Harrison County covers 416 square miles of rolling hills on the Allegheny Plateau, with the West Fork River and its tributaries cutting through towns like Clarksburg, Bridgeport, Shinnston, Salem and Lumberport. Many houses here sit on sloped lots and were built on more than one level, so getting from the kitchen to the bedroom often means climbing a single interior stairway.
Across the county's 17 towns, few properties offer a no-stairs option on the same lot. That is why a stair lift is often the most practical way to keep living in the house you already own, and this page walks through how local homes affect the choice and where to look for help paying for it.
Older, individually owned single-family homes are common in Clarksburg, Nutter Fort, Stonewood and the smaller communities around them. When the stairway runs in one straight line from bottom to top, a straight stair lift is usually the simplest install and mounts to the stair treads, not the wall.
Stairs with a landing, a turn or a curve need a curved rail built to fit that exact staircase. We measure on site before recommending one or the other, because the shape of the stairs decides more than anything else.
Split-level homes are part of the local mix, and they often have short runs of stairs between several levels. Each run may need its own lift, or a different approach entirely, depending on how the house is laid out.
The hilly terrain also means many homes have steps up from the driveway or down to a lower entrance. An outdoor stair lift or a platform lift can handle those exterior steps when getting into the house is the real problem, not the stairs inside.
Harrison County also has duplexes, townhouses and walk-up apartments. Townhouses tend to have a straight interior stairway, which suits a standard straight lift.
If you rent, talk with the owner before planning an install, since a lift attaches to the stairs. Shared stairs in a walk-up building raise extra questions about who controls that space.
The Louis A. Johnson VA Medical Center sits right in Clarksburg, and United Hospital Center in Bridgeport is part of the WVU Medicine system.
Veterans should know one thing up front: the VA HISA grant does not pay for stair glides. Other VA grants and state programs are worth asking about, and the West Virginia Department of Veterans Assistance – Clarksburg Benefits Office at 153 W Main Street, Suite C can be reached at (304) 627-2175.
None of the programs below name stair lifts as a covered item in their published materials, and the VA HISA grant specifically excludes them. That does not always mean a request will be turned down, so ask each program directly whether a stair lift can qualify for you.
Good first calls are the WV Aging and Disability Resource Center line at (866) 981-2372 for anyone 60 or older, and the Bureau of Senior Services at (866) 767-1575 about the Aged and Disabled Waiver. Rural homeowners may also look at USDA Section 504 repair loans and grants.
Funds for West Virginians age 60 or older who show a need for home modifications or accessibility devices to live more independently; stair lifts are not named on the source, and no dollar cap is stated. Call the ADRC intake line at (866) 981-2372 to ask about coverage and the current limit.
A Medicaid waiver for adults 18 and older who meet nursing-facility level of care and financial rules, with EAA-Home covering physical adaptations to the home; stair lifts are not specifically named. Ask the Bureau of Senior Services at (866) 767-1575 whether a stair lift qualifies.
Helps people who have lived in a nursing home or long-term care facility for at least 60 consecutive days move back home, with examples like ramps, grab bars and wider doorways; stair lifts are not listed. Call (855) 519-7557.
Loans up to $40,000 and grants up to $10,000 for very-low-income homeowners in eligible rural areas, with grants limited to those 62 and older; accessibility modifications are allowed but stair lifts are not named. Rural parts of the county outside Clarksburg and Bridgeport may qualify, so confirm your address.
Pays for permanent alterations like roll-in showers and access ramps, up to $6,800 or $2,000 lifetime depending on disability status, but the VA explicitly excludes stair glides and porch lifts. Applications go through the Louis A. Johnson VA Medical Center in Clarksburg at (304) 623-3461.
Grants for veterans with severe service-connected disabilities, up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA in FY2026; stair lifts are not named among the listed adaptations. Call (877) 827-3702.
The regional Area Agency on Aging serving Harrison County, which coordinates in-home and supportive services under the Older Americans Act and connects people to programs like Aging Well, Safe at Home; stair lifts are not itemized. Call (304) 242-1800.
The local senior center at 500 W. Main Street in Clarksburg offers transportation, Kinley Cafe meals, fitness programs and general resources, with no home modification program listed. It is a useful place to ask for referrals at (304) 623-6795.
A Center for Independent Living serving Harrison County that offers home modification and assistive device services directly or by referral; stair lifts are not itemized by name. Call (304) 296-6091.
Free weatherization for low-income households in Harrison County, with priority for elderly and disabled residents; it does not fund accessibility equipment such as stair lifts. Call (304) 457-3420.
The local state human services office at 153 West Main St., Suite D, Clarksburg; the source lists contact details only and does not mention stair lifts. Call (304) 627-2295.
Older adults
1948 Industrial Blvd., Suite 400, Morgantown, 26505
Veterans
153 W Main Street, Suite C, Clarksburg, 26301
The Aging Well, Safe at Home Initiative accepts applications from people 60 and older who need home modifications or accessibility devices. Stair lifts are not named on its page, so call the ADRC line at (866) 981-2372 and ask directly.
Not through the HISA grant, which explicitly excludes stair glides and porch lifts. Veterans with severe service-connected disabilities can ask about SAH and SHA grants at (877) 827-3702, though stair lifts are not named there either.
Its EAA-Home benefit covers physical adaptations that improve access to and within the home, but stair lifts are not specifically listed. Call the Bureau of Senior Services at (866) 767-1575 to ask whether one qualifies.
Rural parts of Harrison County outside Clarksburg and Bridgeport may be in USDA-eligible areas. Section 504 offers loans up to $40,000 and grants up to $10,000 for very-low-income homeowners age 62 and older, but you need to confirm your exact address.
Take Me Home, West Virginia helps people who have been in a facility for at least 60 consecutive days move back home, including some home modifications. Call (855) 519-7557.
Often, yes, but each short run of stairs may need its own lift. An on-site measurement shows whether a straight, curved or platform lift fits best.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
