From Florence and Stevensville down through Corvallis, Hamilton and Darby, Ravalli County's towns line up along US-93 in the Bitterroot Valley. The Sapphire Mountains rise to the east and the Bitterroot Mountains to the west, so many properties here sit on sloped lots with long driveways and homes built on more than one level.
Most housing in the county is owner-occupied and standalone: single-family houses, manufactured and rural homes, and split-level homes. When stairs get hard, people here are usually looking to stay put and adapt the house rather than move. A stair lift is often one of the simplest ways to keep every floor in use.
A straight staircase in a single-family or detached house is the easiest case. A straight stair lift mounts to the treads, not the wall, and usually goes in without changes to the home.
Split-level homes are common in the valley, and they bring short flights between several levels. Each flight may need its own lift, or a curved lift if the stairs turn at a landing. We measure every run before recommending one or the other.
Townhouses and walk-up apartments tend to have narrower stairways. Rail position and a folding seat matter more there, so that others can still use the stairs.
Mountain-valley lots often put the problem outside the house: steps up to a porch, down to a basement entry, or along a grade from a long driveway. An outdoor stair lift is built to handle weather on exterior steps.
Where someone uses a wheelchair, a platform lift can be a better fit than a seat. It carries the chair itself, which is worth weighing for a manufactured or rural home with a raised entry.
In the towns covered here, 22.0 percent of residents are 65 or older and 57.7 percent are homeowners. Owning the home makes a permanent installation simpler, since no landlord approval is needed.
The Ravalli County Veterans Service Center in Hamilton, at 217 N 3rd St Ste L, can help with VA benefits at (406) 363-9838, though the HISA grant itself does not pay for stair lifts.
The clearest funding path is the Montana Assistive Technology Loan (MATL) Program, which names home modifications as a covered use. Loans up to $1,500 carry 0% APR, and larger loans up to $50,000 are at 3.5% fixed APR.
The Big Sky Waiver and USDA Section 504 repair loans and grants do not name stair lifts in their published materials. Coverage depends on a case manager or the local Rural Development office, so call before you plan around them.
For help sorting this out, the Ravalli County Council on Aging offers options counseling and benefits-application help at (406) 363-5690. Area VI - Western Montana AAA in Missoula is reachable at (406) 728-7682. Statewide, the Reverse Annuity Mortgage (RAM) and the Property Tax Assistance Program (PTAP) & Elderly Homeowner/Renter Credit are also worth asking about.
A Montana Medicaid waiver for people who meet nursing-facility level of care; it lists Environmental Adaptations but does not name stair lifts, so approval depends on your case manager and care plan. Call (406) 444-4077 or the helpline at (888) 706-1535, or apply via apply.mt.gov.
Low-interest loans for Montanans with disabilities, or family members borrowing for them, that cover home modifications such as a stair lift: up to $1,500 at 0% APR and up to $50,000 at 3.5% fixed APR. Call RDI Financial Wellness at (406) 454-5709.
A VA grant of $6,800 or $2,000 lifetime for accessibility changes to a veteran's primary residence. It does not cover stair lifts; the VA explicitly excludes stair glides and porch lifts.
Loans up to $40,000 at 1% for 20 years, and grants up to $10,000 for homeowners 62 and older, for very-low-income rural homeowners to remove health and safety hazards. Stair lifts are not named, so confirm with Rural Development at (406) 585-2580.
The county's Aging and Disability Resource Center, offering Meals on Wheels, Homemaker Services, a Loan Closet, BitterRoot Bus transportation and SHIP counseling; no stair lift funding is listed. Call (406) 363-5690 for options counseling and help applying to other programs.
A center for independent living with a Hamilton office at 274 Old Corvallis Rd. Ste B, offering independent-living skills, advocacy and Community First Choice personal assistance; no home-modification or stair lift program is listed. Call (406) 363-5242 to ask about current offerings.
Older adults
401 Ryman St., Suite 107, Missoula, 59802
Veterans
217 N 3rd St Ste L, Hamilton, 59840
Usually not, because split-level homes have short flights between several levels. Each flight may need its own straight lift, or a curved lift if the stairs turn. We measure each run to see what fits.
No. The VA HISA grant excludes stair glides and porch lifts. The Ravalli County Veterans Service Center at (406) 363-9838 can talk through other VA benefits.
Yes. The Montana Assistive Technology Loan (MATL) Program covers home modifications. Loans up to $1,500 are at 0% APR, and larger loans up to $50,000 are at 3.5% fixed APR. Call (406) 454-5709.
USDA Section 504 offers grants up to $10,000 to homeowners 62 and older who are very low income and cannot repay a loan. Stair lifts are not named, so ask the Rural Development office at (406) 585-2580 whether your project qualifies.
Yes, an outdoor stair lift is made for exterior steps, which are common on sloped Bitterroot Valley lots. If a wheelchair is involved, a platform lift may suit the entry better.
The Ravalli County Council on Aging offers options counseling and benefits-application help at (406) 363-5690. You can also reach Area VI - Western Montana AAA in Missoula at (406) 728-7682.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
