Expert Stairlift Installation in Somersworth, NH

A straight stairlift install takes about three hours from arrival to final test. Luis bolts the rail to the treads — never the wall — so there's no drywall repair needed afterward. Curved lifts take a full day because the custom rail was already fabricated from the laser measurements taken at your assessment. Outdoor lifts on Somersworth porch entries take about four hours; the weather sealing on the rail and motor housing adds an extra step.

No. The rail bolts directly into the stair treads, not the wall or the balusters. When you remove the lift — if you ever need to — you fill the bolt holes with wood putty and they're invisible. On The Hill's historic Victorian homes, we're extra careful with original woodwork: the rail runs about two inches above the tread nose and doesn't contact the banister. No drywall work, no repainting, no structural changes.

We do — and we've installed in the Market Street condos, the units off Indigo Hill Road, and several of the converted mill buildings downtown. If you're in an HOA or condo association, we provide the installation spec sheet for board approval. The Fair Housing Act requires reasonable accommodation for mobility devices, and we've helped Somersworth condo owners work through that process.

The outdoor lift uses an IP55-sealed motor housing and a marine-grade aluminum rail with a powder-coated finish rated for salt and freeze-thaw. Somersworth gets 51 inches of snow a year and January lows around 14 degrees. The lift runs on a DC motor with a 4Ah battery backup — it'll keep working through a nor'easter power outage for about six hours. We install outdoor units on Salmon Falls Road porches, Blackwater Road stoops, and everywhere in between.

Yes, through the HISA grant (Home Improvements and Structural Alterations). Veterans with a service-connected disability can receive up to $6,800. Non-service-connected veterans with a 50%+ disability rating qualify for up to $2,000. It's tax-free, one-time, and never repaid. The Somersworth VA Clinic at 200 Route 108 — part of the VA Manchester Healthcare System — can start the paperwork. You'll need a prescription from a VA physician stating the stairlift is medically necessary.

The NH Choices for Independence (CFI) Waiver — New Hampshire's 1915(c) HCBS Medicaid waiver — covers home modifications including stairlifts. To qualify, you must be 18 or older, New Hampshire resident, Medicaid-eligible, and require nursing-facility level of care (assistance with two or more activities of daily living). The income limit is $2,982/month for an individual. Your CFI case manager adds the home modification to your care plan, and the state approves based on medical necessity.

The NH Assistive Technology Program (ATinNH.org) provides device demonstrations and short-term equipment loans — not direct funding, but it lets you try a stairlift before committing. ServiceLink, New Hampshire's Aging and Disability Resource Center, has offices covering Strafford County and can connect you with other funding options. Some Somersworth residents also use the USDA Rural Development Home Repair Program for seniors, which offers loans and grants up to $10,000 for home modifications.

Generally, yes — but the rules depend on the programs. HISA grant funds cannot be combined with other VA programs for the same modification, but they can be paired with private financing. If you're using the CFI waiver, the stairlift cost counts toward your waiver spending cap and cannot be double-counted with another state program. Many Somersworth families use the HISA grant for $6,800 and finance the remainder at $79/month.