Erath County covers about 1,090 square miles of rolling North-Central Texas land, and about 51% of residents live in unincorporated rural areas outside Stephenville. That means a lot of the homes we see are dispersed farmsteads and ranch houses, not houses lined up on suburban streets. Many sit on raised entries with several steps up to the porch.
In Stephenville, Dublin and Huckabay, the mix is mostly single-family homes and detached houses, with some townhouses, split-level homes and walk-up apartments. Each of these puts stairs in a different place. This page walks through what that means for a stair lift and where Erath County families can look for help paying for one.
A raised-entry rural home often has the hardest climb outside, at the front or back porch. For those steps, an outdoor stair lift or a porch lift is usually the better fit than anything inside the house.
Stephenville and the rest of the county have a humid subtropical climate with hot summers and mild winters. An outdoor unit should be one rated for outdoor use and sun exposure, and we look at where the steps face and how the porch is built before recommending one.
A split-level home usually has short flights between levels rather than one long staircase. Sometimes one short straight lift solves the main problem, and sometimes two are needed. We sort that out by walking the house with you.
Townhouses and many detached houses in Stephenville and Dublin have a single straight run, which is the simplest and most common install. If the stairs turn at a landing or curve, a custom curved rail is needed, which takes longer to build. In a walk-up apartment, the building owner has to agree before anything is mounted.
With so many homes spread across farm and ranch country, travel is part of any home-modification job here. The county's own housing data notes that this rural layout affects the cost of contractor visits.
It helps to plan one in-home visit where we measure every set of steps you use, inside and out. That way a porch lift and an indoor lift can be quoted together instead of in separate trips.
Erath County Veteran Services is at 100 W Washington St, Room 111, in Stephenville, and can be reached at (254) 965-1443.
Be aware that the VA HISA grant specifically excludes stair glides and porch lifts. The SAH and SHA grants name ramps and doorway widening as examples and do not mention stair lifts, so ask the VA directly before counting on them.
None of the programs listed below names stair lifts as a covered item, and one, VA HISA, rules them out. Several still fund home accessibility work in general, so they are worth a call to ask how they treat a lift in your situation.
For seniors, the North Central Texas Area Agency on Aging is a good first call for referrals. Rural homeowners with very low income may also look at the USDA Section 504 program, and Texans with a disability can ask about the Amy Young Barrier Removal Program.
A Texas Medicaid waiver benefit with a $7,500 lifetime cap per member, plus up to $300 a year for repairs after the cap, for modifications in an approved Individual Service Plan. Its covered-item list does not include stair lifts, and no phone number is listed.
Information, assistance and referral for people age 60 and older or their caregivers in a service region that includes Erath County; no stair lift funding is described. Call (800) 272-3921, or the Arlington office at (817) 695-9240.
Loans up to $40,000 at 1% over 20 years, and grants up to $10,000 for very-low-income homeowners age 62 and older in eligible rural areas, which include Erath County; stair lifts are not named as a covered item. Call (800) 414-1226.
A VA grant of up to $126,526 (FY2026) for veterans with certain severe service-connected disabilities, or up to $50,961 through Temporary Residence Adaptation. The source gives ramps and doorway widening as examples and does not mention stair lifts.
A VA grant of up to $25,350 (FY2026), or up to $9,100 through Temporary Residence Adaptation, for veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities. Stair lifts are not specifically mentioned.
A one-time Texas grant of up to $20,000 per household for homeowners or tenants with a disability whose income is at or below 80% of Area Median Family Income. It funds accessibility changes in general, and stair lifts are not specifically mentioned.
A lifetime VA grant of $6,800 for service-connected disabilities or $2,000 for other eligible disabilities, for medically necessary structural changes. Stair glides and porch lifts are explicitly excluded; call (800) 827-1000 with questions.
A nonprofit that serves Erath County with independent living services out of its Abilene office; no stair lift fund is described. Call (325) 672-2903.
Older adults
616 Six Flags Drive, Arlington, 76011
Veterans
100 W Washington St, Room 111, Stephenville, 76401
The STAR+PLUS HCBS Minor Home Modifications benefit has a $7,500 lifetime cap, but its covered-item list does not include stair lifts. It does list ramps, door widening and similar changes.
The Area Agency on Aging serves people 60 and older or their caregivers. For someone younger with a disability, the Amy Young Barrier Removal Program and Disability in Action at (325) 672-2903 are options to ask about.
The HISA grant explicitly excludes stair glides and porch lifts. The SAH and SHA grants do not mention stair lifts, so contact Erath County Veteran Services at (254) 965-1443 to ask about your case.
Yes. Raised-entry rural homes are common here, and an outdoor stair lift or porch lift is usually the answer for those steps. We measure inside and outside on the same visit.
Erath County and Stephenville are listed as rural-eligible for the Section 504 program. Grants are for very-low-income homeowners age 62 and older, and stair lifts are not named as covered, so call (800) 414-1226 to ask.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
