Hays County is really two places when it comes to stairs. Along I-35 in San Marcos, Kyle and Buda, the county's fastest-growing cities, you find dense subdivisions full of two-story homes. Out west in Wimberley, Driftwood and Dripping Springs, homes are more spread out, older and often ranch-style, set on hilly Hill Country lots.
Those two patterns call for different solutions. A newer two-story home in Kyle usually needs a lift on one indoor staircase, while a Wimberley or Woodcreek home may need help getting from the driveway to the front door. This page walks through what fits each kind of home and which programs in Hays County and Texas may help pay for the work.
Most of the suburban homes in San Marcos, Kyle, Buda and Belterra put the bedrooms upstairs. For many families that is the main problem: the kitchen and living room are fine, but getting to bed and the bathroom means a full flight every day.
A single straight flight is the simplest case and usually takes a straight stair lift mounted to the stair treads, not the wall. If the staircase turns at a landing or curves, a curved rail built to that staircase is the answer. Townhouses in the area often have narrower stairs, so we measure width and the clearance at the top and bottom before recommending a model.
Split-level homes have short runs of steps between levels. Sometimes one short straight lift handles the trip someone makes most, and sometimes two separate lifts make more sense than one long curved rail.
The western part of the county sits on the Edwards Plateau, and the ground in Wimberley, Driftwood and Woodcreek is hilly and rugged. Many older ranch-style homes there are on one floor inside but have steps up to the entry or down to a patio. An outdoor stair lift built for weather, or a vertical platform lift for someone using a wheelchair, can solve the entry problem where a ramp would be too long for a sloped lot.
Hays County skews younger than many places, in part because Texas State University anchors San Marcos. About 10.1% of residents are 65 or older, and senior-specific services have not always kept pace with the county's growth. That means families often have to make a few more phone calls to find help.
The City of San Marcos even lists accessibility improvements as an eligible home-repair activity, a sign that many older or quickly built homes in the county need changes to stairs, entries and bathrooms.
Only one program below names stair lifts directly: the USDA Section 504 repair program, which lists stairlifts for multi-story homes as an accessibility modification. It is limited to USDA-eligible rural areas, so homes in the western Hill Country are more likely to qualify than homes in San Marcos, Kyle or Buda. Eligibility is checked address by address.
Other programs cover home modifications in general without naming stair lifts, so you will need to ask whether a lift can be approved. Veterans should know the VA HISA grant specifically excludes stair glides. Statewide, it is also worth asking about the Amy Young Barrier Removal Program (AYBR) and the Community Living Assistance and Support Services (CLASS) Waiver.
Federal repair grants up to $10,000 for very-low-income homeowners age 62+ and 1% loans up to $40,000 over 20 years, with up to $50,000 combined. Stairlifts are listed as covered, but the home must be in a USDA-eligible rural area and be your primary residence.
A Texas Medicaid waiver for adults 21+ who need a nursing facility level of care, with a $7,500 lifetime limit for minor home modifications plus $300 per year for repairs after that. Stair lifts are not on the covered list, so a member's service coordinator would need to confirm whether one could be approved.
The regional aging agency for 10 counties including Hays, offering information, referral and care coordination for older adults, people with disabilities and caregivers. It does not mention stair lift funding but can point you to services; call (512) 916-6053.
A CDBG-funded repair program for owner-occupied single-family homes inside San Marcos city limits that lists accessibility improvements as an eligible activity; stair lifts are not named. It is currently closed while a committee reviews pending applications, so call (512) 805-2644 to ask about the next window.
A non-profit offering free repairs and safety modifications for people with disabilities to qualifying low-income, senior, disabled and veteran homeowners in Hays and nearby counties. Stair lifts are not mentioned; call (512) 993-8230.
A center for independent living at 618 South Guadalupe, Suite 103, San Marcos, offering information and referral, skills training, peer counseling and advocacy for people with disabilities. It does not list home modification or stair lift services; call (512) 832-6349.
A county office in San Marcos that helps veterans and their dependents apply for VA and other benefits. It does not mention stair lifts but is the local starting point for VA housing grants; call (512) 392-8387.
A lifetime VA grant of $6,800 for service-connected disabilities or $2,000 for other eligible disabilities, covering medically necessary structural alterations. It does not cover stair lifts, since it excludes stair glides and porch lifts; the county veterans office at (512) 392-8387 can help with applications.
VA grants for veterans with specific severe service-connected disabilities to buy, build or adapt a home, up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA in FY2026. Stair lifts are not named in the program description.
Older adults
6800 Burleson Road, Bldg. 301, Suite 165, Austin, 78744
Veterans
111 E. San Antonio St., Ste. 200, San Marcos, 78666
Not through the HISA grant, which excludes stair glides and porch lifts. The SAH and SHA grants fund larger home adaptation projects for veterans with severe service-connected disabilities but do not name stair lifts. The Hays County Veterans Service Office at (512) 392-8387 can help you sort out which program fits.
Probably not. The USDA Section 504 program requires a rural area, generally under 35,000 people, and the I-35 corridor cities likely exceed that. Homes near Wimberley, Driftwood or Dripping Springs are more likely to qualify, but each address has to be checked.
USDA Section 504 grants require age 62+, but the 1% repair loans are open to younger applicants. The STAR+PLUS waiver serves adults 21+ who meet its Medicaid and care-level requirements.
An outdoor stair lift built for weather is a common answer for entry steps. If the person uses a wheelchair, a vertical platform lift can lift the chair itself and avoids the long ramp a hilly lot would require.
Not always. Split-level homes have short runs between levels, so one or two short straight lifts can sometimes do the job. We look at which trips the person makes most before recommending a layout.
It is currently closed while a committee reviews pending applications, and it only serves owner-occupied single-family homes inside San Marcos city limits. Call (512) 805-2644 to ask when the next application window opens.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
