Iowa County sits in the Driftless Area of southwestern Wisconsin, where the land never flattened out under a glacier. From Dodgeville and Mineral Point out to Barneveld, Highland, Arena and Hollandale, many houses are built into slopes, and that usually means more than one set of stairs.
The county's 11 towns also hold a lot of older housing. Mineral Point's High Street historic district keeps Cornish-immigrant stone cottages from the lead- and zinc-mining years, and outlying rural areas have older farmhouses with their original stairways. Those stairs can often take a stair lift, but the layout decides which kind.
Original stairways in historic stone homes and older farmhouses tend to be narrow, steep, or turn partway up. A straight rail works when the run goes from bottom to top with no bend. A landing or a turn calls for a curved rail built to that specific staircase.
Stone walls are not a problem for most installs, because a stair lift rail mounts to the stair treads, not the wall. What we look at first is the width of the stairway and how much room there is at the top and bottom for getting on and off safely.
Hills and ridges run across the county's roughly 768 square miles, rising to 1,716 feet at West Blue Mound. Builders here often set homes into the slope, so split-level homes with short flights between floors are common.
A split-level may need two short straight lifts instead of one long one. Where the problem is outside, such as steps from the driveway or yard up to the entry door, an outdoor stair lift or a platform lift can handle the climb. Platform lifts also suit someone who uses a wheelchair and cannot transfer to a seat.
About 17.8% of county residents are 65 or older, and 71.1% own their homes. Owners can make permanent changes like a rail on the stairs, and many would rather adapt a familiar house than move off a farmstead or out of town.
If a veteran in your family has a service-connected disability, there are separate veteran channels worth checking before you pay out of pocket.
None of the local programs below names stair lifts as a listed benefit, so plan to ask directly. The Iowa County ADRC in Dodgeville is the first call for Medicaid long-term care questions, including IRIS and Family Care. Veterans should start with the Iowa County Veterans Service Office.
For income-qualified homeowners, SWCAP's Home Repair Program offers 0% interest, deferred-payment loans and lists accessibility for those with disabilities as a repair category. Statewide options to ask about include the Community Options Program (COP), WisLoan (WisTech Alternative Loan Program), the WHEDA Home Improvement Loan Program (HILP), and VA Benefits for Veterans (HISA + Prosthetics).
The county's free intake point for adults 60 and older and adults 18 and older with disabilities, offering benefit specialists and enrollment counseling for programs like Family Care and IRIS. Stair lifts are not listed as a specific benefit; call (608) 930-9835 to ask about home-modification funding.
Offers 0% interest, deferred-payment repair loans to homeowners at or below 80% of county median income whose mortgage, taxes and insurance are current. Accessibility for those with disabilities is a named category, but stair lifts are not listed; call (608) 943-6909.
Federal grants for veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities, up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA in FY2026, used to build, buy or remodel a home for accessibility. Stair lifts are not specifically named; call (608) 930-9865 for help applying.
Helps Iowa County veterans and dependents apply for state and federal benefits and can screen for housing-adaptation grants. A stair lift or home-modification benefit is not listed; call (608) 930-9865.
Wisconsin's two main Medicaid long-term care programs, helping eligible adults with disabilities remain in their homes through a self-directed budget (IRIS) or managed care (Family Care). Stair lifts are not listed in the source; enrollment runs through the ADRC at (608) 930-9835.
Older adults
222 N. Iowa St., Dodgeville, 53533
Veterans
303 W. Chapel St. Suite 1300, Dodgeville, 53533
Often, yes. The rail mounts to the stair treads rather than the stone walls. A straight staircase takes a straight rail, and one with a turn or landing needs a curved rail made for it.
Split-level homes commonly need two short lifts, one for each flight, or a curved rail if the flights connect. A home visit shows which option fits the space at each landing.
The Iowa County ADRC serves adults 18 and older with disabilities as well as people 60 and older. Call (608) 930-9835 to ask about IRIS, Family Care and other options.
SWCAP's Home Repair Program lists accessibility for those with disabilities as a covered category but does not name stair lifts. Its loans are 0% interest and deferred-payment for homeowners at or below 80% of county median income. Call (608) 943-6909 to ask.
Both are in Dodgeville. The Iowa County ADRC is at 222 N. Iowa St., Dodgeville 53533, (608) 930-9835. Veteran Services is at 303 W. Chapel St. Suite 1300, Dodgeville 53533, (608) 930-9865.
Yes. An outdoor stair lift or a platform lift can handle exterior steps, which are common on Driftless Area homes built into slopes. A platform lift suits someone who stays in a wheelchair.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
