Around two-thirds of Pittsburgh's homes were built before 1940, and it shows on the stairs. From the narrow brick rowhouses of South Side, Lawrenceville and Bloomfield to the Victorians of the Mexican War Streets and Shadyside, many Allegheny County houses put the bedrooms and baths up a steep, narrow original staircase.
The hills add a second problem. Across the county's 145 towns, from Penn Hills and Mount Lebanon to McKeesport and Moon, plenty of homes sit on lots that drop off sharply, so getting to the front door can mean a run of outdoor steps before you ever reach the inside stairs. This page covers what that means for a stair lift and where to look for help paying for one.
Rowhouses in neighborhoods like South Side, Lawrenceville and Bloomfield are typically 16-20 ft wide, and the staircase gets squeezed into that width. A straight run between walls is often a good fit for a straight stair lift, but we measure the tread depth, the width and the landing at the top before recommending anything.
American Foursquares, built roughly 1900-1930, are boxy two-and-a-half-story homes with full-height walls. Their stairs often turn at a landing, which can call for a curved rail or two straight lifts. Victorians in Allegheny West and Highland Park tend to have the most turns and the steepest original stairs, so they usually need a custom curved rail.
Split-level homes, townhouses and walk-up apartments also show up across the county. Short runs of half a flight are common in split-levels, and each run is planned on its own.
In Allegheny County the barrier often starts at the sidewalk. Homes on steep lots may have exterior grade changes and steps leading up or down to the entrance, which piles on top of the stairs inside.
For those homes an outdoor stair lift or an inclined platform lift can make the entrance usable again. Hillside lots also collect water from uphill, so we look at drainage, the condition of the steps and where a rail can be anchored before planning an outdoor install. Many pre-war homes have rubble or cinder-block foundations, and that factors into how and where we mount equipment.
Allegheny County has about 1,270,972 residents, and 19.8% are 65 or older, above the U.S. average near 18%. About 66.1% of occupied homes are owner-occupied, and many of those owners have lived in the same multistory house for decades.
For an adult child, that usually means a parent who wants to stay in a familiar home where the bedroom is upstairs. A stair lift is often the step that lets the second floor stay in use.
The program that names stair lifts directly is the Community HealthChoices (CHC) waiver, for adults 21 and older who qualify for Medicaid and need a nursing-facility level of care. The modification has to be written into the person's service plan and approved by their managed care organization.
For residents 60 and older, the Allegheny County AAA at (412) 350-5460 is the place to start. Its care managers do the assessment and can connect you to the OPTIONS Program, which offers home modifications as a supplemental service when funding is available, with no income requirement and a sliding-scale co-pay.
Veterans can call Allegheny County Veterans Services at (412) 350-4636 at 436 Grant Street in Pittsburgh to ask about VA housing grants. Low-income homeowners can also check with Rebuilding Together Pittsburgh. Details on each program are listed below.
A Medicaid waiver run through managed care organizations that does cover stair lifts as a home adaptation, approved case by case in the participant's Person-Centered Service Plan for adults 21+ who are Medicaid-eligible and need a nursing-facility level of care. Call (412) 350-5460 to start.
A state program for Pennsylvanians 60 or older with daily-living needs that offers home modifications as a supplemental service when funding allows, with no income requirement and a sliding-scale co-pay; stair lifts are not specifically mentioned. Call (717) 783-1550.
The county's intake and referral office for residents 60 and older and their caregivers, which assesses needs and connects people to OPTIONS, CHC and in-home services; it does not fund stair lifts itself. Call (412) 350-5460.
A nonprofit that helps people with disabilities in the Pittsburgh and Allegheny County area obtain equipment and devices and coordinate Medicaid Waiver services; stair lifts are not specifically mentioned. Call (412) 371-6954.
A nonprofit that provides free critical repairs and accessibility and safety modifications to qualifying low-income Allegheny County homeowners; stair lifts are not specifically mentioned, so confirm eligibility directly. Call (412) 247-2700.
A federal grant of up to $126,526 for FY 2026 for veterans who own or will own the home and have certain severe service-connected disabilities; stair lifts are not specifically mentioned. Call (800) 827-1000.
A federal grant of up to $25,350 for FY 2026 for veterans with certain service-connected disabilities, such as loss of use of both hands; whether it covers stair lifts is unknown, so ask the VA at (800) 827-1000.
Older adults
2100 Wharton Street Suite 600, Pittsburgh, 15203
Veterans
436 Grant Street, Pittsburgh, 15219
Many rowhouses, typically 16-20 ft wide, have straight staircases that can take a straight stair lift. Because the original stairs are often steep and narrow, we measure each one in person before recommending a model.
Homes on sloped lots in Allegheny County often need help outside too. An outdoor stair lift or an inclined platform lift can handle exterior steps, and we check drainage and the foundation before planning the install.
Yes, possibly. The Community HealthChoices waiver serves adults 21 and older who are Medicaid-eligible and need a nursing-facility level of care, and it covers stair lifts when they are in the approved service plan. Three Rivers Center for Independent Living at (412) 371-6954 also assists people with disabilities.
No. OPTIONS has no income requirement for people 60 and older, but higher earners pay a sliding-scale co-pay, and home modifications depend on available funding.
Call the Allegheny County AAA at (412) 350-5460. The office is at 2100 Wharton Street Suite 600, Pittsburgh 15203, and its care managers can assess needs and refer you to the right program.
Veterans with certain service-connected disabilities may qualify for the SAH grant, up to $126,526, or the SHA grant, up to $25,350, for FY 2026. Allegheny County Veterans Services at (412) 350-4636 can help you apply.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
