From the courthouse square in Cavalier to the river towns of Drayton, Pembina and Neche, a lot of Pembina County homes went up when the county was being settled. Cavalier was laid out in 1875, and the 1912 Pembina County Courthouse is a good picture of the building era that shaped many houses still standing in town and out in the farm townships.
Those older farmhouses and small-town homes often have narrow, steep interior stairs. Add long winters and the distance to contractors based in Grand Forks, and it makes sense to plan a stair lift early. This page walks through what fits local homes and where to look for help paying for it, whether you live in Walhalla, St. Thomas or a farm in between.
The staircases in many early farmhouses were built tight to save floor space. A straight stair lift rail mounts to the stair treads, not the wall, so it usually works even when the stairway is narrow. We check the width at the bottom and top so the chair can fold out of the way for others using the stairs.
If the stairs turn at a landing or wind partway up, a curved rail is built to follow that exact path. Curved lifts take longer to make, so it helps to get the stairs measured before the need is urgent.
Ranch-style homes keep most living space on one floor, but the basement stairs still matter when the laundry or a freezer is down there. A straight lift on the basement flight can keep those rooms usable.
Split-level homes bring short flights between each level. Sometimes one short run is the only one that needs a lift. Other times a platform lift or a second rail makes more sense, and we can talk through which levels you truly use every day.
Cavalier has recorded a low of -41 degrees F, and icy exterior steps are a real fall risk each winter. Across the county, from the Pembina Hills near Icelandic State Park down to the Red River lowlands in Pembina Township, many farm homes have several steps up to the door.
An outdoor stair lift is built with weather covers for steps like these. For a porch or entry where a wheelchair needs to get up, a vertical platform lift is another option to look at.
The county had a median age of 47.1 in the 2020 census, with about 24.9% of residents age 65 or older. Roughly 78.4% of its 3,499 housing units were owner-occupied, so most older residents are deciding about stairs in a house they own.
Because the local contracting workforce is thin, lining up funding and a measurement visit early can save weeks of waiting.
A good first call is ND CareChoice, the state's Aging and Disability Resource-LINK, at (855) 462-5465. They can route you to programs such as SPED, Ex-SPED or the Medicaid HCBS Aged and Disabled Waiver environmental modification benefit. You can also ask about the ND Assistive Assistive Technology Financial Loan (ATFL) Program.
For veterans, the Pembina County Veterans Service Office in Cavalier at (701) 265-4460 can help with VA paperwork. Be aware that the VA HISA grant names stair glides as not covered, so ask the office which grants could apply to your situation. The state Aging Services Division in Bismarck is at (701) 328-8910.
A lifetime VA grant of up to $6,800 or up to $2,000 for medically needed home changes, applied for through the VA medical facility's Prosthetic and Sensory Aids Service. The VA explicitly lists stair glides and porch lifts as not covered.
Up to $126,526 for FY2026 for veterans with certain severe service-connected disabilities who own or plan to own the home. The VA source does not mention stair lifts either way.
Up to $25,350 for FY2026 for veterans with a different set of severe service-connected disabilities when the veteran or a family member owns the home. Stair lifts are not mentioned in the source.
For SAH- or SHA-eligible veterans living temporarily in a family member's home, up to $50,961 or up to $9,100 for FY2026. The source does not mention stair lifts.
A state in-home services program with a sliding-fee cost share that lists environmental modification as a covered service, though stair lifts are not named. Call the Pembina County Human Service Zone office in Cavalier at (701) 265-8441 to ask whether a stair lift qualifies.
A free statewide referral and care-coordination service for seniors, adults with disabilities and caregivers; it does not list stair lift coverage itself but can point you to programs that might. Call (855) 462-5465 (TTY 711).
A Center for Independent Living in East Grand Forks that lists Pembina County in its service area and serves people with disabilities of any age. Stair lift funding is not itemized, so call (218) 773-6100 to ask about accessibility and equipment referrals.
Older adults
600 E Boulevard Ave, Dept 325, Bismarck, 58505
Veterans
308 Courthouse Dr, 2nd Floor, Cavalier, 58220
Often, yes. Straight rails attach to the stair treads, so narrow stairways can usually take one. Stairs that turn or wind need a curved rail built to measure.
The VA HISA grant lists stair glides as not covered. The SAH, SHA and TRA grant pages do not mention stair lifts either way, so call the Pembina County Veterans Service Office at (701) 265-4460 to ask about your case.
SPED is open to North Dakota residents age 18 and older with a functional impairment lasting 3 or more months. It covers environmental modification in general, but a Human Service Zone case manager at (701) 265-8441 has to confirm whether a stair lift qualifies.
ND CareChoice at (855) 462-5465 is a practical first call. They can route you to SPED, Medicaid waiver services and other in-home supports.
Yes, outdoor stair lifts are made with weather protection for exterior steps. For a wheelchair at an entry, a vertical platform lift may fit better.
The SPED rules say environmental modification can be provided to someone who owns or rents the home being modified. The VA SAH and SHA grants, by contrast, require the veteran or a family member to own the home.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
