Expert Stairlift Installation in Mattoon, IL

A straight stairlift installs in about 3 hours from arrival to final test. Curved rails take 4 to 6 hours because the custom-fabricated rail sections need to be assembled and precisely aligned. Outdoor units on porches or deck stairs run about the same — 3 to 4 hours. We bolt the rail to the treads, not the wall, so there's no drywall repair, no paint touch-up, and no damage to your stair skirt boards or balusters.

No. The rail bolts directly to the stair treads, not to the wall or the balusters. Each anchor point is about the diameter of a pencil. On Mattoon's older hardwood stairs — common in Western Avenue Victorians and Lumpkin Heights homes — we use a specific anchor pattern that grips the tread without splitting older wood. If you ever need the stairlift removed, the bolt holes can be filled with wood plugs and stained to match. Most people can't tell a lift was ever there.

Yes, and we do it regularly. Many of Mattoon's pre-1940 homes have stairs as narrow as 28 inches wide. Standard stairlifts need about 26 inches of clearance with the seat folded up, so even the tightest stairwells in Edgar Avenue post-war homes or Western Avenue Victorians can usually fit one. For unusually narrow stairs, we have slim-profile models that fold to just 11 inches from the wall. Luis measures every staircase during the free assessment and won't recommend a lift that doesn't fit.

Yes. Every stairlift we install runs on DC power with a built-in battery backup. The battery charges continuously while the lift is parked at the charging point and holds enough charge for about 20 to 30 trips — typically 4 to 6 hours of normal use — after the power goes out. Given Mattoon's winter ice storms and the occasional multi-hour outage along the I-57 corridor, this is something we check at every install.

Yes. The VA Home Improvements and Structural Alterations (HISA) grant covers stairlift installation for eligible veterans. Service-connected veterans can receive up to $6,800, while non-service-connected veterans can get up to $2,000. The grant is one-time, tax-free, and never has to be repaid. Veterans in Mattoon can start the process through the Mattoon VA Clinic at 501 Lakeland Boulevard (part of VA Illiana Health Care, phone 217-258-3370).

Yes, through the Illinois Persons who are Elderly waiver — part of the Community Care Program (CCP) administered by the Illinois Department on Aging. This waiver covers home modifications, including stairlifts, for seniors who qualify for nursing-home level care but choose to remain at home. There's also the Illinois Housing Development Authority's Home Repair and Accessibility Program (HRAP), which provides up to $50,000 in grants for accessibility improvements including stairlifts. Eligibility is income-based, and the program runs through local government and nonprofit partners.

Yes. Beyond Medicaid waivers, the IHDA Home Repair and Accessibility Program (HRAP) is the largest — up to $50,000 per eligible household for health, safety, and accessibility repairs. The Illinois Department of Human Services also runs a Home Services Program through the Illinois Network of Centers for Independent Living (INCIL) for people with disabilities. For children under 21, the Division of Specialized Care for Children (DSCC) Home Accessibility Program may cover modifications. Each program has its own eligibility rules and application process — we can point you to the right one during the assessment.

We offer financing starting at $79/month, which covers most straight stairlift installations. There's no prepayment penalty, and you can pay off the balance early without fees. For veterans, the HISA grant often covers the full cost of a straight rail. Many Mattoon families combine a HISA grant with financing for any remaining balance on curved or outdoor units. We also work with long-term care insurance policies — about a third of policies with home-care riders cover stairlift installation, and we handle the paperwork directly with the insurer.