Half the homes in Big Bear City sit empty as vacation cabins, so most calls I get are from year-round residents, many of the 22.7% who are 65 or older and plan on staying through more winters. Altitude and snow make these cabin-style staircases harder to manage each year. Have me measure yours before the mountain roads ice up, and I'll price the exact rail.
Why a stairlift installed in Big Bear City, CA is planned around the way this specific community lives, not stamped out from a one-size-fits-all template.
The community sits at a high 6,772 feet elevation along the east shore of Big Bear Lake, surrounded by the San Bernardino National Forest and near the Snow Summit and Bear Mountain ski resorts, spanning 32 square miles.
Source ↗Big Bear City is a mountain-resort community of smaller houses and cabins laid out in square blocks; at the 2020 census it had 12,086 housing units but 54.3% were vacant (largely second and vacation homes), with occupied units 71.8% owner-occupied and 28.2% renter.
Source ↗The tourism-based economy supported a 2023 median household income of $72,457 with a per capita income of $38,030; the population is mature, with a median age of 47.1 and 22.7% aged 65 or older.
Source ↗The kinds of staircases and installs we see across Big Bear City's older and newer homes alike. Drag to scroll, or use the arrows and dots below.
We retired to Big Bear City for the pines and the quiet. Then my husband's hip replacement made the loft stairs impossible. All American measured the steep pitch in our A-frame on Division Drive and Luis installed a slim-profile rail that handles the 42-degree angle. He rides to the loft bedroom every night without thinking about it.
I served 20 years in the Army and my knees are done. Loma Linda VA wrote the HISA prescription and Luis prefilled every form. The grant covered $6,800 and I was riding the lift five weeks after my first call. Nobody made me drive down the mountain again to chase paperwork.
Our tri-level chalet on Greenway Drive has a switchback staircase that two other companies refused to quote. Luis scanned the full run and fabricated one curved rail that follows both turns. My mother rides from the entry level to the top-floor bedrooms without stopping. Six months in, zero problems.
My parents' cabin near Maple Lane was built in 1972 as a weekend place. They moved up full-time five years ago and the carpeted upper stairs finally caught up with Dad. I called from Redlands on Tuesday, Luis measured Wednesday, his crew installed Friday. Dad says it's the best money we ever spent on the cabin.
We needed an outdoor lift for the deck stairs, twelve flagstone-and-wood steps from the parking pad to the front porch. At 6,750 feet the unit handles snow, UV, freeze-thaw, everything the mountain throws at it. My wife sat on her own deck watching the sunset on Christmas Eve for the first time since August.
I use a power wheelchair and our split-level near Erwin Lake has a half-flight between the garage entry and the main living area. Luis installed an inclined platform lift with yellow safety edges and a keyed lockout. Medi-Cal HCBA and the HISA grant together covered the full cost. I roll on, press one button, and I'm on the main floor.
Adjust the options below and watch the price update in real time. This is the same pricing our team uses when they come out for a free home assessment. No hidden fees, no upsells.
Compare your options honestly. A stairlift is the only choice that keeps you in the home you love, at a fraction of every alternative.
| Your option | Upfront cost | 10-year total |
|---|---|---|
| Stairlift Installation Best value Professional install by All American Stairlifts, Big Bear City CA | $3,150 – $16,800 One-time | $3,150 – $16,800 Lifetime use |
| Moving to a single-story home Selling, buying, closing, moving costs in the San Bernardino market | $50,000+ Plus relocation stress | $50,000+ Loss of community ties |
| Assisted living facility San Bernardino County average, private room | $4,500/mo Recurring | $540,000 And rising annually |
| In-home caregiver (8 hrs/day) Licensed home health aide, Florida market rates | $6,000/mo Recurring | $730,000+ Before wage increases |
| Home elevator installation Requires shaft construction, permits, months of work | $25,000 to $50,000 Plus renovation | $28,000 to $55,000 Includes maintenance |
Sources: AARP Cost of Care Survey 2025, Genworth Cost of Care Study, and California Department of Elder Affairs. Figures reflect Big Bear City metro averages.
Most Big Bear City homeowners qualify for at least one of these programs. We help you apply at no cost.
Up to $6,800 for service-connected veterans and their surviving spouses. One-time, tax-free, no repayment.
Eligibility: Veterans & surviving spousesHome & Community-Based Services Waiver may cover up to 100% of installation for income-qualified residents.
Eligibility: Medicaid + medical needWith a doctor's letter of medical necessity, the full cost is deductible on Schedule A as a qualified medical expense.
