In Rawlins, the Rawlins Residential Historic District holds 15 blocks of homes built between 1880 and 1915, many of them two-story Queen Anne houses set on locally quarried stone foundations. Those raised entries and full interior flights were built into the structure from the start. Sinclair's Parco Historic District, a planned refinery company town, carries the same kind of pre-WWII multi-story layout.
Out past the county seat, homes in Saratoga, Hanna, Encampment, Baggs, Dixon and Medicine Bow sit at the ends of long highway drives on I-80, U.S. 30 and U.S. 287. This page covers which stair lift fits the houses here, what winter at altitude means for outdoor steps, and which Wyoming programs to call about paying for one.
The Rawlins Residential Historic District was listed on the National Register in 1999, and the county also holds the Downtown Rawlins Historic District (1985) and the Parco Historic District in Sinclair (1987). In these Queen Anne, cottage and bungalow homes, the staircase is part of the original structure and cannot be designed away.
A stair lift mounts to the stair treads rather than the wall, so the historic interior stays as it is. A straight flight takes a standard rail. If the stairs turn at a landing or wind around a corner, the rail is custom bent to follow that exact staircase, which takes more measuring up front.
The raised entries on stone foundations are a separate problem from the indoor stairs. We look at both on a home visit, since getting upstairs does not help much if the front steps are the harder climb.
Not every home here is historic. Split-level homes have short flights between floors, and each flight usually needs its own straight lift. Townhouses tend to have one full flight that suits a straight rail well.
Ranch-style homes are often single level inside, so the stairs that matter are usually the ones at the entry. For those, an outdoor stair lift or a platform lift may fit better than an indoor unit.
Walk-up apartments are a different case because a renter needs the landlord's approval for a permanent install. About 75.4 percent of Carbon County households own their homes, so most families can make the decision on their own.
Rawlins sits at 6,834 feet in a semi-arid, cold-winter climate, and ice on exterior steps is a recurring fall risk for older residents every season. An outdoor stair lift built for weather can carry someone up the porch or deck steps without standing on an icy tread.
Carbon County spans 7,964 square miles and reaches south to the Colorado line. Service calls to towns like Baggs, Encampment or Medicine Bow are drive-time jobs, so we plan measuring and installation visits to get as much done per trip as possible.
That veteran share is worth noting, because several of the funding options below are open only to veterans.
Adult children who live away often start with the question of whether a parent can keep using the house they already own. With most homes owner-occupied, a stair lift is usually the most direct way to keep the upper floor or the front door in use.
Wyoming does not have a single program that names stair lifts outright, so funding usually means making a few calls. For veterans, VA Veteran Directed Care explicitly lists home modifications among its approved services, which makes it the clearest path here.
For people on Medicaid, the Community Choices Waiver does not list stair lifts on its service page, but you can ask your case manager about environmental modifications. Carbon County Senior Services in Rawlins and the state Aging Division at (307) 777-7986 can help sort out which program fits.
Veterans can also reach the Wyoming Veterans Commission office for Albany and Carbon Counties in Laramie at (307) 760-6307. Other statewide programs to ask about include the Wyoming Technology Access Program (WyTAP), VA Benefits for Veterans (HISA + Prosthetics), the Wyoming Home Services Program (WyHS) and the Wyoming Property Tax Refund Program.
A statewide Medicaid home and community services waiver for Wyoming residents who qualify for Medicaid and pass a public health nurse evaluation; its service list does not mention stair lifts or home modifications, so ask your case manager whether environmental modifications can be added. Call (307) 266-6956.
Veterans enrolled in VA health care get an individualized budget to direct among approved services, and home modifications are explicitly on that list. The nearest center is in Laramie, so call (307) 266-6956 to confirm intake for a Carbon County veteran.
Federal grants for veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities who own or plan to own their home, up to $126,526 (SAH) or $25,350 (SHA) for FY2026. The program page describes ramps and doorway widening and does not name stair lifts.
Information, referral and skills training for Wyoming residents with a disability, including help increasing access in the home; it does not name stair lifts or home modifications. A good first call at (307) 266-6956 to find which funding source fits.
The county's senior services office at 545 11th Street in Rawlins offers meals, transportation, advocacy and referrals for people 60 or older; it does not fund stair lifts itself but can point you to programs that might. Call (307) 328-2863.
A free statewide service in Cheyenne that helps people with disabilities find and pursue funding for adaptive aids and equipment; it does not pay for equipment and does not name stair lifts. Call (307) 632-2675.
Older adults
6101 Yellowstone Road, Suite 259B, Cheyenne, 82002
Veterans
2458 N 9th St., Lot B103, Laramie, 82072
Yes. A stair lift attaches to the stair treads, so the original staircase and the historic interior stay in place. Turning stairs need a custom-bent rail.
Yes, outdoor stair lifts are built for exterior steps. With winter ice on outside steps a recurring risk around Rawlins and the rest of the county, the entry is often where people start.
The Community Choices Waiver service list does not mention stair lifts or home modifications. Ask your CCW case manager whether environmental modification services can be added, or call (307) 266-6956.
VA Veteran Directed Care lists home modifications as a covered service and is run through Wyoming Independent Living at (307) 266-6956. The Wyoming Veterans Commission office for Albany and Carbon Counties is at (307) 760-6307.
Carbon County Senior Services in Rawlins serves people 60 or older and can refer you to Medicaid, VA and nonprofit programs. Call (307) 328-2863.
Yes, towns like Saratoga, Baggs, Encampment and Medicine Bow are part of the area we cover. Service calls here are drive-time jobs, so we schedule visits to make each trip count.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
