From Edmonds and Lynnwood up through Everett, Marysville and Arlington, much of Snohomish County was built as bedroom communities along the I-5 corridor. Those neighborhoods grew from the mid-20th century onward, and a lot of the houses are split-level or two-story single-family homes with stairs inside. The house can be in great shape and the stairs can still be the problem.
Farther east, towns like Monroe, Sultan and Granite Falls sit closer to mountainous country, and lots there can rise and fall in ways the lowland suburbs don't. This page walks through how those homes affect the kind of stair lift that fits, and which local and federal programs are worth a phone call before you pay out of pocket.
A two-story house in Mill Creek or Mukilteo with one straight run of stairs is usually the simplest job. A straight stair lift rides a rail bolted to the treads, not the wall, so it rarely means any construction.
Split-level homes are different. You often have a short half-flight up to the bedrooms and another half-flight down to the family room. Depending on which floors the person needs, that can mean one short straight lift, two separate lifts, or a curved rail that follows a landing or turn.
The way to know is to measure the actual staircase. Width, the turn at any landing and where the top and bottom land all decide what will work.
Snohomish County covers 2,196 square miles, and the land splits between the gently rolling western lowlands along Puget Sound and mountain terrain in the east, much of it inside the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. About 88.2% of residents live in the urban and suburban west.
Even there, ground changes block by block. Everett sits on a peninsula with mostly level core neighborhoods, but its southwestern areas have ravines and steeper grades. A home on a slope often has a tall set of front or back steps, and the inside stairs may not be the only barrier.
For those outside steps, an outdoor stair lift built for weather exposure is one option. Where a wheelchair has to come along, a platform lift is usually the better fit than a seat.
Not everyone here owns a detached house. The county also has townhouses, row houses and walk-up apartments, where stairs tend to be narrow and sometimes shared.
About 68.4% of county households own their home. Renters can still look at options, but any installation needs the landlord's permission first. Homage, listed below, specifically accepts renters who have that permission.
Roughly 14.3% of Snohomish County residents are 65 or older, and many have stayed in the homes they bought while commuting to Boeing's Everett plant or into the Seattle area. Adult children often start the conversation after a parent has trouble with the stairs to a bedroom.
Veterans should check the VA grants below and talk with the county's Veterans Services office, (425) 388-7255, at 3000 Rockefeller Ave, Admin Bldg E, Lower Level, in Everett.
None of the programs below names stair lifts on its own published pages. That does not rule them out. It means you need to ask directly and explain why the stairs are a safety issue.
A good first call is the Snohomish County AAA at (425) 388-7393, 3000 Rockefeller Ave., M/S 305, Everett 98201. They can point you to local services and statewide options such as Community First Choice (CFC), the COPES Waiver (Community Options Program Entry System), VA Benefits for Veterans (HISA + Prosthetics) and the Senior Citizens & People with Disabilities Property Tax Exemption.
If no program fits, plan on paying directly. We can measure the stairs and give you a written quote so you can compare it with what any program offers.
A HUD-funded home modification and fall-prevention service at no cost to eligible county residents age 62 and older with low to moderate income, homeowners or renters with landlord permission. Stair lifts are not listed among its modifications, but an occupational therapist assesses the home, so ask directly at (425) 290-1270.
A state Medicaid waiver for adults who qualify for nursing-facility-level care but want to stay home, applied for through the local Home and Community Services office. Environmental modifications are covered case by case when medically necessary; stair lifts are not named in the rule, so ask your case manager.
A federal grant of up to $126,526 (FY2026, permanent home) for veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities who own or plan to own the home. Stair lifts are not named on the VA page, which lists ramps and widened doorways as examples.
A federal grant of up to $25,350 (FY2026, permanent home) for veterans with certain service-connected disabilities, and the home may belong to the veteran or a family member. Stair lifts are not named; the VA describes structural adaptations such as ramps and widened doorways.
Loans up to $40,000 at 1% and grants up to $10,000 for very-low-income homeowners in USDA-eligible rural areas, with grants limited to people 62 or older and to health and safety hazards. Stair lifts are not named, and the I-5 corridor cities do not qualify, so rural residents should check the USDA map for their address.
Older adults
3000 Rockefeller Ave., M/S 305, Everett, 98201
Veterans
3000 Rockefeller Ave, Admin Bldg E, Lower Level, Everett, 98201
Homage's program page does not list stair lifts. It does include an occupational therapist assessment and non-slip strips for stairs, so stair safety is in scope. Call (425) 290-1270 and ask whether a stair lift referral is possible.
Homage and the USDA Section 504 grant both start at age 62. The COPES Medicaid waiver is based on Medicaid eligibility and need for nursing-facility-level care rather than a set age, and the VA grants depend on service-connected disability.
Through the COPES waiver, a case manager can approve environmental modifications one request at a time when they are medically necessary and help the person stay independent at home. Stair lifts are not named in the rule, so ask the case manager specifically.
No. The western I-5 corridor cities, including Everett, Lynnwood, Edmonds and Marysville, are not USDA-eligible rural areas. Unincorporated and eastern parts of the county may qualify, so check the USDA eligibility map for the exact address.
Sometimes. It depends on which floors he needs to reach and how the stairs are laid out. Some split-levels work with one short straight lift, others need two lifts or a curved rail, and measuring the staircase settles it.
The Snohomish County AAA in Everett at (425) 388-7393 is a good starting point. Veterans can also call Veterans Services at (425) 388-7255.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
