From the subdivisions spreading out around St. George to the higher, quieter streets of Pine Valley and New Harmony, Washington County covers 2,430 square miles of red rock, desert and mountain. Many homes here sit on hillside or sloped lots. That terrain is why so many houses have split-level or walkout-basement layouts, with a flight of stairs inside the house.
Those stairs are often fine when a family buys the home. They can become the hardest part of the day years later. This page explains how local homes in the county's 18 towns tend to fit different stair lifts, and which agencies in and around St. George can help with the cost.
Most homes around St. George are in subdivisions, and new construction and infill keep expanding the metro area. Builders working on sloped red-rock lots often step the house down the hill. The result is a split-level or a walkout basement, where the main living space is on one floor and bedrooms, laundry or a family room are on another.
Split-level homes usually have short runs of stairs between levels. A short, straight run is one of the simpler installs, but a home with two short flights may need two lifts or one curved rail. We look at how the levels connect before recommending anything.
A straight staircase with no landing takes a straight stair lift. The rail mounts to the stair treads, not the wall, so it works in newer drywall construction in Washington, Hurricane or Santa Clara just as well as in older neighborhoods.
Stairs that turn at a landing, or wrap around a corner in a walkout basement, need a curved rail built to that staircase. Townhouses often have a single straight flight in a narrow stairwell, so the folded width of the chair matters. For exterior steps down to a sloped yard or up to an entry, an outdoor lift or a platform lift may be the better fit, especially if a wheelchair is involved.
Elevation in the county runs from 2,178 feet at Beaver Dam Wash, the lowest point in Utah, up to 10,369 feet at Signal Peak. St. George gets about 8 inches of rain a year, while Pine Valley gets over 20 inches. An outdoor lift in Veyo or Enterprise faces different conditions than one in Ivins, so we plan for that.
Distance also matters. Homes in places like Central, Dammeron Valley, Virgin or Springdale can be a long drive from installers, contractors and doctors. If you live outside the metro area, ask about service visits and how repairs are handled before you buy.
About 21.9% of residents are 65 or older, and 72.1% of households own their home. Many retirees moved to the St. George area and plan to stay in the house they bought. Owning the home makes a permanent lift or rail an easier decision than it is for renters.
That makes the VA programs below worth a call, though one of them specifically excludes stair lifts.
No single program here names stair lifts as a covered item. Several come close, and a few phone calls can sort out what applies to your situation. The Five County AAA in St. George, at (435) 673-3548, is the best first call for anyone 60 or older because it coordinates the Medicaid Aging Waiver and other in-home programs.
For people who will finance the lift, the Utah Assistive Technology Program offers low-interest loans and lists lifts among eligible purchases. Veterans should contact the Utah Department of Veterans & Military Affairs at (435) 218-5128. Details on each program are below.
A Medicaid waiver for Utah residents 65 and older who need nursing-facility level of care and meet Medicaid income and asset limits; it pays for physical adaptations to a home, but stair lifts are not named, so coverage is decided case by case in the care plan. Call (866) 435-7414.
Case management for people 60 and older and family caregivers, coordinating the Aging Waiver, the State Alternatives Program, Veteran Directed Care and caregiver support; home modifications and stair lifts are not listed, but this is the local place to ask what help is available. Call (435) 673-3548.
A home repair and rehabilitation program for low-income homeowners in the five-county region, run from St. George; the source does not say whether accessibility work or stair lifts qualify. Call (435) 673-3548 for current scope and eligibility.
Loans up to $40,000 at 1% fixed interest and grants up to $10,000 for very-low-income homeowners in USDA-eligible rural areas, with grants limited to those 62 and older who cannot repay a loan; grants fund accessibility changes such as ramps, but stair lifts are not named. Much of the county is in the St. George metro, so confirm your address qualifies.
A lifetime grant of up to $6,800 or $2,000 for medically necessary fixed alterations for veterans with a VA-rated disability. It does not cover stair lifts; the VA specifically excludes stair glides.
Grants for veterans with specific severe service-connected disabilities, up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA, to buy, build or adapt a home; stair lifts are not named in the source. The Utah Department of Veterans & Military Affairs can be reached at (435) 218-5128.
A St. George center for independent living that helps people with disabilities get assistive technology through outside funders and runs a loan bank of donated equipment; stair lifts are not listed. Call (435) 673-7501.
Low-interest loans of $1,000 to $50,000 through Zions Bank, with approval based on credit and income and no proof of disability required; lifts are listed as eligible, though stair lifts are not named, so confirm your model. Call (435) 797-2025.
Older adults
1070 West 1600 South, Bldg. B, St. George, 84770
Veterans
550 Foothill Drive, Suite 105, Salt Lake City, 84113
The VA HISA grant specifically excludes stair glides. The larger VA SAH and SHA grants do not name stair lifts, so ask the VA whether one can be part of an approved adaptation plan. Medicare is not covered in our source information, so we can't speak to it here.
Yes, start with the Five County AAA at (435) 673-3548. It serves people 60 and older in Washington County and can explain programs beyond the Medicaid Aging Waiver, including the State Alternatives Program.
Usually, yes. Each short flight can take a straight lift, or a curved rail can connect levels if the stairs turn. An in-home measurement shows which works for your layout.
The Utah Assistive Technology Program offers loans of $1,000 to $50,000 and lists lifts among eligible purchases. Approval is based on credit, debts and income. Call (435) 797-2025 to confirm a stair lift qualifies.
USDA Section 504 help is only for USDA-eligible rural areas. Much of the county's population is in the St. George metro, so check eligibility by address before applying.
It can, but Pine Valley gets over 20 inches of rain a year compared with about 8 inches in St. George. We factor that in when choosing an outdoor lift, and we also discuss service access for homes outside the metro area.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