Eligibility: Taxpayers who itemize0% and low-APR plans through our lending partners. Soft credit pull, instant approval, no prepayment penalty.
Eligibility: All homeownersNot sure which applies? Our local specialist will walk you through every program you might qualify for during your free home assessment. Get started here →
Two screens, less than 60 seconds. A Big Bear City specialist calls back within 24 hours. No pressure, no obligation.
Your info stays private. We never share or sell.
Prefer a real conversation? Speak directly with a Big Bear City stairlift expert. No robots, no waiting.
(800) 965-0350 Call Now. It's FreeFrom the A-frame cabins and tri-level chalets along Division Drive and Greenway Drive near Big Bear City Park, to the log-sided ranch homes on Palomino Drive and Oriole Drive near the National Forest boundary, our crew has measured staircases across every section of Big Bear City. Homes along Maple Lane and Cedar Street feature steep loft-access stairs typical of 1970s mountain cabin construction. The Erwin Lake area includes split-level homes with half-flights ideal for short straight rails. Properties along Shay Road and Country Club Boulevard near the Bear Mountain Golf Course have conventional two-story layouts with wider treads. Many homes at 6,750 feet were built as seasonal retreats and later converted to year-round residences, so original stair dimensions now need a permanent accessibility solution.
See our full California service area →
These are the three guides our Big Bear City customers read most often before booking. Written by our installers, not marketers.
VA HISA grants, SAH/SHA adaptations, and exactly how to file, for service-connected and non-service-connected claims.
VA HISA, Medicaid waivers, IRS medical deduction, state grants, and 0% financing, with the actual forms you need.
Straight vs curved, standard vs heavy-duty, indoor vs outdoor. A read that saves you from buying the wrong model.
Compare Our Big Bear City Stairlifts
Select a stairlift on the leftabove to see full specs, pricing, and how it compares to the alternatives.
Stairlift Types
Bestseller · From $2,800
The go-to for Big Bear City's ranch homes, converted cabins, and split-level chalets. Over 70% of the stairlifts we install in the mountain communities are straight rails, measured, installed, and riding the same week.
vs Curved: 3x less expensive and installed in one visit. vs Home elevator: 10-15x less cost and no construction. vs Moving bedroom downstairs: Keeps your home exactly as it is.
Custom-Built · From $9,000
Custom-fabricated for the spiral loft stairs, L-shaped landings, and switchback layouts found in Big Bear City's A-frames and multi-level mountain homes. The rail is manufactured to your exact staircase geometry.
vs Straight with landing break: One smooth ride instead of transferring seats. vs Home elevator: Half the cost, no construction permits, no shaft needed. vs Moving: A fraction of what selling and relocating costs.
Weather-Tough · From $4,000
Sealed against mountain snow loads, UV exposure at 6,750 feet, freeze-thaw cycles, and pine resin. Every outdoor component carries an IP55 weather seal and corrosion protection rated for four-season alpine conditions.
vs Standard stairlift outdoors: Won't rust, seize, or void its warranty. vs Exterior ramp: No permits, no concrete work, no lost yard. vs Home entry renovation: Installed in a single day.
600 lb Rated · From $5,050
When comfort and capacity exceed the standard 300 lb limit. The reinforced frame handles up to 600 lbs with a 22-inch padded seat, wider than any standard model.
vs Standard stairlift: Extra capacity and wider seat for maximum comfort. vs Custom furniture lift: A fraction of the price with faster install. vs Home elevator: Much lower cost with the same weight confidence.
When you call All American Stairlifts, you'll speak directly with a licensed installer who lives and works in San Bernardino, CA.
Big Bear City Stairlift Specialist · 15+ years of experience
(800) 965-0350 [email protected]Proven local experience. Licensed. Insured. No surprises.
Every home is different. Here are six recent installs from San Bernardino County. Tap any project to see the full gallery, tech specs, and the story behind it.
Answer four quick questions and a local specialist will call within 24 hours with a price you can trust, no pressure, no sales pitch, no sharing your details.
This determines the rail type and installation complexity.
This determines the motor and seat capacity we'll recommend.
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Your local Big Bear City specialist will call within 24 hours. No spam, no sales pressure.
Straight Stairlift, Standard Use
Estimated: $3,150 – $6,150
A member of our Big Bear City team is reviewing your answers right now and will call you within 24 hours. Your quote is free and there is no obligation to buy.
