Expert Stairlift Installation in Lower Merion, PA

Straight rails are 2–4 hours on-site. The 1950s Bala Cynwyd stone twins with their uniform 14-tread straight runs are our fastest Main Line installs — often under three hours. Bryn Mawr and Wynnewood colonials with original hardwood treads are standard four-hour jobs. Curved rails for Gladwyne estate staircases and Penn Valley split-level landings take 1–2 weeks for fabrication, but install day is still usually under 5 hours. Three-story Wynnewood homes that need a two-stage installation take a full day.

No. Modern stairlift rails bolt into the stair treads themselves — the rail is self-supporting and never touches your wall, your banister, your spindles, or your original stone or wood newel post. We have installed in dozens of pre-1930s stone colonials, Tudor revivals, and Victorian twins across Lower Merion without damaging a single original detail. When the lift is removed years later, you are left with a handful of small pilot holes in the tread — not the millwork, not the newel, not the original slate risers.

For an interior stairlift — no. The Lower Merion Historical Architectural Review Board reviews exterior modifications on designated historic resources, but interior rail installs are not within their jurisdiction. The only time HARB review applies is if we are adding an outdoor porch lift or exterior rail visible from the public right-of-way on a Class I or Class II historic resource. When that is the case, we prepare the HARB application at no charge and attend the meeting with you. Most Lower Merion homes that feel historic are not actually on the formal inventory — we check before the assessment.

Yes, and this is the single most common curved-rail install we do on the Main Line. The 1960s and 1970s split-level ranches in Penn Valley and parts of Penn Wynne almost always have a mid-landing with a 90-degree turn. We laser-scan the staircase during the first assessment, fabricate a curved rail that carries you from the entry to the bedrooms in one continuous ride, and add a swivel-exit seat at the top so you step off onto the hallway floor. One ride, zero transfers.

Yes, through the Community HealthChoices (CHC) Waiver — Pennsylvania’s managed long-term services and supports program. CHC covers home modifications including stairlifts as Environmental Accessibility Adaptations, up to $6,000 per 12-month period with a $10,000 lifetime cap. Eligibility requires PA Medical Assistance, age 21+, nursing-facility clinically eligible (NFCE) status, and enrollment with one of three CHC managed care organizations: Keystone First, PA Health & Wellness, or UPMC for You. Montgomery County is in the Southeast zone. We are credentialed with all three MCOs. Your Service Coordinator writes the stairlift into your Person-Centered Service Plan — timeline from assessment to installed lift is typically 30 to 45 days.

The Corporal Michael J. Crescenz VA Medical Center in University City, Philadelphia — about 20 minutes east on the Schuylkill. The VA Coatesville campus is also within the catchment area. The HISA grant covers up to $6,800 for service-connected disabilities and up to $2,000 for non-service-connected, paid directly to us after a prescription from your VA provider. Pennsylvania has the 4th-largest veteran population in the country and eight VA medical centers. We prefill VA Form 10-0103 and coordinate with the Crescenz prosthetics department.

Two Pennsylvania programs matter here. The OPTIONS Program — administered by PA Department of Aging through the Montgomery County Office of Aging and Adult Services (your local Area Agency on Aging) — is the state-funded alternative for seniors 60+ who earn too much for Medicaid. Funding is sliding-scale based on income and covers home modifications including stairlifts. Second, the PA Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program is not a stairlift funder itself, but many Main Line seniors who qualify apply the annual rebate toward the out-of-pocket portion of the install. We help you line up both before we finalize a payment plan.

Yes to both. If a licensed Pennsylvania physician recommends the stairlift in writing (we provide the letter template), the IRS classifies it as a qualified medical expense under Schedule A. For households that itemize, the full installation cost reduces taxable income — usually $600 to $2,400 back depending on your bracket. On financing, we work with three lending partners offering 0% APR for qualified buyers and fixed-rate plans from $79/month. Application is a soft credit pull (no hit to your score), takes about 4 minutes, and approval is usually instant. Many Main Line families combine financing with the IRS medical deduction, a partial HISA grant, or a CHC environmental adaptation payment to bring the monthly cost down further.