Expert Stairlift Installation in North Union, PA

Three to four hours for a straight rail, four to six for a curved. We show up with the rail pre-assembled in sections. The rail bolts directly into the stair treads — not the wall — so there's no drywall repair, no painting, no mess. The chair snaps onto the rail last. Before we leave, we run the lift through ten full cycles and make sure every family member knows how to use the controls.

Yes. A lot of the company-built doubles in Oliver and the pre-1940 homes across the township have staircases as narrow as 28 inches. Our straight-rail chairs fold up to about 14 inches wide when not in use — leaving enough clearance for another person to walk past. At the assessment, Luis measures the width at the narrowest point and the headroom at the lowest ceiling beam. If the stairlift fits, he tells you. If it doesn't, he tells you that too.

Not much. Clear any clutter off the stairs and make sure there's an outlet within about ten feet of the top or bottom of the staircase. The lift plugs into a standard 120-volt outlet. If you don't have one nearby, we can recommend a local Fayette County electrician to add one — that's the only thing we don't handle in-house. The battery backup means the lift keeps running through a power outage.

The outdoor units we install in North Union are built for exactly this climate — freeze-thaw cycles, road salt tracked onto stairs, snow, and rain. The rail and chassis are marine-grade aluminum with a powder-coat finish. The motor housing is IP55-sealed. The seat parks in a covered position at the top or bottom so snow doesn't accumulate on it. We've had outdoor units running in West Leisenring for eight-plus winters with no corrosion issues.

Yes, through the HISA (Home Improvements and Structural Alterations) grant. It covers up to $6,800 for service-connected veterans and $2,000 for non-service-connected veterans rated 50% or higher. The grant is one-time, tax-free, and never has to be repaid. The nearest VA facility for the required prescription is the Fayette County VA Clinic at 627 Pittsburgh Road in Uniontown — about ten minutes from anywhere in the township. Luis knows the application forms and can help you submit them.

Yes, through Pennsylvania's Community HealthChoices (CHC) Waiver, administered by the Office of Long-Term Living (OLTL). The CHC Waiver covers home modifications including stairlifts when deemed medically necessary to keep a person in their home rather than a nursing facility. The OBRA Waiver also covers home modifications for eligible individuals under age 60 with physical disabilities. You need a doctor's order and prior authorization. Contact the Southwestern Pennsylvania Area Agency on Aging — serving Fayette, Greene, and Washington Counties — to start the eligibility review.

The OPTIONS program, run through the local Area Agency on Aging, provides home and community-based services for Pennsylvania residents 60 and older who want to stay in their home. While OPTIONS primarily covers in-home care services, it can include home modifications and assistive devices — including stairlifts — where a care assessment finds it necessary. Contact the Southwestern PA Area Agency on Aging Fayette office at 724-430-4603 to request an assessment. The Fayette County Community Action Agency may also have grant-funded home modification programs available.

In some situations, yes. A veteran might use a HISA grant to cover $6,800 of a stairlift and finance the remainder at $79/month. Or a CHC Waiver approval might cover the full cost of a straight lift while you pay the difference for a curved rail upgrade. Every funding source has its own rules about stacking, and we walk through the specifics at the assessment. The key paperwork is the medical-necessity statement — your doctor needs to document that a stairlift is required for safe access within the home.