Cheyenne grew fast after 1867, when the Union Pacific Railroad turned tent camps into a town of more than 3,000 structures within its first years. A lot of that railroad-boom housing still stands in and around downtown, with raised foundations, basements and layouts spread over several levels. Out beyond the capital, Ranchettes, South Greeley, Fox Farm-College, Warren AFB, Pine Bluffs and Burns have their own mix of ranch-style homes, split-level homes, townhouses and walk-up apartments.
Most of these homes have stairs somewhere: up to the bedrooms, down to the basement, or up to the front door. This page walks through how those stairs affect the kind of stair lift that fits, what Laramie County winters mean for outdoor steps, and which local and statewide programs are worth a phone call before you pay out of pocket.
The historic core of Cheyenne has housing stock well over a century old. Raised foundations usually mean a set of steps just to get inside, and basements add another flight that may hold the laundry or the furnace room.
A straight stair lift handles a single run with no turns or landings. Many older homes have a turn, a landing partway up, or a narrow stairwell, and those usually call for a curved rail built to the exact shape of the staircase. We measure the stairs in person before recommending either one.
Split-level homes are common in Laramie County, and they tend to have several short flights instead of one long one. Each short flight can be a candidate for its own straight lift, or a single curved rail can sometimes connect levels if the layout allows.
Ranch-style homes keep daily living on one floor, but a basement stairway can still be the problem if the washer and dryer live down there. Townhouses often stack bedrooms above the main floor. Walk-up apartments have shared stairs, so a renter would need the building owner's approval first. With 67.3% of residents owning their homes, most households here can make that decision themselves.
Cheyenne sits at roughly 6,100 feet on the High Plains, and the county gets cold winters with real snow and wind. Icy front steps and entryways become a seasonal fall risk, especially for homes with raised foundations.
An outdoor stair lift is built for weather exposure and can carry someone up the entry steps. Where a wheelchair is involved, a platform lift is usually the better fit because the person stays in the chair. We look at the steps, the slope of the ground and where snow piles up before suggesting one.
Warren Air Force Base is part of the county, so many families here have a military connection.
For veterans, the first local stop is the Wyoming Veteran Service Officer – Laramie County at 5800 Central Ave in Cheyenne, (307) 256-1778. They can help sort out which VA benefits apply before any work begins.
None of the programs below states plainly that it pays for a stair lift, and the VA's HISA grant specifically excludes stair glides. That does not mean help is out of reach. It means you should call and ask about your specific situation, and get answers in writing before scheduling an install.
The Aging Division at 6101 Yellowstone Road, Suite 259B in Cheyenne, (307) 777-7986, is a good place to start for older adults. Other statewide programs worth asking about include the Wyoming Technology Access Program (WyTAP) and the Wyoming Property Tax Refund Program.
A Medicaid home and community-based services waiver for residents 65 and older, or disabled adults 19 to 64, who need a nursing facility level of care, with services set by an individual plan of care. Our source does not list stair lifts or home modifications as covered, so ask directly by calling (855) 203-2936.
An in-home services program from the Wyoming Department of Health Aging Division for residents 60 and older, or 18 and older with a disability, who are at risk of leaving their homes for care, with costs on a sliding scale. Our source does not list stair lifts; call (307) 777-7995 to ask what it can cover.
A VA grant of up to $126,526 lifetime (FY2026) for veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities to buy, build or adapt a home, usable across up to 6 projects. The VA's description does not name stair lifts, so confirm with the VA at (800) 827-1000.
A VA grant of up to $25,350 lifetime (FY2026) for veterans with certain service-connected disabilities, such as loss of use of both hands, to adapt a home. Stair lifts are not itemized; call (800) 827-1000 to ask.
A VA grant for medically necessary structural changes to a veteran's primary home, up to $6,800 lifetime for service-connected disabilities or $2,000 for non-service-connected ones. It does not cover stair lifts: the VA excludes porch lifts and stair glides.
A nonprofit program for Laramie County homeowners under 80% of area median income that funds critical repairs and aging-in-place modifications such as ramps, though stair lifts are not named. Its page says it is not currently accepting repair applications, so call (307) 637-8067 to check status.
A Center for Independent Living serving Laramie County residents of any age with a significant disability, offering advocacy, peer support, Community Choices Waiver case management and Veteran Directed Care. It does not list stair lifts or home modifications, but it can help you work through the waiver; call (307) 266-6956.
Older adults
6101 Yellowstone Road, Suite 259B, Cheyenne, 82002
Veterans
5800 Central Ave, Cheyenne, 82009
The HISA grant will not, because the VA excludes stair glides and porch lifts from it. The SAH and SHA grants do not name stair lifts either way, so call the VA at (800) 827-1000 or the Wyoming Veteran Service Officer – Laramie County at (307) 256-1778 to ask about your case.
Yes, possibly. The Wyoming Home Services Program (WyHS) serves adults 18 and older with a disability under Social Security criteria, and the Community Choices Waiver covers disabled adults 19 to 64 who need a nursing facility level of care. Neither lists stair lifts, so ask each one directly.
Outdoor stair lifts are built for weather exposure, and they can be a good answer for raised entry steps that ice over. We check the steps and where snow and wind hit the entry before recommending one.
Often, yes. Each short flight can take its own straight lift, and in some layouts one curved rail can connect two levels. A measurement at the home settles it.
Its page currently says it is not accepting applications for repairs. Call (307) 637-8067 to check whether that has changed.
The 2026 monthly income limit is about $2,982 per applicant, and countable assets are limited to $2,000 for a single person or $3,000 for a couple both applying. A primary home is exempt up to $752,000 in equity if you live there or plan to return.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
