Delaware State Coverage

Stairlift installation across all of Delaware

Delaware stairlift installers covering New Castle, Kent, and Sussex counties — from Wilmington row houses to Dover ranches to the Sussex County retiree belt around Lewes, Rehoboth, and Milton. Every quote lists a Delaware Division of Revenue Business License and accounts for salt-air exposure at the Delaware Bay shoreline.

(800) 965-0350
74 Delaware cities & towns served
3 Counties covered
18 yrs Serving DE homeowners
4.77 DE customer rating
Coverage

We install in every corner of Delaware

Tap a county to see the cities we serve in that area. Scroll or pinch to zoom. Our top Delaware metros are pinned in gold — click any pin to jump to the city page.

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Licensed & Insured Delaware State
BBB Accredited A+ Rating
15+ Years Serving Delaware
1,500+ Installations Statewide
About Delaware

What Delaware homeowners actually need from a stairlift installer

74 cities served
3 counties
434,346 residents
17.9% age 65+

Delaware is small, aging fast, and split into three completely different install zones that sit within a 90-minute drive of each other. New Castle County in the north is dominated by Wilmington row houses (narrow 32-inch staircases, steep risers, tight landings), 1950s-1970s ranches across Bear, Brookside, Pike Creek, and Hockessin, and the Chateau Country estates along Kennett Pike. The two-family and attached row houses in Wilmington proper require the narrowest rails and slim-fold seats we install anywhere in the Mid-Atlantic.

Kent County (Dover, Smyrna, Harrington, Camden) is middle Delaware farmland-turned-subdivision country. Housing here runs heavy to 1970s-1990s single-story ranches and 1990s-2010s tract two-stories built around Dover Air Force Base. Dover AFB is one of the largest cargo and personnel bases in the country and drives a disproportionate share of Delaware's VA HISA stairlift demand — we see more retired Air Force and former Dover AFB civilian staff on our Delaware install roster than any other military population.

Sussex County is the third Delaware — and increasingly the largest. The Cape Region (Lewes, Rehoboth Beach, Dewey Beach, Bethany Beach, Fenwick Island, Milton, Milford) has become one of the top retiree-migration destinations on the East Coast, fed by Baby Boomers from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, and Virginia cashing out and moving to tax-friendly Delaware. The housing is a mix of 55+ active adult communities (Heritage Shores, The Peninsula, Independence, Beebe Medical area developments) and older beach cottages. Salt-air exposure from the Delaware Bay and Atlantic reaches 2-3 miles inland — every Sussex coastal install gets stainless fasteners and a sealed motor housing as baseline.

Built for the Delaware climate

Delaware is humid, coastal, and hit with the full force of Mid-Atlantic hurricane and nor'easter weather. Summer dew points above 70°F from June through September drive moisture into unsealed motor housings, and salt air from the Delaware Bay and Atlantic reaches 2-3 miles inland across all of Sussex County and eastern Kent County. Every coastal Delaware install ships with stainless fasteners and a sealed IP54 motor housing as baseline — this applies to Lewes, Rehoboth, Dewey, Bethany, Fenwick, Milton, Milford, Seaford, Bridgeville, and anywhere in the Cape Region. Inland New Castle and Kent County installs get the same IP54 seal for humidity protection, minus the stainless upgrade.

Licensing & Permits

Delaware does not have a statewide residential contractor license like most states. Instead, contractors must register with the Delaware Division of Revenue for a Business License, carry liability and workers' compensation insurance, and comply with municipal permitting where applicable. Ask for the Delaware Business License number on the written quote.

  1. Delaware Division of Revenue Business License

    Every contractor doing business in Delaware must hold an active Business License through the Delaware Division of Revenue (DOR). Verify any contractor's license at https://revenue.delaware.gov/ by searching the business name. In addition, out-of-state contractors must post a $20,000 surety bond through the Delaware DOR before performing work. The Division of Professional Regulation regulates certain trades (electrical, HVAC, plumbing) separately — verify trade-specific licenses at https://dpr.delaware.gov.

  2. Electrical Permit (sometimes required)

    A stairlift plugs into a standard 120V outlet — no permit for the plug-in. In older Wilmington row houses and Cape Region beach cottages, the outlet at the stair landing is often on a shared circuit that cannot handle the stairlift's peak draw. A new dedicated circuit requires a municipal or county electrical permit and a Delaware-licensed Master Electrician (Division of Professional Regulation). We pull the permit and schedule inspection on your behalf.

