eligibility map.
A renter usually needs the landlord's agreement. Montana Fair Housing at (406) 782-2573 helps people with disabilities request reasonable modifications from a housing provider.
Yes, outdoor stair lifts and vertical platform lifts are made for entry steps. With winters as severe as Custer County's, the unit needs a weather cover and the steps around it need to be kept clear of snow and ice.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
