Greene County sits in Virginia's piedmont and foothills, with part of Shenandoah National Park inside its lines and Stanardsville, Ruckersville and Twin Lakes as its main communities. Around the 1838 courthouse in Stanardsville you find an older village core, while newer houses have gone up near Ruckersville along the US 29/US 33 corridor.
That spread of old and new construction, set on hilly and sometimes steep ground, shapes what kind of stair lift a house can take. This page walks through the homes we see here, the terrain outside the front door, and the state, federal and local programs that can help pay for the work.
The older in-town homes around Stanardsville are more likely to be multi-story, with the bedroom or only full bath up a flight of stairs. Those staircases are often the reason a family first calls about a lift.
Newer development in outlying areas includes more single-level construction, which may need no indoor lift at all. The question there is usually the steps at the entry, not the stairs inside.
Single-family homes and townhouses with one straight flight usually take a straight-rail stair lift, the simplest install. If the stairs turn at a landing or wind, a curved rail is built to follow that exact path.
Split-level homes deserve a careful look. Short half-flights between levels can mean more than one lift, or a different plan for which level becomes the main living floor. Walk-up apartments raise a separate issue, since a shared stairway usually needs the building owner's permission before anything is mounted.
Greene County covers about 156.1 square miles of hilly, mountain-adjacent land, and many homes sit above or below the driveway. An outdoor stair lift built for weather can cover porch or yard steps, and a vertical platform lift can work where a wheelchair is involved.
With rural roads and limited public transit, getting out of the house safely matters as much as getting upstairs. We look at the entry steps on every visit, not just the indoor staircase.
County figures show 17.2% of residents are 65 or older and 78.1% are homeowners. Owning the home makes it simpler to install a permanent lift and opens up several grant and tax credit programs that require ownership.
That makes the VA programs below worth checking, though some of them exclude stair glides, so read each one carefully.
Two Virginia programs name chairlifts or chair lifts directly: the Virginia Housing Accessibility Grants and the Virginia Livable Home Tax Credit. Those are the first calls to make for most homeowners.
Medicaid's CCC Plus Waiver, USDA Section 504 and the VA housing grants do not list stair lifts, so approval would depend on the program. JABA and the Independence Resource Center can help you sort out which ones you qualify for.
A Medicaid waiver for people who meet a nursing-facility level of care, with up to $5,000 per household per year for home modifications and a separate $5,000 per individual per year for assistive technology. Stair lifts are not named on its examples list, so approval is case by case; call (833) 522-5582.
A true grant of up to $10,000, no repayment, that lists installing ramps and chairlifts among funded work, with income limits of 60% or 80% of area median income depending on the track. Apply through a Virginia Housing-accepted agent; call (877) 843-2123.
A state tax credit of up to 50% of retrofit cost, capped at $6,500, for permanent accessibility features, and chair lifts are an eligible item. You must get certified by DHCD before claiming it; call (804) 371-7000.
A VA grant with a $6,800 or $2,000 lifetime maximum for medically necessary home changes. It explicitly excludes stair glides, so it will not pay for a stair lift; call (800) 827-1000.
Grants for veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities, up to $126,526 (SAH) or $25,350 (SHA) for FY2026. Stair lifts are not named among covered adaptations; call (800) 827-1000.
1% loans up to $40,000 and grants up to $10,000 for homeowners age 62+ in rural areas, and Greene County qualifies. Stair lifts are not on the listed repairs; call (804) 287-1500.
Volunteer repairs for Greene County homeowners with income between 0-80% of AMI, covering porches, decks, ramps and exterior carpentry. Stair lifts are not mentioned; call (434) 293-9066.
Information, referral, peer counseling and advocacy for people with physical or sensory disabilities in Planning District Ten, which includes Greene County. It does not list stair lift funding but links to the Assistive Technology Loan Fund Authority; call (434) 971-9629.
The local information and referral point for adults age 60+ and people with disabilities in Greene County. It does not list stair lift funding itself; call (434) 817-5222.
Older adults
674 Hillsdale Drive, Suite 9, Charlottesville, 22901
Veterans
1430 Rolkin Court, Suite 202, Charlottesville, 22911
The Virginia Housing Accessibility Grants list chairlifts among funded work, with up to $10,000 that never has to be repaid, for households under the income limits. The Virginia Livable Home Tax Credit also names chair lifts and covers up to 50% of retrofit cost, capped at $6,500.
Not through HISA, which explicitly excludes stair glides. The SAH and SHA grants do not name stair lifts either. Veterans can still apply for the Granting Freedom track of the Virginia Housing grants, with income at or below 80% of AMI, and the Charlottesville Benefits Office at (434) 529-6431 can help with VA questions.
Yes. JABA serves adults age 60+ in Greene County from its office at 674 Hillsdale Drive, Suite 9, Charlottesville, and can be reached at (434) 817-5222. USDA Section 504 grants are open to rural homeowners age 62+ who meet the income and asset limits.
Often, yes, but split-levels have short flights between several levels. We usually decide which floor will be the main living space and fit a lift to that run, or plan for more than one.
An outdoor stair lift can run along exterior steps, and a vertical platform lift can help when a wheelchair is used. Habitat for Humanity's Greene County program also builds and repairs ramps and porches for homeowners who qualify; call (434) 293-9066.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