  3. Building permit (almost never)

    Delaware's IRC adoption treats stairlifts as equipment attached to existing stair treads, not structural remodeling. No building permit is required for a plug-in residential stairlift in 99% of Delaware. The exception is Wilmington's designated historic districts (Quaker Hill, Brandywine Village, East Side) and the New Castle Historic District (the colonial core of the City of New Castle), where exterior-visible outdoor rail work needs Historic Area Commission review. We handle the HAC submission at no charge.

  4. HOA and condo board approval

    Universal in the Sussex County Cape Region active-adult communities — Heritage Shores in Bridgeville, The Peninsula in Millsboro, Independence in Millsboro, Ocean View Beach Club, Bay Crossing, Bay Forest Club, and dozens of similar Del Webb and Pulte developments. Federal Fair Housing Act and Delaware's Fair Housing Act require HOAs to grant reasonable accommodations for residents with documented disabilities. We provide the accommodation-request documentation packet at no charge.

Funding & Financial Assistance

Delaware programs that help pay for your stairlift

Real programs, real agencies, real phone numbers. We don’t sell leads to funding brokers — we list the actual state and federal paths and help you apply to the ones you qualify for.

Delaware Elderly & Disabled Waiver Diamond State Health Plan Plus - Long Term Services and Supports (DSHP-Plus LTSS)

Medicaid Managed Long-Term Care (through Highmark BCBSD Health Options or AmeriHealth Caritas Delaware)

Covers: Environmental accessibility adaptations including stairlifts, ramps, and bathroom modifications

  • Delaware resident, age 65+ or adult with physical disability
  • Financially eligible for Delaware Medicaid
  • Assessed at nursing-facility level of care
  • Stairlift must be documented in the individualized plan of care

Timeline: MCO assessment typically scheduled within 30-45 days. Once approved, payment goes directly to the authorized provider.

Delaware delivers Medicaid LTSS through managed care — Highmark BCBSD Health Options or AmeriHealth Caritas Delaware. We are credentialed with both MCOs and handle the environmental modification authorization paperwork.

Delaware Division of Medicaid & Medical Assistance · Division of Services for Aging and Adults with Physical Disabilities (DSAAPD)
1-800-223-9074 Program website →

VA HISA Grant Home Improvements and Structural Alterations (federal)

One-time federal grant, not a loan

Covers: Up to $8,150 for service-connected disabilities, up to $2,000 for non-service-connected

  • Enrolled in VA health care
  • Prescription from a VA provider stating the modification is medically necessary
  • Home is the veteran's primary residence

Timeline: Typical turnaround: 4-8 weeks from prescription to approved payment.

Delaware has 65,000 veterans concentrated around Dover Air Force Base in Kent County and the Wilmington VA Medical Center catchment in New Castle County. Dover AFB retirees and civilian personnel are our single largest HISA case load in Delaware.

Wilmington VA Medical Center
Wilmington VA Medical Center: 302-994-2511

Delaware Senior School Property Tax Credit Senior School Property Tax Credit

Annual school property-tax credit

Covers: Not a direct stairlift grant, but the school property tax credit (up to $500 annually) frees cash to offset out-of-pocket accessibility costs

  • Age 65+ on June 30 of the tax year
  • Delaware legal resident for at least 10 consecutive years
  • Own and occupy your primary Delaware residence
Delaware Division of Revenue · County Treasurer offices
New Castle County: 302-323-2600 · Kent County: 302-744-2341 · Sussex County: 302-855-7871 Program website →
Frequently Asked

Delaware stairlift questions answered

Straight answers from a crew that actually installs in Delaware every week.

