Expert Stairlift Installation in Cortez, FL

We bolt the rail directly into the treads — not the wall. Most Cortez Village cottages from the 1940s and 1950s have staircases under 30 inches wide, with original hardwood treads. The rail sits on the steps themselves, clamped to the treads at five to six anchor points. No drywall cutting, no wall stud hunting, no plaster repair. The seat folds up when not in use, leaving enough clearance for someone to walk the stairs normally. The whole install takes about three hours.

Yes — we do it regularly in the elevated homes around Palma Sola Harbor, Perico Island, and the stilt houses on Anna Maria Island just across the Cortez Bridge. For exterior staircases on raised homes, we use the outdoor-rated rail with marine-grade components. The rail mounts to the treads the same way as an indoor install. The only difference is the weather-sealed motor housing and UV-stabilized seat upholstery, which holds up to the Florida sun and salt spray.

Three hours for a straight rail, four to five for a curved rail that was pre-fabricated after the laser measurement. We arrive with the rail pre-cut and pre-assembled — the on-site work is drilling anchor holes into the treads, mounting the rail, attaching the carriage, plugging the unit into a standard wall outlet, and testing it through five full cycles. You can use the stairlift the same day we install it.

No. The rail anchors to the stair treads with bolts — not to the floor, not to the wall. On hardwood treads like those in Cortez Village's older homes, the bolt holes are drilled cleanly through the tread and covered by the rail bracket. On tile treads like those in Smugglers Landing condos, we use a carbide bit and a vibration-dampened drill to avoid cracking the tile. If you ever remove the stairlift, the holes are small enough to fill with wood putty or grout and become nearly invisible.

Yes. The VA Home Improvements and Structural Alterations (HISA) grant provides up to $6,800 for veterans with service-connected disabilities, or $2,000 for those with non-service-connected conditions. The grant is tax-free, one-time, and never has to be repaid. Cortez veterans use the Bradenton VA Clinic at 5520 State Route 64, Suite 101 — about 7 miles east — for the required medical-necessity assessment from a VA primary care provider. We walk you through the two-page application at the free in-home assessment.

Yes. Florida's Statewide Medicaid Managed Care Long-Term Care (SMMC-LTC) program covers home accessibility modifications, including stairlifts, when they are documented as medically necessary to prevent nursing home placement. The stairlift must be included in the plan of care written by your SMMC-LTC case manager. Manatee County's Aging Services office can help connect you with an eligibility screening. We provide the itemized quote your case manager needs to submit for approval.

Manatee County's Community Care for the Elderly (CCE) program, managed through the county's Human Services Aging Section, provides in-home services and may cover home modifications for county residents 60 and older who meet income eligibility guidelines and are at risk of facility placement. The program has limited funding and a waitlist, but it is worth applying. Call the Manatee County Aging Section at (941) 749-3030 to ask about current availability and screening requirements.

Beyond SMMC-LTC, Florida does not have a dedicated statewide home-modification grant for seniors. The federal Older Adults Home Modification Program (OAHMP) operates in select Florida counties through local nonprofits, but Manatee County does not currently have an active OAHMP grantee. The most reliable funding paths in Cortez remain the VA HISA grant for veterans and the SMMC-LTC waiver for Medicaid-eligible residents. Some long-term care insurance policies also cover stairlifts — we can help you check your policy during the assessment.