From the historic downtown streets of Beaufort and Morehead City to the sound-front lots of Harkers Island and the beach towns of Emerald Isle, Atlantic Beach and Pine Knoll Shores, a lot of Carteret County homes share one trait: the living space sits up off the ground. Elevated first floors built for low-lying coastal land mean steps are part of daily life, often before you even reach the front door.
We install stair lifts across all 18 towns in the county, including Newport, Cape Carteret, Cedar Point, Bogue, Peletier, Gloucester, Marshallberg, Davis and Atlantic. This page walks through what local homes usually need, how the layout of the county affects a visit, and which programs are worth a phone call when it comes to paying.
Much of the housing here was built to flood-zone codes, so homes are raised above the flat coastal plain. That puts a staircase between the driveway and the kitchen, and sometimes a second set inside. The older homes in Beaufort and Morehead City often have both exterior and interior stairs.
An outdoor stair lift is built for that exterior run, with a weather-resistant seat and rail. Inside, a straight staircase usually takes a straight rail, which is the simplest and quickest kind to install. If the stairs turn at a landing, a curved rail is made to fit that specific staircase.
Not everyone lives in a single-family home. The county also has townhouses, low-rise buildings and walk-up apartments, and each one changes the conversation. A townhouse with stairs inside the unit is handled much like a house, while a shared stairwell in a walk-up usually needs the building owner involved before anything goes on the wall.
For someone who uses a wheelchair, a seat lift may not solve the problem. A platform lift can carry the person and the chair together, which is often the better fit for a short climb from ground level to a raised first floor.
About 27.5% of Carteret County residents are 65 or older, and 67.2% of households own their home. Those two numbers together explain why so many families here are thinking about staying put rather than moving.
The county also has a large share of seasonal and second homes. In the 2020 census, 40.8% of housing units were vacant, which mostly reflects vacation properties on the barrier islands and sound-front communities. That matters for funding: several programs below only help an owner who lives in the home.
Carteret County covers 1,330.41 square miles, and 822.81 square miles of that is water. Back Sound, Core Sound, Pamlico Sound and the Atlantic Ocean shape every drive, so a visit to Harkers Island looks different from one in Newport.
When you call, tell us the town and whether the stairs are inside or outside. That helps us plan the measuring visit and bring the right rail samples on the first trip.
No single program here clearly pays for stair lifts, and one of them, the VA HISA grant, specifically excludes stair glides. Several others fund home repairs or accessibility changes in general without naming stair lifts, so the best approach is to call and ask directly how your situation fits.
Older adults can start with the Eastern Carolina Council Area Agency on Aging in New Bern. The programs below list what each one does and who to call.
A Medicaid waiver that helps adults 18 and older who meet a nursing-facility level of care get care at home instead of a nursing home; the source does not list home modifications or stair lifts as a covered service. Call (888) 245-0179 for details.
Provides labor and/or materials for minor renovations and repairs that fix health or safety risks for older adults in Carteret and eight other counties; stair lifts are not named. Call (252) 638-3185.
A VA grant of up to $6,800 or $2,000 lifetime, depending on disability status, for medically necessary home changes. It does not cover stair lifts; the VA excludes porch lifts and stair glides.
Grants for veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities who own or plan to own the home, with SAH up to $126,526 and SHA up to $25,350 for FY2026. The VA gives ramps and wider doorways as examples but does not mention stair lifts.
Loans up to $40,000 at 1% over 20 years and grants up to $10,000 for owner-occupants age 62 and older with very low income in eligible rural areas, which covers much of the county outside Morehead City and Beaufort; stair lifts are not named. Call the NC state office at (919) 873-2000.
A repair program run through local partners for low-income elderly or special-needs homeowners trying to stay home after an injury or serious illness, and it mentions accessibility modifications, though not stair lifts by name. Call (919) 877-5700.
Free benefits counseling and application help for veterans, dependents and survivors living in the county; it does not mention stair lifts. Call (252) 728-8440 or visit 3615 Arendell Street in Morehead City.
A free information and referral line for all North Carolina residents, not a funding source itself, and it does not mention stair lifts. Dial 2-1-1 or call (888) 892-1162.
Older adults
233 Middle Street, Suite 300, New Bern, 28560
Veterans
3615 Arendell Street, Morehead City, 28557
Yes. Many homes here have exterior stairs because the first floor is raised for flood-zone construction, and an outdoor stair lift is designed for that. For a short climb with a wheelchair, a platform lift may be the better choice.
No. The VA page for HISA specifically excludes removable equipment such as porch lifts and stair glides. Veterans can call Carteret County Veterans Services at (252) 728-8440 to talk through other VA options like SAH and SHA.
The USDA Section 504 grant requires age 62 or older, but the loan portion does not have that age rule. The CAP/DA waiver starts at age 18 for people who meet its medical and Medicaid requirements.
Probably not through the repair programs listed here. USDA Section 504 is for owner-occupants, and the NC Housing Finance Agency program is aimed at homeowners trying to remain in their home.
The Region P Eastern Carolina Council of Governments Area Agency on Aging in New Bern at (252) 638-3185 handles the Home Improvements service for Carteret County. NC 211 is another starting point for referrals.
Yes, we serve all 18 towns in the county, including Harkers Island, Davis, Atlantic and Marshallberg. Let us know your town when you call so we can plan the trip around the sounds.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