Do I need a permit to install a stairlift in Delaware?
Almost never. Delaware's adopted residential code treats stairlifts as equipment attached to existing stair treads, not as structural remodeling. New Castle County, Kent County, Sussex County, and the cities of Wilmington, Dover, Newark, Lewes, and Rehoboth all confirm no building permit is required for a plug-in residential stairlift. The two exceptions: (1) Wilmington's historic districts (Quaker Hill, Brandywine Village) and the New Castle Historic District require Historic Area Commission review for exterior-visible outdoor rail work, and (2) installs requiring a new dedicated 120V circuit need a municipal or county electrical permit and a licensed Master Electrician. We pull both when applicable.
How do I verify a stairlift installer is legitimately licensed in Delaware?
Delaware does not issue a statewide residential contractor license the way most states do. Instead, verify the contractor's Delaware Division of Revenue Business License at https://revenue.delaware.gov/ and, for any trade-specific work (electrical, HVAC), verify the Division of Professional Regulation license at https://dpr.delaware.gov. Out-of-state contractors must post a $20,000 surety bond with the Delaware DOR before performing work. Any installer who cannot produce a Delaware Business License number on the written quote is not legally operating in the state.
Does Delaware Medicaid actually pay for stairlifts?
Yes — stairlifts are an approved environmental accessibility adaptation under Delaware's Diamond State Health Plan Plus LTSS (DSHP-Plus LTSS), which is the state's Medicaid Managed Long-Term Care program. You start by calling Delaware Medicaid at 1-800-223-9074 or contacting the Division of Services for Aging and Adults with Physical Disabilities (DSAAPD). You must qualify at nursing-facility level of care, be Medicaid-eligible, and have the stairlift documented in your plan of care. Delaware delivers LTSS through two MCOs — Highmark BCBSD Health Options and AmeriHealth Caritas Delaware — and we are credentialed with both.
Does the Delaware coast really affect a stairlift?
Yes. The Delaware Bay and Atlantic airborne chloride reaches 2-3 miles inland across all of the Cape Region — Lewes, Rehoboth, Dewey, Bethany, Fenwick, Milton, Milford, and Seaford — and drives corrosion into unsealed stairlift motor housings and zinc-plated hardware within 3-4 seasons. Every Sussex County coastal install from us ships with stainless fasteners, a sealed IP54 motor housing, and a coastal rail coating as the baseline spec. Inland New Castle and Kent County installs get the same IP54 seal for humidity protection (Delaware averages 45+ inches of rain annually and summer dew points above 70°F).
I live in a 55+ community in the Cape Region — can you handle HOA approval?
Yes. Heritage Shores, The Peninsula, Independence, Ocean View Beach Club, Bay Crossing, Bay Forest Club, Sussex Shores, The Reserves at Lewes, Showfield, and dozens of similar Del Webb, Pulte, Schell Brothers, and NV Homes active-adult developments all have documented architectural review processes. We prepare and submit the accommodation packet at no charge. Federal Fair Housing Act and Delaware's state Fair Housing Act require the HOA to grant reasonable accommodations for residents with documented disabilities, and stairlifts explicitly qualify.
I'm a veteran in Delaware — how do I get the VA to pay?
You start at the Wilmington VA Medical Center — the only VA medical center in Delaware, serving New Castle, Kent, and Sussex counties through its main campus and satellite CBOCs. Request a HISA — Home Improvements and Structural Alterations — consult with your primary care team. A VA provider writes the prescription. Service-connected disabilities unlock up to $8,150; non-service-connected up to $2,000. Dover Air Force Base retirees and civilian staff make up our largest HISA case load in Delaware, and we handle the Dover AFB-to-Wilmington VAMC referral pathway routinely. We prefill VA Form 10-0103 for you.
My Wilmington row house has a very narrow staircase — will it fit?
Almost always. Wilmington row houses, Brandywine Hundred twins, and the older 1900s-1930s homes along Delaware Avenue and the Highlands typically run 32-34 inches wide with steep risers and tight 90-degree landings at the top. We spec slim-fold seats that retract to under 12 inches from the rail, which leaves 20+ inches of clear walking passage even with the lift installed. A curved rail handles the 90-degree landing turn common in row houses, and we custom-measure the rail length because production straight rails rarely fit a 13-step Wilmington row-house staircase exactly.
Delaware Coverage

Ready for your Delaware home assessment?

Free in-home visit within 24 hours anywhere in Delaware — Wilmington to Fenwick Island in a single day of travel. A licensed Delaware business measures your staircase, walks you through the coastal, HOA, or narrow-stair spec options, and writes a quote honored for 30 days. No deposit, no obligation, no pressure. Most Delaware families go from first phone call to working lift within 8 days.

Or call (800) 965-0350 Mon–Fri 8am–6pm · Sat 9am–2pm
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