From Waxahachie and Midlothian to Maypearl, Bardwell and Alma, Ellis County spans 16 towns across 952 square miles of north-central Texas. A lot of the houses going up around Waxahachie, Ennis, Midlothian and Red Oak are recent builds, while the rural stretches between towns hold homes spread farther apart.
That mix matters when you are thinking about a stair lift. A newer single-family home with one straight run of stairs is a different job from a split-level house or a second-floor walk-up apartment. This page walks through what fits which home and where Ellis County families can look for help with the cost.
Much of the county's housing is recent-build single-family construction rather than older, established stock. In many of these homes the main staircase is a single straight flight, which is usually the simplest stair lift to fit.
A straight lift runs on a rail fastened to the stair treads, not the wall. If your staircase turns at a landing or curves, the rail has to be shaped to that staircase, and the lift becomes a curved unit.
Split-level homes often have several short flights instead of one long one. Depending on where the bedroom, bathroom and kitchen sit, a person may need a lift on one flight or on more than one.
Townhouses tend to stack living space over two or three floors, so it helps to decide which floor holds daily life before choosing a lift. For walk-up apartments, the stairs may be shared or outside, so an outdoor-rated lift or a platform lift may be the question to raise with the property owner.
About 30.7% of the county is rural. If you live outside Waxahachie, Ennis, Midlothian or Red Oak, installers, home-modification contractors and aging services may be a longer drive away, since county-run services are concentrated in Waxahachie and the regional aging office is in Arlington.
Porch steps and entry stairs are common trouble spots in rural homes. An outdoor lift or a platform lift can cover those steps when a ramp will not fit the yard.
Both groups have offices that can point them to help.
Ellis County Veteran's Services is at 302 N. Monroe St., Waxahachie, TX 75165, phone (972) 825-5099. The North Central Texas AAA is at 616 Six Flags Drive, Arlington, TX 76011, phone (817) 695-9240.
Most programs that help with home changes do not name stair lifts directly, so the honest answer is often that it depends on your case. Some programs, like the VA HISA grant, specifically exclude stair glides.
Start with the North Central Texas AAA and, for veterans, Ellis County Veteran's Services. Other statewide programs worth asking about include the Amy Young Barrier Removal Program (AYBR) and the Community Living Assistance and Support Services (CLASS) Waiver. The programs below are the ones we found for Ellis County.
A Texas Medicaid managed-care program for adults age 21+ who meet a nursing-facility level of care, with home-modification amounts set by each member's approved service plan. Stair lift coverage is not listed in the source, so ask your STAR+PLUS plan directly.
Minor home modifications such as wheelchair ramps and grab bars for older adults in a 14-county area that includes Ellis County; stair lifts are not listed. Call (817) 695-9194 to ask whether a stair lift could be considered.
A lifetime grant of up to $6,800 or $2,000 for medically necessary home alterations for veterans enrolled in VA health care. Stair glides are explicitly excluded, so it does not cover a stair lift.
Grants for veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities, with SAH up to $126,526 and SHA up to $25,350 for FY2026. Stair lifts are not listed among the example adaptations.
A volunteer nonprofit that builds free wheelchair ramps and does not cover stair lifts. Request a ramp through its online form or call (214) 558-0339.
A local critical home repair program; stair lifts and accessibility changes are not listed. Apply through ellishabitat.org/apply and ask about the repair scope.
State-run federal funds for reconstruction help for low-income owner-occupants, with most funds reserved for non-participating jurisdictions. Stair lifts are not listed, and whether Ellis County qualifies was not confirmed.
Older adults
616 Six Flags Drive, Arlington, 76011
Veterans
302 N. Monroe St., Waxahachie, 75165
Not through the HISA grant, which explicitly excludes stair glides. The SAH and SHA grants do not mention stair lifts, so call Ellis County Veteran's Services at (972) 825-5099 to talk through your situation.
The North Central Texas AAA at (817) 695-9240 serves Ellis County. Its residential repair program can be reached at (817) 695-9194.
Texas STAR+PLUS is open to Medicaid-eligible adults age 21 and older who meet a nursing-facility level of care. Stair lift coverage is not listed, so confirm with your plan.
It depends on which floors you use every day. If the rooms you need sit on different levels, you may need a lift on more than one flight.
Yes, we work across Ellis County's 16 towns, including rural areas. Living outside town centers can mean longer distances to services, so plan your calls to agencies early.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
