From the older village cores along Lake Michigan in Port Washington to the post-war subdivisions of Mequon and Grafton, Ozaukee County homes were built in layers. Many of the lakeshore properties have multiple floors, and plenty of the suburban streets are lined with split-level homes. Both can make the stairs the hardest part of staying put.
We install stair lifts across the county's 9 communities: Mequon, Port Washington, Cedarburg, Grafton, Saukville, Thiensville, Belgium, Fredonia and Waubeka. This page walks through what your type of house usually needs and which local and state programs may help with the cost.
The county's housing stock mixes 19th-century lakeshore villages with newer construction pushed north from the Milwaukee area after World War II. Older multi-story homes near the lake often have narrow or turning staircases. Those usually call for a curved lift built to the exact shape of the stairs.
Inland, a lot of the newer suburban building is single-story, which may need no lift at all. Split-level homes are the exception. They have short flights between levels, and each flight can often take its own straight lift, which is simpler and quicker to install than a curved rail.
Ozaukee County has about 233 square miles of land and borders more than 883 square miles of water, most of it Lake Michigan. High bluffs run along the shore, and homes on that terrain are frequently built on several levels or tucked into grade.
That often means exterior steps from the driveway or down toward the yard. An outdoor-rated stair lift can handle those steps, and where a wheelchair is involved, a platform lift may be the better fit. We look at the whole path from the car to the main floor, not only the indoor staircase.
About 20.8% of Ozaukee County residents are 65 or older, and 71.1% of households own their homes. For many families, that adds up to a parent who owns a house they know well and would rather not leave.
Townhouses, walk-up apartments and low-rise buildings are part of the picture too. In a rental or shared building, the owner or association usually has to approve an installation, so it helps to ask before scheduling a measurement.
The clearest public option is Wisconsin's IRIS program, which lists stair lifts by name as a covered home modification. Family Care covers some home modifications but does not mention stair lifts. Both require Medicaid financial eligibility, with a 2026 income limit of about $2,982 a month and a $2,000 asset limit for a single applicant, and both start at the ADRC of Ozaukee County.
Homeowners who do not qualify for Medicaid have other routes. The HOME Consortium offers 0% deferred loans for accessibility improvements, USDA Section 504 can help in eligible rural areas, and IndependenceFirst can refer you to WisLoan financing. Veterans should know the VA HISA grant excludes stair glides, so ask the county Veterans Services Office about other options.
The ADRC can also explain statewide programs such as the Community Options Program (COP) and the WHEDA Home Improvement Loan Program (HILP). The ADRC office is at 121 W. Main St. in Port Washington, (262) 284-8120.
A self-directed Medicaid waiver that lists stair lifts as a covered home modification, requested as a one-time expense through your IRIS Consultant Agency. Apply through the ADRC of Ozaukee County at (262) 284-8120.
Medicaid managed long-term care for people 65 and older or adults with disabilities who need a nursing-home level of care; it covers grab bars, ramps and doorway widening, but the source does not mention stair lifts. Call (800) 362-3002 or apply through the local ADRC.
The county's intake office for IRIS and Family Care, serving adults 60 and older, adults with disabilities and their caregivers with options and benefits counseling. It does not offer a stair lift fund; call (262) 284-8120.
A 0% interest deferred loan of up to $14,999 for owner-occupied homes in households below 80% of area median income, not due until the home is sold, refinanced with cash out or no longer owner-occupied. Accessibility improvements are a priority, though stair lifts are not named.
Repair loans up to $40,000 at 1% over 20 years, and grants up to $10,000 for homeowners 62 or older who cannot repay a loan, in USDA-eligible rural areas; stair lifts are not named. Check your exact address on the USDA map, since the Port Washington area has had eligibility changes.
A lifetime grant of up to $6,800 for service-connected disabilities or $2,000 for other disabilities, but it specifically excludes stair glides and porch lifts. Contact the Ozaukee County Veterans Services Office at (262) 284-8326.
Grants for homeowner veterans with severe service-connected disabilities, up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA in FY2026; stair lifts are not named. The county Veterans Services Office at (262) 284-8326 can help you apply.
A nonprofit serving people with disabilities in Ozaukee and neighboring counties with aging-in-place guidance and WisLoan referrals for home modifications; it is not a cash grant and stair lifts are not named. Call (414) 291-7520.
Helps county veterans and families apply for federal, state and local benefits, including the VA housing grants above, and arranges rides to VA appointments in Milwaukee. Reach the office at 121 W. Main Street, Room 327, Port Washington, (262) 284-8326.
Older adults
121 W. Main St., Port Washington, 53074
Veterans
121 W. Main Street, Room 327, Port Washington, 53074
The IRIS program lists stair lifts as a covered home modification. You need Medicaid financial eligibility, which in 2026 is about $2,982 a month in income and $2,000 in assets for a single applicant, plus an assessed nursing-home level of care. Start with the ADRC of Ozaukee County at (262) 284-8120.
No. The HISA grant specifically excludes stair glides and porch lifts. The Ozaukee County Veterans Services Office at (262) 284-8326 can talk through other VA benefits you may qualify for.
Often it means a separate straight lift for each flight you use daily, since the levels are offset. We measure each flight and talk through which ones matter most for daily routines.
Yes. Family Care serves adults with disabilities from 18 to 64, and IndependenceFirst serves people with disabilities of any adult age in Ozaukee County. Neither names stair lifts specifically, but IndependenceFirst can refer you to WisLoan financing at (414) 291-7520.
The HOME Consortium offers 0% deferred loans up to $14,999 to owner-occupied households below 80% of area median income, with no monthly payments. Accessibility improvements are a priority use, though the program does not name stair lifts, so confirm before you apply.
Possibly. The USDA Section 504 program only applies in eligible rural areas, and the Port Washington area has had eligibility changes. Check your exact address on the USDA map before applying.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
