Fannin County covers 899 square miles of Northeast Texas along the Red River, with Bonham as the county seat and smaller towns like Leonard, Honey Grove, Savoy, Ector, Trenton, Ladonia, Dodd City and Ravenna spread out between Bois d'Arc Creek and the Sulphur River. A lot of families here live outside town centers, on rural roads where a trip to a contractor or equipment dealer can mean a drive toward Dallas-Fort Worth or Sherman-Denison.
In Bonham, much of the older housing dates from the railroad years of the 1880s through the 1920s, when staircases were not built with accessibility in mind. This page walks through how those homes, and the newer ones around the county, affect which stair lift will work, and which local and state programs may help with the cost.
Bonham grew quickly after the Texas and Pacific Railway arrived, and many houses in the older, pre-1950s core still have their original stairs. These are often steeper or narrower than a modern staircase, and some turn at a landing partway up.
A straight staircase can usually take a standard rail-mounted lift. If the stairs turn or have a landing, a curved lift is built to follow that exact path, so we measure every step before quoting. As of the 2020 Census, Bonham had 3,400 housing units, and 53.6% were owner-occupied, so many of the people living in these older homes own them and can make the change.
Split-level homes are common enough in the county that we see them often. They have short runs of stairs between levels, and each run may need its own lift or a lift that bends around a turn.
Townhouses tend to have a single straight flight, which is usually the simplest install. In a walk-up apartment, the stairs are often shared or owned by the landlord, so written permission comes first before anything is mounted to the wall or steps.
Many Fannin County residents live in unincorporated communities and out on county roads. If the main problem is getting from the yard to the front door, an outdoor stair lift built for weather exposure can handle entry steps, and a platform lift is an option when a wheelchair is involved.
Distance matters too. Because so many installers and dealers are based in the Dallas-Fort Worth or Sherman-Denison areas, it helps to have measurements, power access and any landlord approval sorted out before the install day so the job is done in one trip.
That second number is worth noting, because veterans may have VA benefits to check, even though one common VA grant does not pay for stair lifts.
For veterans, the county Veteran Services office is at 101 E Sam Rayburn Dr in Bonham and can be reached at (903) 912-0036. It is a good first stop to sort out which VA benefits apply.
The program most likely to cover a stair lift is the Texas STAR+PLUS Medicaid HCBS waiver, which includes home modifications for people who need a nursing facility level of care and meet its income and asset limits. It works from an interest list, so getting on that list early matters.
For local help sorting out options, the Area Agency on Aging of Texoma serves people 60 and older and people with a disability in Fannin County. Other statewide programs to ask about include the Amy Young Barrier Removal Program (AYBR) and the Community Living Assistance and Support Services (CLASS) Waiver. The programs below explain what each source says about stair lifts.
A Medicaid waiver that lists home modifications as a covered service for Texans who need nursing facility level of care, with limits of $2,982 a month in income and $2,000 in assets for a single applicant; a stair lift must be approved in the member's service plan. Enrollment is through a statewide interest list; call (877) 438-5658.
Provides information and referral, benefits counseling, care coordination and caregiver support to residents 60 and older and people with a disability in Cooke, Fannin and Grayson Counties. Stair lifts are not listed, but it can help screen you for other programs; call (903) 813-3505.
Administers block grant funding for low-to-moderate-income households in Cooke, Fannin and Grayson Counties, with housing rehabilitation available only in cycles when a local government wins an award. Stair lifts are not listed; call (903) 893-2161 to ask whether a current award covers your address.
A lifetime VA grant of up to $6,800 or $2,000, depending on disability status, for medically necessary structural changes to a veteran's home. It does not cover stair lifts, which the VA lists as excluded equipment.
VA grants for veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities, up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA, to buy, build or adapt a home the veteran owns or plans to own. Stair lifts are not mentioned in the source, so coverage is not confirmed.
A nonprofit center for independent living that serves Texans with a disability of any age, with Fannin County covered on a purchased services basis. Stair lifts are not listed, but you can ask what in-home accessibility help it can arrange; call (936) 544-2811.
Older adults
1117 Gallagher Dr., Suite 500, Sherman, 75090
Veterans
101 E Sam Rayburn Dr, Bonham, 75418
Usually, yes. Straight stairs take a standard rail lift, and stairs that turn or have a landing get a curved lift made to match them. We measure each step first, since homes from the railroad era were not built to modern accessibility standards.
The VA HISA grant specifically excludes stair glides. The SAH and SHA grants do not mention stair lifts, so coverage is not confirmed. Call Veteran Services in Bonham at (903) 912-0036 to talk through your benefits.
The Area Agency on Aging of Texoma serves people 60 and older, and also people with a disability at any age in Fannin County. The Crockett Resource Center for Independent Living serves Texans with a disability of any age, and the STAR+PLUS waiver is based on level of care and financial limits.
STAR+PLUS uses a statewide interest list, so you are not enrolled right away. Call (877) 438-5658 to start, or ask the Area Agency on Aging of Texoma at (903) 813-3505 to help with screening.
Yes. Many Fannin County residents live in rural, unincorporated areas. Having power near the stairs and any approvals ready ahead of time helps finish the job in one visit, since many suppliers come from the Dallas-Fort Worth or Sherman-Denison areas.
It depends on the landlord, because shared stairs and walls usually belong to the building owner. Get written permission before scheduling a measurement.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
