Most houses in Lubbock County sit on one level. The Llano Estacado is flat, and ranch-style, single-story homes are the most common house type countywide, with over 1,200 single-story listings. That does not mean these homes are free of steps.
Many older single-story homes in Lubbock, Wolfforth, Slaton and Idalou still have a handful of entry or porch steps, a sunken living room or a split-entry layout. Those few steps cause plenty of falls. This page explains which kind of lift fits these homes and which programs in Lubbock County and Texas may help with the cost.
Entry and porch steps are the most common trouble spot we see in ranch-style homes. When the steps are outside, an outdoor-rated stair lift or a platform lift can carry someone from the driveway or yard up to the door. A platform lift is the better choice if the person uses a wheelchair and needs to stay in it.
A sunken living room or a split-entry floor plan usually means a short, straight run of steps. A straight stair lift on a short rail handles that well and takes up little room. In a split-level home, each half flight can be looked at on its own.
Townhouses and split-level homes in the county often have a full staircase. If the stairs run straight from bottom to top, a straight stair lift is the simpler install. Stairs that turn at a landing need a curved rail built to fit that staircase.
About 52.8% of households in the county own their home, so a good share of people rent. If you rent a townhouse or a low-rise apartment, talk with the owner before planning a lift, since the rail mounts to the stair treads.
Lubbock County covers 901 square miles, and the City of Lubbock takes up only about 114.8 square miles of it. The level ground makes getting around outside easier for walker and wheelchair users than in hillier parts of the country.
The size of the county is the catch. Homes in rural stretches outside the city can be far from Lubbock-based installers and home-modification contractors. If you live out past New Deal, Ransom Canyon or Buffalo Springs, ask early about travel and service visits so you know what to expect after the lift is in.
Lubbock's cost of living index is 84.1, below the U.S. average of 100. Even so, many seniors on fixed incomes look for a grant or loan before paying out of pocket. About 12.6% of county residents are 65 or older.
Start with the programs listed below. Medicaid waivers through STAR+PLUS and CLASS name minor home modifications, LIFE, Inc. names home modifications in its assistive technology program, and the South Plains Area Agency on Aging offers minor residential repair for homeowners 60 and older. The Amy Young Barrier Removal Program (AYBR) is also listed as a statewide program worth asking about.
The VA HISA grant explicitly excludes stair glides and porch lifts, so it will not pay for a stair lift. It does fund fixed alterations, which may help with other parts of an accessible home.
The VA SAH, SHA and TRA grants do not name stair lifts in the source we reviewed. For help sorting out VA benefits, the Texas Veterans Commission has a Lubbock office at 904 Broadway St, Suite 101, Lubbock 79401, phone (806) 775-1335.
A Medicaid managed-care waiver for adults 21 and older who meet nursing-facility level of care, and it lists minor home modifications among its services. A case manager decides what your service plan funds; call 1-877-782-6440 to ask about enrolling.
A Medicaid waiver for Texans with a related condition that began before age 22, covering minor home modifications up to $10,000 total over a lifetime. Stair lifts are not named in the examples given; the listed phone is (877) 438-5658.
Minor residential repair for homeowners age 60 and older in the South Plains service area, which includes Lubbock County. The source does not mention stair lifts, so call (806) 762-8721 and ask what the repair benefit currently funds.
Loans up to $40,000 at 1% fixed interest and grants up to $10,000 for very-low-income homeowners 62 and older in USDA-eligible rural areas, not the incorporated City of Lubbock. Stair lifts are not listed among approved repairs, so coverage is not confirmed.
A lifetime grant of up to $6,800 or $2,000 for medically necessary home alterations for disabled veterans. Stair glides are explicitly excluded; call (800) 827-1000 for questions about other alterations.
Grants to buy, build or adapt a home for veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities, with SAH up to $126,526 and SHA up to $25,350. The source does not name stair lifts; call (800) 827-1000 to ask.
A nonprofit center at 8240 Boston Ave., Lubbock whose assistive technology program names home modifications among the things it can purchase. Call (806) 795-5433 to check current funding and whether a stair lift would qualify.
Older adults
1323 58th St., Lubbock, 79412
Veterans
904 Broadway St, Suite 101, Lubbock, 79401
Many single-story homes in Lubbock County still have entry or porch steps, a sunken living room or a split-entry layout. An outdoor lift or platform lift can handle the entry, and a short straight lift can handle steps inside.
The South Plains AAA at 1323 58th St., Lubbock 79412 offers minor residential repair for homeowners 60 and older. Its source page does not mention stair lifts, so call (806) 762-8721 to ask what it covers now.
Not through HISA, which explicitly excludes stair glides. The SAH, SHA and TRA grants do not name stair lifts in the source reviewed, so call (800) 827-1000 or the Texas Veterans Commission in Lubbock at (806) 775-1335.
The STAR+PLUS HCBS waiver lists minor home modifications, and a case manager decides what your plan funds. Call 1-877-782-6440. The CLASS waiver covers minor home modifications up to $10,000 over a lifetime for people with a qualifying related condition.
USDA Section 504 repair loans and grants apply to USDA-eligible rural areas, generally under 35,000 people, and not the incorporated City of Lubbock. Income must be at or below 50% of area median income, and stair lifts are not named among approved repairs.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
