Expert Stairlift Installation in Exeter, NH

3 to 4 hours start to finish on a standard 14-foot straight flight in a Deerhaven or Walters Way home. We arrive at 8, you're riding by noon. Curved rails take one day — measurement-to-ride is usually 4-5 weeks because the rail ships from the fabricator.

The rail bolts into the tread itself, not the wall, using stainless lag screws in pre-drilled pilot holes. When you remove the lift, six pilot holes remain per tread — easily filled and finished. We don't drill the banister, the newel post, or the wainscot.

The seat, footrest, and armrests fold to an 11-inch profile — tight enough that a second walker user or grandchild can pass on most Exeter staircases. The narrowest flights I've worked are the 34-inch runs in 1790s Front Street Federals, and even those clear 23 inches with the unit parked.

Exeter requires a $65 electrical permit if we're running a new outlet, which takes the inspector about 30 minutes a week later. HOA approval matters in the Captains Way and Deerhaven covenants — I've never had one deny an indoor stairlift, but some require a 30-day notice. I handle both submissions.

Original Medicare does not — stairlifts are classified as home modifications, not durable medical equipment. Some Medicare Advantage plans (notably Wellpoint and Anthem in New Hampshire) now offer supplemental benefits that contribute $500-2,000 toward a lift. Call your plan's OTC/flex benefit line and ask specifically about 'in-home mobility' allowances.

New Hampshire's Choices for Independence (CFI) Waiver covers stairlifts under its home modifications benefit for Medicaid-eligible seniors at nursing-home level of care. Apply through Community Crossroads or your Rockingham County Area Agency, get assessed for functional eligibility, and the waiver pays the installer directly. Approvals take 30-60 days.

Yes. Service-connected veterans can receive up to $6,800 through the HISA (Home Improvements and Structural Alterations) grant; non-service-connected veterans up to $2,000. Apply through the prosthetics department at the Portsmouth VA Clinic (302 Newmarket Street, Pease ANGB) — your primary care provider submits VA Form 10-0103. Funds are paid directly to me; you don't front the money.

If your physician documents the stairlift as medically necessary, the portion that exceeds the home's resulting added value is deductible as a medical expense on Schedule A (IRS Pub 502). On a typical Exeter install, roughly 85-95% of the cost qualifies. New Hampshire has no state income tax, so there's no separate state credit — but the federal deduction still applies.