From Williston out to Tioga, Ray, Trenton and Grenora, a lot of Williams County homes went up or got bigger fast during the Bakken oil booms. Out in the rural townships you also find older farmhouses. Many of these houses are multi-level, with a full staircase between floors or a set of steps up from a grade-level entry.
Those stairs are usually what pushes an older homeowner to think about moving. A stair lift is one way to stay put instead. This page walks through how local home styles and winters affect the choice, and which North Dakota and VA programs are worth a phone call before you pay.
Single-family homes and ranch-style homes often have one straight flight, either to a second floor or down to a basement. A straight stair is the simplest install. The rail runs in one line from bottom to top.
Split-level homes are different. You may have two or three short flights, sometimes with a turn or landing between them. A flight with a turn usually needs a curved rail built to fit that staircase, so we measure before anyone talks about a final plan.
Townhouses tend to have narrow, steep interior stairs. Walk-up apartments have shared stairways that a tenant does not control, so a lift there depends on the building owner.
Williams County sits on the Montana line in rolling, hilly country, with the Missouri River and Lake Sakakawea along part of its southern edge. Winters are harsh and snowy. Icy exterior steps and staircases become a real fall hazard every season.
For a lot of families the first fix is an interior lift so a parent can reach the bedroom or laundry without the stairs. If the trouble spot is the steps up to the front or back door, an outdoor lift or a platform lift is the option to look at. We can tell you which one fits after seeing the entry.
As of the 2020 census, the county had 20,227 housing units, with roughly 47.6% owner-occupied and 52.4% renter-occupied. That is a renter-heavy mix for a rural county, tied to the oil workforce. If you rent, get the landlord's written approval before planning any install.
If someone in your family served, the veterans programs below are worth checking, though not all of them pay for stair lifts.
Home values climbed during the boom years, with the median reaching $313,201 by Q3 2025. Many retired residents on fixed incomes now carry higher property taxes on homes they bought long ago. That is why the state's property tax credit and income-based programs matter here, even when they do not pay for the lift directly.
None of the programs listed below names stair lifts as a covered item in its source material, and the VA HISA grant specifically excludes stair glides. The best route is to call the local intake office first, ask what applies to your situation, and line up any loan before you buy, since some financing cannot reimburse a purchase already made.
A Medicaid home and community-based waiver for North Dakota residents who are Medicaid-eligible and assessed at a nursing-facility level of care. The source does not mention stair lifts or home modifications; call the Aging and Disability Resource-LINK at (855) 462-5465 or the North Star Human Service Zone at (701) 774-6300 to ask.
A state-funded program for residents 65 and older, or 18 and older and disabled or blind by Social Security criteria, who do not qualify for Medicaid and need help with daily activities. Stair lifts are not mentioned in the source; call (855) 462-5465 for details.
The local intake office at 110 W Broadway, Suite 202, Williston, serving Williams, Burke, Divide and Renville Counties, with Adults and Aging Services and HCBS among its program areas. It is a starting point for applications, not a confirmed stair lift funder; call (701) 774-6300.
A 2% APR direct loan with 3 to 60 month terms for assistive technology, generally requiring a credit score of about 500 and ability to repay, and it must be arranged before purchase. The source does not specifically name stair lifts; call (800) 895-4728 to ask.
A VA grant of $6,800 lifetime for service-connected disabilities or $2,000 lifetime for other disabilities, for medically necessary structural changes to a primary residence. It does not cover stair lifts, since stair glides and porch lifts are excluded; use the VA Facility Locator to reach your local Prosthetic and Sensory Aids Service office.
Grants for veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities who own or will own the home: SAH up to $126,526 and SHA up to $25,350 for FY2026, with TRA amounts of $50,961 and $9,100 for those living temporarily with family. The source does not name stair lifts, so ask the county veterans office how it applies.
Grant Carns, Veterans Service Officer, helps veterans and surviving spouses with VA health care enrollment, compensation, pension and survivor benefits at 205 East Broadway in Williston. Home modification help is not listed, but this is the place to start a VA question; call (701) 577-4550.
Property tax relief for homeowners 65 and older or permanently and totally disabled with household income up to $70,000, with no asset limit, filed through the county director of tax equalization by April 1. It does not pay for a stair lift but can free up money in the budget; call (701) 328-3127.
Older adults
600 E Boulevard Ave, Dept 325, Bismarck, 58505
Veterans
205 East Broadway, Williston, 58801
No. The HISA source excludes removable equipment such as stair glides, porch lifts and portable ramps. Veterans can still call the Williams County Veterans Service Office at (701) 577-4550 to talk through SAH and SHA grants.
The North Star Human Service Zone at 110 W Broadway, Suite 202, Williston handles intake for Williams County. Call (701) 774-6300. The statewide resource line is (855) 462-5465.
ND Assistive runs the ATFL program, a 2% APR loan with 3 to 60 month terms for assistive technology. It does not specifically list stair lifts, and it cannot pay back a purchase already made, so call (800) 895-4728 before you buy.
If the stairs change direction at a landing, a single rail usually has to be curved to follow them. Separate straight flights can sometimes each get their own straight lift. We decide after measuring the stairs.
An outdoor lift or a platform lift can serve exterior steps. Which one makes sense depends on the entry, the number of steps and whether a wheelchair is involved.
Not directly. It lowers property taxes for qualifying homeowners 65 and older or disabled with household income up to $70,000. Apply through the county director of tax equalization by April 1, or call (701) 328-3127.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
