Expert Stairlift Installation in Canadian Lakes, MI

Most straight-rail installs in Canadian Lakes take 3 to 4 hours from arrival to final test. Curved rail jobs — common in the St. Ives and Highlands sections — require a preliminary laser-measurement visit, then the rail is fabricated off-site and installed about two weeks later in a single 4-to-6-hour appointment. We clean up all packaging and test the lift with you before we leave.

Yes. Many of the older cottages north of Buchanan Road and around the no-wake lakes have staircases as narrow as 32 inches. Our slim-rail straight lifts fold to just 12 inches when not in use, leaving room for other household members to use the stairs. Luis measures the exact width during the free assessment and confirms fit before you commit.

No. We bolt the rail directly to the stair treads — never to the wall — so your drywall stays intact. On hardwood, we use padded mounting brackets. On carpeted treads, the bolts go through the carpet into the wood sub-tread below. When the rail is removed, the carpet fibers close back over the bolt holes. No wall repairs, no refinishing needed.

For indoor stairlifts — no. Indoor installations are considered temporary medical equipment and fall outside HOA architectural-review rules under the Fair Housing Act. For outdoor stairlifts, we recommend notifying the Canadian Lakes Property Owners Corporation as a courtesy, but the Fair Housing Act requires reasonable accommodation for mobility devices. Luis has worked with the Canadian Lakes HOA on several outdoor installs and can help with any paperwork if needed.

Yes. The VA HISA (Home Improvements and Structural Alterations) grant provides up to $6,800 for service-connected veterans and $2,000 for non-service-connected veterans — tax-free, one-time, and never repaid. Canadian Lakes veterans can apply through the Battle Creek VA Medical Center (5500 Armstrong Road, Battle Creek, MI 49037) or the Wyoming VA Clinic (5838 Metro Way SW, Wyoming, MI 49519). The Mecosta County Veterans Affairs office in Big Rapids at (231) 592-0124 can help with the application.

Yes. The MI Choice Waiver — Michigan's 1915(c) HCBS Medicaid waiver — covers home modifications including stairlifts for eligible residents who need nursing-facility-level care but choose to stay at home. Coverage requires prior authorization from your waiver case manager. The benefit amount is determined on a case-by-case basis as part of your care plan. Contact the Area Agency on Aging of Western Michigan, which serves Mecosta County, to start the eligibility screening.

Beyond MI Choice and the VA HISA grant, the Home Ramp Up program — run by Mid Michigan Community Action Agency — offers no-cost home modifications for qualifying older adults in Mecosta and Osceola counties. The Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) Property Improvement Program offers low-interest loans for home accessibility upgrades. We also offer $79/month financing with no prepayment penalty.

Call us or fill out the form above. Luis comes out for a free in-home assessment and provides a written quote you can submit to your funding source. For VA grants, he provides the medical-necessity documentation your VA primary care provider needs to sign. For MI Choice, he works with your waiver case manager on the prior-authorization paperwork. There is no charge for the assessment or the funding-help paperwork — we only get paid if the stairlift goes in.