Grand Isle County is mostly lake. Of its 195 square miles, 58% is water, and its five towns (North Hero, South Hero, Grand Isle, Isle La Motte and the Alburgh peninsula) reach the mainland by just three roadway bridges. That shapes everything from a trip to the doctor to scheduling a contractor.
The homes here reflect the county's dairy and orchard past: older farmhouses, farmsteads, lakefront camps and cottages, plus split-level homes and newer year-round houses. Many were built long before accessibility codes existed, with entry steps and multi-level layouts that get harder to manage as owners stay put.
Older island farmhouses often have a main staircase that runs straight from the front hall to the bedrooms. A straight stair lift is usually the simplest fit for that kind of run, because the rail is a single piece that mounts to the stair treads, not the wall.
Some farmhouses have stairs that turn at a landing or wind through a tight corner, which was common in homes built before codes. Those need a curved rail made to the exact shape of the staircase, so we measure on site before anything is ordered.
Lakefront camps and cottages tend to sit on uneven ground, with steps up to the door or down toward the water. An outdoor stair lift, built to handle weather, can cover entry steps that a person would otherwise climb every day.
Split-level homes have short flights between each level. Each flight may need its own lift, or a curved rail if the stairs connect. Where a wheelchair user needs to get up a few steps, a platform lift can be the better choice.
With three bridges as the only road links, getting to and from the mainland takes real driving time for residents and for installers. It helps to plan the home visit, the measurement and the installation together so you are not waiting on extra trips.
Ask about service and repair plans up front too. On an island, knowing how a lift will be serviced is part of choosing one.
About 22.6% of county residents are 65 or older, and 90.9% are homeowners. That means a lot of people own the homes they are aging in, which makes a permanent fix like a stair lift worth looking at seriously.
The county has no VA facility of its own; Vermont Veterans Outreach in Colchester at (802) 338-4312 can help with benefit questions.
No program on this page names stair lifts as a guaranteed covered item, so each one has to be checked case by case. The best first call is the Age Well Senior HelpLine at (800) 642-5119, which connects Grand Isle County residents to Choices for Care, home repair and accessibility resources.
Champlain Housing Trust is one of the few funders whose service area directly includes Grand Isle County, and USDA Section 504 repair help is generally available in the county's rural towns. Veterans should know that the VA HISA grant does not cover stair glides. Statewide, the Vermont Independence Fund (Assistive Technology Loan) is another option to ask about.
A Vermont Medicaid waiver for residents 65+ or adults 18+ with a physical disability who meet nursing facility level of care; home modifications such as ramps and grab bars are authorized through an individual plan of care, but stair lifts are not listed by name. Access runs through Age Well, and the program line is (800) 479-6151.
The area agency on aging for Grand Isle County, offering free case management, Meals on Wheels, caregiver support and referrals to funding programs; it does not name a stair lift fund. Call the Senior HelpLine at (800) 642-5119.
For owner-occupants in Chittenden, Franklin or Grand Isle County at or below 80% of area median income, the first $3,000 of an eligible project is a grant and costs above that can be covered by a CHT loan. It helps with home accessibility modifications, though stair lifts are not named, so confirm with a loan officer at (802) 861-7388.
A grant program for home entry and bathroom accessibility modifications for low-income Vermonters with a permanent physical disability; stair lifts are not mentioned. Call (802) 224-1807 for current amounts and requirements.
Loans up to $40,000 at 1% fixed interest and grants up to $10,000 for owners 62+ who cannot repay a loan, usable to make a home accessible for a household member with a disability; stair lifts are not named on the source. Call (802) 828-6000 and confirm your address eligibility.
A lifetime VA grant of up to $6,800 or $2,000 for medically necessary structural changes, but it explicitly excludes stair glides and porch lifts, so a stair lift is not covered. Questions go to (800) 698-2411.
Grants for veterans with specific severe service-connected disabilities, up to $126,526 (SAH) or $25,350 (SHA) lifetime for FY2026, for adaptations like ramps and wider doorways; stair lifts are not listed by name. Call (800) 698-2411.
Older adults
875 Roosevelt Highway, Suite 210, Colchester, 05446
Veterans
789 National Guard Road, Colchester, 05446
Start with the Age Well Senior HelpLine at (800) 642-5119. It serves Grand Isle County and can connect you to Choices for Care, home repair and accessibility programs.
Yes, possibly. Choices for Care accepts adults 18+ with a physical disability who meet nursing facility level of care, and the VCIL Home Access Program serves Vermonters with a permanent physical disability. Neither names stair lifts specifically, so coverage has to be confirmed.
No. The VA HISA page excludes stair glides as removable equipment. SAH and SHA grants cover adaptations for qualifying severe service-connected disabilities, but stair lifts are not listed by name, so ask the VA at (800) 698-2411.
Champlain Housing Trust makes the first $3,000 of an eligible project a grant for income-qualified homeowners in Grand Isle County, for example at or below $69,850 for one person. USDA Section 504 grants of up to $10,000 are available to owners 62+ who cannot repay a loan.
Entry steps outdoors call for an outdoor stair lift built for weather. If someone uses a wheelchair, a platform lift may make more sense for a few steps.
The lift itself is the same, but the county connects to the mainland by only three roadway bridges. Plan measurement, installation and future service together to cut down on trips.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
