Williamsport's Millionaires Row Historic District holds 263 contributing buildings, with homes dating as early as 1854-1855. These are the tall Queen Anne, Second Empire, Richardsonian Romanesque and Colonial houses of the lumber era, built with steep original staircases and full second and third floors. Out past the city, the county spreads across river-valley towns like Montoursville, Jersey Shore and Muncy and rural townships like Cogan House, Pine-covered hills and all.
That mix shapes what a stair lift job looks like here. A Victorian in Williamsport, a row house in South Williamsport and a hillside home in Hepburn each call for a different rail, a different measurement and sometimes a different way to pay. This page walks through what we see in Lycoming County homes and the local and state programs that may help with the cost.
Williamsport was once called the 'Lumber Capital of the World,' and the houses built with that money went up, not out. Many have long, steep stairways, a turn at a landing, and a third floor that still gets used for bedrooms or storage.
A staircase with a landing or a curve needs a curved rail made to fit that exact stair. Straight runs between floors can take a straight lift, which usually goes in faster. In a three-story house, we look at which floor the owner really needs and whether one lift or two makes sense.
Original woodwork matters to people in these homes. A stair lift rail mounts to the stair treads, not the wall, so the banister and trim can stay in place.
Lycoming County is Pennsylvania's largest county by land area, split between the Appalachian Mountains in the south, the Allegheny Plateau in the north and east, and the West Branch Susquehanna River valley between them. Montoursville sits on the north bank, while Duboistown and South Williamsport sit on the south bank just north of Bald Eagle Mountain.
Sloping lots mean a lot of multi-level hillside homes and long runs of outside steps from the driveway to the door. An outdoor stair lift is built to handle weather and can solve the climb before you even get inside.
For someone who uses a wheelchair and cannot transfer to a seat, a platform lift may be the better fit for porch or entry steps. We measure the rise and the space at the top and bottom before recommending one.
About 20.7 percent of county residents are 65 or older, and 68.9 percent own their homes. Many of those owners plan to stay in the house they know, and the stairs are often the first thing that gets in the way.
Townhouses and row houses usually have a single straight flight, which tends to be the simplest install. Single-family homes vary much more, from one straight flight to split-level layouts with several short sets of steps.
If a service-connected disability is part of the picture, a VA housing grant may apply, covered below.
Medicaid's Community HealthChoices waiver lists removable stair glides as covered equipment for people who qualify. Veterans with certain service-connected disabilities can look to the VA's SAH and SHA grants, which may include a stair lift as part of an approved plan.
For residents 60 and over, the STEP Office of Aging at 2138 Lincoln St. in Williamsport is the local door to the OPTIONS program and its home modification services. STEP's housing program also names accessibility as an improvement it funds for income-eligible homeowners. The program list below gives each phone number.
A Medicaid waiver for Pennsylvania residents 21 and older who are dual-eligible or need nursing-facility level of care; removable stair glides are covered as Home Accessibility Durable Medical Equipment, with amounts set case by case. Call (800) 757-5042.
A state program for residents 60 and older that lists home modifications to improve safety and accessibility, with no income limit but a sliding co-payment; the source does not mention stair lifts by name. Call (570) 326-0587.
The local Area Agency on Aging for residents 60 and over in Lycoming and Clinton Counties, handling home modifications and assistive devices; stair lifts are not listed specifically. Call (570) 326-0587.
Case-by-case grants for income-eligible homeowners in Lycoming and Clinton Counties, with accessibility named as a covered improvement; stair lifts are not listed specifically. Call (570) 326-0587 to ask about income criteria.
Federal grants for veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities who own or will own the home, up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA (FY2026); stair lifts may be covered within an approved plan. Call (877) 827-3702.
A nonprofit that helps people with disabilities of any age find waiver and OPTIONS home modification funding; it does not list stair lifts as a direct service. Call (570) 327-9070.
Older adults
2138 Lincoln St., Williamsport, 17701
Veterans
330 Pine Street, Williamsport, 17701
It can through the Community HealthChoices waiver, which covers removable stair glides as Home Accessibility Durable Medical Equipment for residents 21 and older who qualify. Coverage is decided case by case through your service plan. Call (800) 757-5042.
Yes, possibly. Community HealthChoices starts at age 21, and Roads to Freedom Center for Independent Living serves people with disabilities of any age in Lycoming County. Reach Roads to Freedom at (570) 327-9070.
No. Residents 60 and older can participate regardless of income, though a sliding co-payment based on income may apply. Applications go through the STEP Office of Aging at (570) 326-0587.
No, HISA excludes stair lifts and platform lifts. The SAH and SHA grants are the VA route for a stair lift when there is a qualifying service-connected disability. Lycoming County Veterans Affairs at 330 Pine Street in Williamsport, (570) 327-2365, can help you start.
Yes. Turned or curved staircases with landings take a curved rail built to that stair, and the rail mounts to the treads so original banisters can stay.
The Clinton-Lycoming AAA (STEP) is at 2138 Lincoln St., Williamsport, PA 17701. The phone number is (570) 326-0587.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
