Expert Stairlift Installation in Melrose Park, IL

A straight stairlift takes about 3 hours from arrival to final test. A curved install takes 4 to 6 hours, and an outdoor unit takes about 3 hours including weather-sealing the rail mounts. We work around your schedule — morning or afternoon, weekdays or Saturdays. For Melrose Park residents, we can usually schedule the install within 3 to 5 business days of the in-home measurement.

The rail bolts directly to the stair treads, not to the wall. When we leave, the only evidence is a series of bolt holes through the treads — no drywall damage, no handrail removal. In Melrose Park's older homes with original oak treads, we use specific mounting brackets that distribute the weight without splitting the wood. If you ever need to remove the lift, the bolt holes can be filled and stained to match.

Yes. Most Chicago-style bungalows in Melrose Park have staircases that are 32 to 36 inches wide, which is enough for a standard stairlift rail and a folding seat. When the lift is not in use, the seat, armrests, and footrest all fold up flat against the rail, leaving about 18 to 20 inches of clear walking space. We've installed in staircases as narrow as 28 inches using the slim-rail option.

No. Stairlifts are classified as accessibility equipment, not structural modifications, so Cook County and the Village of Melrose Park do not require a building permit. The lift plugs into a standard 120-volt wall outlet near the top or bottom of the staircase. If you live in a condo, the Illinois Condominium Property Act §18.4(q) requires associations to allow reasonable accessibility modifications, as does the Fair Housing Act (42 USC 3604(f)(3)(A)).

Yes. The VA's Home Improvements and Structural Alterations (HISA) grant provides up to $6,800 for service-connected veterans and $2,000 for non-service-connected veterans. The grant is one-time, tax-free, and never has to be repaid. Melrose Park veterans can access HISA through the Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital at 5000 South 5th Avenue in Hines — about 3 miles south. The application requires a prescription from a VA primary care provider and a medical-necessity statement.

The Illinois HCBS Waiver for Persons who are Elderly — administered through the Department on Aging's Community Care Program (CCP) — can cover home modifications including stairlifts for adults 60 and older who meet the nursing-home level-of-care criteria. Coverage requires the stairlift to be documented as medically necessary by a care coordinator. Separately, the Illinois Housing Development Authority's Home Repair and Accessibility Program (HRAP) offers grants up to $50,000 for accessibility modifications, including stairlifts, for low- and very-low-income homeowners in Cook County.

Beyond VA and Medicaid, the IHDA HRAP grant (up to $50,000) is available to qualifying Cook County homeowners for accessibility improvements. Some long-term care insurance policies cover stairlifts when prescribed by a physician. And we offer in-house financing starting at $79 a month with no prepayment penalty. At the assessment, we walk through every funding option that applies to your situation — there's no charge for that conversation.

Yes. Financing starts at $79 per month for a straight stairlift, with terms ranging from 12 to 60 months. There is no prepayment penalty — you can pay off the balance at any time. The application takes about 10 minutes and you get an answer the same day. This works for any stairlift type: straight, curved, outdoor, or heavy-duty rated for 600 pounds.