Flathead County stretches across about 5,088 square miles of land in the Rocky Mountain Trench, from Kalispell and Evergreen in the valley to Bigfork and Lakeside on Flathead Lake and up to Hungry Horse, Coram, Martin City and West Glacier. That spread shapes almost every stair lift job here. A split-level in Whitefish, an older farmhouse outside Kila and a lake home in Somers each call for a different lift.
Just over half of county residents (51.5%) live in rural areas, and many longtime homeowners are in older, stick-built houses rather than new subdivisions. This page walks through how local homes affect the choice of lift, what to expect from installation out here, and which programs in Flathead County and Montana are worth a phone call when it comes to paying.
Most homes here are single-family homes and detached houses, and a single straight flight is the simplest case. A straight stair lift rides a rail bolted to the treads, not the wall, so it works in older houses with plaster walls as long as the stairs are sound.
Split-level homes are common, and they are trickier. You may have two short flights with a landing, or a turn partway up. That can mean either two straight lifts or one curved rail that follows the turn, and we measure both options before recommending one.
Townhouses often have narrow stairs, so we check the width with the seat and footrest folded. Walk-up apartments usually need permission from the building owner before anything is attached to a shared stairway.
Farmhouses and rural homes around Marion, Kila, Batavia and Helena Flats were often built with steep or uneven stairs. Steep pitch, low headroom at the top and tight landings all affect rail choice, so these homes need careful measuring.
The county also has a 14.8% housing vacancy rate, much of it seasonal and vacation homes around Flathead Lake and Whitefish. Lake homes often have steps down to the water or up to the entry, which is where an outdoor stair lift or a platform lift for a wheelchair user may fit better than an indoor model.
If the person who needs the lift uses a wheelchair full time, a seated stair lift may not be the answer at all. A platform lift or a ramp can be a better match, and that also changes which funding programs apply.
A 2016 Flathead Beacon article on county aging services described Flathead as one of Montana's fastest-aging counties, with 34% of older adults reporting a disabling condition and about 10% living alone. Those figures are a decade old, but they line up with the calls we get from adult children helping a parent stay in the family home.
For veterans, the local contact is the Montana Veterans Affairs Division – Kalispell Service Office at 2989 Highway 93 North, Kalispell, (406) 755-3795. They can help sort out which VA benefits apply before you spend money.
The same 2016 Flathead Beacon article noted that some residents live up to 100 miles from services. Montana also has the nation's highest share of rural Medicare beneficiaries, at 77% versus 24% nationwide.
For you, that means planning ahead. We try to take all measurements in one visit, confirm the rail and model before ordering, and schedule the install so it can be finished in one trip, whether the house is in Columbia Falls or past West Glacier.
None of the local or state programs below name stair lifts as a covered item, and the VA HISA grant specifically excludes stair glides. That does not mean the answer is always no. It means you should ask directly and get any approval in writing before installation.
The best first call is Area IX - Flathead AAA at 290 N. Meridian Rd., Kalispell, (406) 758-5730. They can point you toward the Big Sky Waiver and other programs. Statewide options to ask about also include 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.
A Montana Medicaid waiver for people who meet nursing-facility level of care; it lists Environmental Adaptations as a service but does not mention stair lifts, and a waitlist forms when slots fill. Call (800) 219-7035 or apply through apply.mt.gov or the local Area Agency on Aging.
The Kalispell office that provides information, referral and options counseling for older adults and adults with disabilities in Flathead County; it is not a funding source and does not list stair lifts. Call (406) 758-5730 as a first step.
Home repair help for owners age 62+ with household income at or below 30% of county median, with small repairs generally under $4,000 funded by grant and larger repairs possibly carrying a repayable mortgage; stair lifts are not specifically listed. Call (406) 752-6565 and ask for written terms.
Loans up to $40,000 at 1% fixed over 20 years, and grants up to $10,000 lifetime for very-low-income owners age 62+ in USDA-eligible rural areas, for repairs that remove health and safety hazards; stair lifts are not specifically named. Call (406) 585-2580 to check whether your address qualifies.
A VA grant of up to $6,800 or $2,000 lifetime for medically necessary permanent alterations such as ramps and roll-in showers; it explicitly does not cover stair glides or porch lifts. Call (800) 827-1000.
Grants of up to $126,526 (SAH) or $25,350 (SHA) for FY2026 to build, buy or remodel a home for veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities; the VA does not say whether stair lifts are covered. Call (800) 827-1000.
State grants that local governments apply for to rehabilitate owner-occupied homes for households under 80% of area median income; stair lifts are not mentioned, and a resident can only access it if a local grantee is running an active round. Call (406) 841-2700 to confirm current status.
A Center for Independent Living offering advocacy, peer support and personal assistance services to people with disabilities in Flathead County; it does not fund stair lifts directly. Call (406) 257-0048 or visit 275 Corporate Drive, Suite 200, Kalispell.
Older adults
290 N. Meridian Rd., Kalispell, 59901
Veterans
2989 Highway 93 North, Kalispell, 59901
The VA HISA grant explicitly excludes stair glides and porch lifts. The SAH and SHA grants do not say either way, so a veteran with a qualifying severe service-connected disability should ask. The Kalispell Service Office at (406) 755-3795 can help.
The waiver lists Environmental Adaptations as a covered service, but neither the official page nor the secondary source names stair lifts. Ask your case manager directly and get any approval in writing before installation. The program phone is (800) 219-7035.
The CAPNM Senior Home Repair Program and the USDA Section 504 grant both require age 62+. The USDA loan, the CDBG housing program, the Big Sky Waiver and Summit Independent Living Center do not use that age cutoff, so start with Area IX at (406) 758-5730.
Usually yes. Depending on the layout, that may mean two straight lifts for separate short flights or one curved rail that follows a turn. We decide after measuring the stairs and landings.
Some county residents live up to 100 miles from services, so we plan rural jobs carefully. We aim to measure everything in one visit and finish the install in one trip.
Outdoor stair lifts are built for exterior steps, and a platform lift may suit a wheelchair user better. Many seasonal homes around Flathead Lake have steps to the entry or the water, and we look at those during the home visit.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
