Mason County stretches across about 1,051 square miles of the Olympic Peninsula, wrapped by Hood Canal and the Puget Sound inlets. Homes in Shelton, Belfair, Allyn, Grapeview, Skokomish and Union sit on hilly, forested ground, and many of them come with steps both inside and out.
About 69.5% of county residents live in rural areas rather than incorporated towns. That means long driveways, sloped lots and houses built into hillsides are common. This page walks through how those homes affect the kind of stair lift that works, and where local families can look for help with the cost.
The housing here is mostly single-family homes, with split-level homes, walk-up apartments and low-rise buildings mixed in. Each one asks something different of a stair lift.
A single straight flight in a single-family home is the simplest case. A straight stair lift mounts to the stair treads, not the wall, and usually goes in without changing the staircase.
Split-level homes are trickier. They often have two short flights with a landing or a turn between them. That can mean a curved lift built to follow the turn, or two straight lifts, one for each flight. We measure before recommending either.
On hilly, forested lots, the hardest stairs are often outside: porch steps, deck stairs or a run down from the parking area. Weather off Hood Canal and the Sound means any outdoor lift needs a model built for rain and damp.
An outdoor stair lift can handle a straight exterior flight. Where someone uses a wheelchair, or the steps are too irregular for a seat lift, a platform lift is the other option to look at.
Rural homes can be far from town centers, so getting in and out of the house safely matters more when errands and appointments mean a drive. Fixing the entry steps first is often the right place to start.
About 17.6% of residents are 65 or older, and 67.1% are homeowners. Owning the home makes a stair lift an easier decision, since there is no landlord to ask before installing one.
If that includes a parent or spouse, the VA programs listed below are worth a call before you pay out of pocket.
None of the local or VA programs on this page name stair lifts directly in their published material. That does not always mean a no. It means you need to call and ask how your situation fits.
For older adults, the Lewis-Mason-Thurston Area Agency on Aging is the best first call. The Mason County office is at 2008 Olympic Hwy N in Shelton, by appointment, at (360) 664-2168. The regional office in Olympia can be reached at (360) 664-3162.
Veterans should contact Mason County Veterans' Services at 210 W Franklin Street in Shelton, (360) 426-4546, about the VA housing grants.
Statewide options to ask about include the COPES Waiver (Community Options Program Entry System), Community First Choice (CFC), the Northwest Access Fund Home Modification Loan, VA Benefits for Veterans (HISA + Prosthetics), and the Senior Citizens & People with Disabilities Property Tax Exemption.
Information, assistance and case management for adults 60 and older, adults with disabilities and unpaid family caregivers in Lewis, Mason and Thurston counties. Its materials do not mention stair lifts or a home modification benefit; call the Shelton office at (360) 664-2168.
A VA grant of up to $126,526 (FY2026 maximum) for veterans and service members with qualifying service-connected disabilities who own or will own the home, usable up to 6 times. It funds ramps and doorway widening, but stair lifts are not named.
SHA pays up to $25,350 for adapting a permanent home, and TRA pays up to $50,961 or $9,100 when a veteran is temporarily living with a family member. It covers ramps, doorway widening and other structural changes; stair lifts are not named.
Energy-efficiency and health and safety repairs for households at or below 200% of the federal poverty level or 60% of state median income, with priority at or below 125% of poverty. Accessibility changes like stair lifts are not listed; call (360) 438-1100.
The state's Medicaid long-term care intake for people who meet financial and nursing-facility level of care rules, with a local office at 2505 Olympic Hwy N Suite 440 in Shelton. Stair lifts are not itemized; call (360) 725-2300 to ask.
Older adults
2404 Heritage Court SW, Suite A, Olympia, 98502
Veterans
210 W Franklin Street, Shelton, 98584
Yes, possibly. The Lewis-Mason-Thurston Area Agency on Aging also serves adults living with a disability and unpaid family caregivers, not only people 60 and older. Call (360) 664-2168.
The SAH and SHA grants fund home adaptations like ramps and doorway widening, but they do not name stair lifts. Ask Mason County Veterans' Services at (360) 426-4546 how a stair lift might fit your claim.
Usually either a curved lift that follows the turn or two separate straight lifts. The right choice depends on the landing and the space, which is why we measure first.
Yes, outdoor models are made for exterior stairs and weather. For a wheelchair user or very uneven steps, a platform lift may be the better fit.
The DSHS Home & Community Services office is at 2505 Olympic Hwy N Suite 440, Shelton, WA 98584. The phone is (360) 725-2300.
Its published materials list energy and health and safety repairs like insulation, air sealing and heating repair, not stair lifts or ramps. Call CACLMT at (360) 438-1100 if you have questions.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
