Boone sits at 3,333 feet, and Beech Mountain climbs to 5,506 feet, the highest incorporated community east of the Mississippi River. Between them are Blowing Rock, Foscoe, Valle Crucis, Cove Creek and Seven Devils, and few of those places have a flat lot. Homes here were built to fit the slope, so stairs come with the territory.
That matters when climbing them gets hard. Older farmhouses and houses built into hillsides often have several levels, raised foundations, and stairways inside and out. This page walks through how those homes work with a stair lift and which Watauga County and North Carolina programs are worth a call when you are figuring out the cost.
Watauga County lies entirely within the Appalachian Mountains, with Calloway Peak on Grandfather Mountain reaching 5,964 feet. On steep-grade lots, a ramp long enough to meet a safe slope often has nowhere to go. That is why many families here end up looking at stair lifts and interior lifts to reach a single level of the house.
The county was once called part of the 'Lost Provinces' for a reason. Mountain roads mean longer travel times for in-home services and contractors. Plan ahead for the site visit and the install date, especially in winter.
Split-level homes and townhouses often have a short, straight run between floors. A straight stair lift is usually the simplest fit for that layout.
Multi-level farmhouses and hillside homes tend to have landings, turns, or more than one flight. Those stairways usually call for a curved rail built to the exact shape of the stairs.
Many homes around Boone, Blowing Rock and Beech Mountain have exterior stairways up to the main entry because of raised foundations. An outdoor stair lift, or a platform lift where a wheelchair is involved, can handle that climb from the driveway to the door.
The 2020 Census counted 32,637 housing units in the county, and 34.4% were vacant, which reflects the large second-home and seasonal-rental market tied to skiing and Appalachian State University. If a parent splits time between a mountain house and another home, tell us which stairs get used most.
Walk-up apartments and low-rise buildings have shared stairways, so the owner or association will need to sign off before anything is installed. Get that permission in writing early.
The VA HISA grant is often the first thing families ask about, but the VA explicitly excludes stair glides and porch lifts from it. HISA can still help with permanent changes such as ramps, roll-in showers and widened doorways.
The SAH and SHA grants are larger, but the VA page does not name stair lifts. Start with the Watauga County Veterans' Service Office at 126 Poplar Grove Connector, Suite 203, Boone, (828) 265-8065, to sort out what applies.
None of the programs below names stair lifts outright, so treat each one as a question to ask rather than a sure thing. Several focus on health-and-safety repairs or accessibility changes, and a case manager or caseworker decides what qualifies.
A good first call is the Watauga County Project on Aging at (828) 265-8090, which handles local CAP/DA intake and referrals. The High Country Area Agency on Aging at 468 New Market Blvd., Boone, (828) 265-5434, can point you to regional providers. North Carolina also offers the Elderly or Disabled Property Tax Homestead Exclusion (G.S. 105-277.1), which can ease ongoing costs for qualifying homeowners.
A Medicaid waiver for adults 18 and older who meet a nursing-facility level of care, with an 'Equipment, modification and technology' service category; the program page does not mention stair lifts specifically. Call the NC Medicaid Contact Center at (888) 245-0179 or start locally through the Watauga County Project on Aging.
An interest-free, deferred, forgivable loan for health-and-safety repairs for elderly or disabled homeowners at or below 80% of area median income; the source does not mention stair lifts or accessibility changes. Call NCHFA at (919) 877-5700.
Repairs critical safety issues for homeowners below 200% of the federal poverty level in Watauga, Avery, Mitchell and Yancey counties; the program page does not mention stair lifts or ramps. Call (828) 264-2421.
The Area Agency on Aging for the seven-county High Country region, which funds regional service providers rather than giving cash to individuals; stair lifts are not mentioned. Call (828) 265-5434 for a referral.
The county senior services department at the Lois E. Harrill Senior Center, 132 Poplar Grove Connector, Suite A, Boone, offering in-home aide services, meals, transportation, a Medical Loan Closet, and local CAP/DA intake; no stair lift grant is listed. Call (828) 265-8090.
Loans up to $40,000 at 1% over 20 years, and grants up to $10,000 for very-low-income homeowners age 62 and older who cannot repay a loan, in eligible rural areas. The source gives a wheelchair ramp and walk-in tub as accessibility examples but does not name stair lifts, so check your address with the USDA eligibility tool.
Pays up to $6,800 or $2,000 over a lifetime for permanent home alterations with a VA prescription, but it explicitly does not cover stair glides or porch lifts. The general VA line is (800) 827-1000.
For veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities, SAH goes up to $126,526 and SHA up to $25,350 for FY2026; the VA page does not name stair lifts. Call (800) 827-1000 or the county Veterans' Service Office.
Older adults
468 New Market Blvd., Boone, 28607
Veterans
126 Poplar Grove Connector, Suite 203, Boone, 28607
Often it is. Steep-grade lots make ramps impractical for many homes here, which is why stair lifts and interior lifts are common ways to reach a single level.
Yes, outdoor stair lifts are built for exterior stairways like the ones on raised-foundation homes around Boone, Blowing Rock and Beech Mountain. If a wheelchair needs to come along, a platform lift may be the better fit.
Not through the HISA grant, which specifically excludes stair glides. The SAH and SHA grants do not name stair lifts either, so call the Watauga County Veterans' Service Office at (828) 265-8065 to review your situation.
The Watauga County Project on Aging at (828) 265-8090 handles local CAP/DA intake and referrals. The High Country Area Agency on Aging at (828) 265-5434 is another good starting point.
The USDA Section 504 program offers grants up to $10,000 to very-low-income homeowners 62 and older who cannot repay a loan, in eligible rural areas. The source does not name stair lifts, so ask whether your project qualifies.
Only with the building owner's approval, since the stairway is shared. Get written permission before scheduling a home assessment.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