Straight answers about cost, installation, and funding, no sales fluff. Browse by topic or call us if you have a question that isn't here.
Straight-rail lifts are the cheaper of the two configurations, and most of the full-time homes here, smaller cabins on square-block lots rather than sprawling multi-level houses, tend to have a single straight flight, so that's usually the starting point for a quote. If your cabin has a landing or a turn partway up, which shows up more in some of the older builds near the lake, you're looking at a curved-rail system instead, priced individually because the rail has to be custom-bent to the stairs. Big Bear City's 2023 per capita income was $38,030 against a $72,457 median household income, and most of the families I quote here are pairing the purchase with financing or one of the Medi-Cal or VA programs below rather than paying cash outright.
If it's your full-time residence, yes: a stairlift is a fixture that stays with the house and adds to its accessibility for whoever owns it next, and with 71.9% homeownership among the people who actually live here year-round, most of my Big Bear City calls are from owners planning to stay, not landlords. For a true second home you only use a few weekends a season, the math is different, and I'd rather talk through whether a lift makes sense for your usage pattern before you commit to a permanent install.
For a single straight flight, which is what most of the smaller cabins here have, installation is usually done in a day: the rail bolts into the stair treads themselves, no wall studs involved. Because Big Bear City sits at 6,772 feet and gets real winter weather, I try to schedule installs before the first heavy snow closes roads or makes the driveway tough for the delivery truck.
It works either way, but scheduling looks different. With 54.3% of the housing stock here sitting vacant as second or vacation homes, a good chunk of my calls are people coordinating an install around a visit, so I'll ask upfront when you're next going to be up here so we can measure and install in the same trip instead of you driving up twice.
Yes, two routes. The statewide Medi-Cal HCBA Waiver covers Environmental Accessibility Adaptations with no fixed dollar cap under an approved plan of care, though the waiver currently has a waitlist, so call the DHCS line at (916) 552-9105 or Disability Rights California at 1-800-776-5746 to ask about your place in line. Separately, Medi-Cal managed-care Community Supports lists stairlifts by name as a covered home modification, but the dollar cap depends on your specific plan. San Bernardino County Medi-Cal members are generally served by IEHP or Molina, so call IEHP at 1-800-440-4347 to ask what their Environmental Accessibility Adaptations limit is (L.A. Care, a different county's plan, sets it at $7,500 lifetime as a reference point).
No, IHSS pays for caregiver hours, not equipment or home modifications, so it won't cover the unit or the installation. San Bernardino County's IHSS office is at (909) 891-3700 if you want to ask about caregiver support directly, but for the stairlift itself you'd want the Medi-Cal waiver or a VA grant instead. San Bernardino County's Department of Aging and Adult Services at (909) 891-3900 is a good first call too, since they don't fund stairlifts directly, but they can point you to which county or state program you'd actually qualify for.
The VA's Specially Adapted Housing grant tops out at $126,526 for FY2026, and the Special Home Adaptation grant tops out at $25,350, and either can fund a stairlift when it's written into an approved adaptation plan for a service-connected disability. Call 1-800-827-1000 to start that process. There's also a lesser-known HISA benefit, but VA guidance on whether it covers stairlifts specifically is genuinely mixed depending on the source, so confirm directly with the VA rather than assuming either way before you apply.
Big Bear City Stairlift Specialist · 15+ yrs
Half the houses up here sit empty most weeks of the year, so when I get a call from Big Bear City it's almost always from someone who lives here full time, not a weekend cabin owner, and usually someone who's noticed the stairs get harder to manage once winter and the altitude start working against them. I've done installs for people who'd just gotten back from a knee replacement down the hill and didn't want to keep making that drive for follow-up appointments. Tourism keeps this town running, but the people calling me about a stairlift are the ones who never leave: the year-round crowd planning on staying put through however many more winters.
Big Bear City homeowners and San Bernardino County veterans have counted on us for years. Whether you live in an A-frame on Division Drive or a ranch near Erwin Lake, the first step is always the same: a free in-home assessment with a written quote.
Call today or submit the form above. We schedule within 24 hours and install the same week for straight-rail jobs.
Two quick screens. We use the full address to dispatch the installer closest to you.
A certified Big Bear City technician visits your home, measures your stairs, and answers every question. 100% free. No obligation.
Most stairlifts are installed in a single day by our licensed Big Bear City team. Clean, quiet, ready to ride the same afternoon.
Or call (800) 965-0350, Monday through Friday, 8am to 6pm
