Upshur County spreads across 593 square miles of the Piney Woods, with Gilmer as the county seat and Gladewater as its largest city. Most people here live outside town centers, out past Big Sandy, Ore City, East Mountain, Union Grove and Warren City, on land where the nearest equipment contractors are often based in Longview or Tyler.
The homes reflect that rural setting. Many are modest single-story ranch-style houses, and many others are older farmhouses with raised foundations and bedrooms upstairs. Each of those layouts raises a different stair question, so this page walks through what fits, what it means for your house, and where to look for help paying for it.
An older East Texas farmhouse with a second-story bedroom is the classic case for an indoor stair lift. If the staircase runs in one straight line from bottom to top, a straight rail is usually the simplest fit. Farmhouse stairs that turn at a landing or wind partway up need a curved rail built to that exact staircase.
Single-story ranch homes rarely have an indoor staircase at all. The trouble there is usually the few steps up to the front or back door. That is a different problem with different answers, covered below.
Raised foundations are common in the county's older houses, and they leave a run of steps between the yard and the porch. An outdoor stair lift is built to sit on those steps and handle the weather. For someone who uses a wheelchair and cannot transfer to a seat, a platform lift is the option to ask about instead.
Some households here are better served by a ramp than a lift. If there is room in the yard for one, it is worth looking at the free ramp program listed further down before deciding.
As of the 2020 census, 80.7% of Upshur County residents lived in rural areas. If you are out on a county road rather than in Gilmer or Gladewater, plan for a measuring visit and an install visit, and ask how service calls will be handled at your distance.
Good measurements matter more when the installer is not around the corner. Have the staircase clear, know where the nearest outlet is, and mention any porch boards or steps that feel soft.
Be aware that the VA HISA grant excludes stair glides by name. The larger VA housing grants do not mention stair lifts either way.
For help sorting out which VA benefit applies, the county Veterans Services office is at 100 W. Tyler, Gilmer 75644, phone (903) 720-2316.
No program below lists stair lifts as a covered item, and two of them rule them out. That does not end the conversation. USDA repair money and the Amy Young Barrier Removal Program fund work that removes hazards or barriers, and a stair lift may be weighed case by case.
A good first call for anyone 60 or older is the Area Agency on Aging of East Texas. Its office at 3800 Stone Rd., Kilgore 75662 can be reached at (903) 984-8641. Texas also runs statewide programs such as the STAR+PLUS Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Waiver and the Community Living Assistance and Support Services (CLASS) Waiver, which are worth asking the agency about.
Loans up to $40,000 at 1% fixed interest and grants up to $10,000 for very-low-income rural homeowners, with grants limited to those 62 or older; the program funds repairs and removal of health and safety hazards but does not name stair lifts, so coverage is case by case. Call (800) 670-6553 and confirm your property's rural eligibility.
A lifetime grant of up to $6,800 or $2,000, depending on disability status, for medically necessary alterations to an owned or rented home. The VA explicitly excludes stair glides and porch lifts; call (800) 827-1000 for other alterations.
Grants of up to $126,526 (SAH) or $25,350 (SHA) for veterans with specific severe service-connected disabilities to buy, build or adapt a home. Stair lifts are not mentioned in the program description; call (800) 827-1000.
Volunteers build free wheelchair ramps for low-income older adults and people with disabilities who have a documented mobility need; it does not cover stair lifts. A social-services agency, healthcare professional, EMS, fire or police liaison must make the referral, and the number is (214) 558-0339.
A state grant of up to $22,500 per household that includes a person with disabilities and earns no more than 80% of Area Median Family Income, open to homeowners and tenants. Stair lifts are not specifically listed in the program information we have.
Information, referral, care coordination, caregiver support and fall-reduction education for residents 60 and older across 14 counties including Upshur. It does not list a home modification or stair lift benefit, but it is a useful first call at (800) 442-8845.
Older adults
3800 Stone Rd., Kilgore, 75662
Veterans
100 W. Tyler, Gilmer, 75644
Yes, in most cases. A staircase that turns needs a curved rail made to fit it, while a single straight run can use a straight rail.
An outdoor stair lift can go on the entry steps, or a platform lift if the person stays in a wheelchair. A ramp may also fit, and the Texas Ramp Project builds ramps in Upshur County for eligible households through a professional referral.
The HISA grant specifically excludes stair glides. The SAH and SHA grants do not mention stair lifts, so call the VA at (800) 827-1000 or Veterans Services in Gilmer at (903) 720-2316 to ask about your situation.
USDA Section 504 grants of up to $10,000 are open to homeowners 62 and older in eligible rural areas who cannot repay a loan. Stair lifts are not named, so coverage would be decided case by case; call (800) 670-6553.
For anyone 60 or older, the East Texas AAA in Kilgore at (903) 984-8641 can help with information, referrals and care coordination for Upshur County residents.
The Amy Young Barrier Removal Program accepts both homeowners and tenants in households that include a person with disabilities and meet the income limit. The VA HISA grant also applies to rented homes.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
