Michigan Statewide Coverage

Stairlift installation across every Michigan county

LARA-licensed installers serving Detroit bungalows, Grand Rapids craftsman homes, and Upper Peninsula log cabins. Licensed as Residential Builders through Michigan LARA, bonded, and the only crew that ships cold-pack batteries standard on every install north of US-10.

(800) XXX-XXXX
682 Michigan cities served
83 Counties covered
19 yrs Serving MI homeowners
4.79 MI customer rating
Coverage

We install in every corner of Michigan

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

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

What Michigan homeowners actually need from a stairlift installer

682 cities served
83 counties
5,558,700 residents
16.7% age 65+

Michigan's housing stock is dominated by three patterns. The Detroit-area 1950s brick ranch and bungalow — Warren, Sterling Heights, Livonia, Dearborn, Dearborn Heights, Westland — has a straight basement stair and a straight main stair, both routine installs. The catch is basement moisture: the lower Great Lakes drive 70%+ summer humidity into every unconditioned basement from Wayne to Macomb, and standard unsealed motors fail in two years. We ship sealed housings on every Detroit-metro install as a baseline.

Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, and the West Michigan corridor run the craftsman bungalow and Dutch Reformed farmhouse pattern with straight stairs but tighter newel-post geometry than metro Detroit. Ottawa, Kent, and Allegan county homes frequently need narrow-gauge rails on pre-1940 stock. We confirm tread width and newel clearance on the intake call before dispatch.

Northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula are a different planet. Traverse City, Petoskey, Marquette, Houghton, Iron Mountain, Sault Ste. Marie — January lows drop to -20°F with -40°F windchill on the Keweenaw, and standard stairlift batteries die in a single season. Every install north of US-10 ships with a cold-pack battery rated to -30°F and a battery blanket for unheated garages. Lake-effect snow adds rural drive days but no travel surcharge.

Built for the Michigan climate

Michigan climate is two problems stacked. Southern Michigan basements run 65-75% summer humidity and corrode unsealed motors inside two years — we ship sealed motor housings standard statewide. Northern Michigan and the UP see -20°F January lows with -40°F windchill in Houghton and Marquette counties, and standard batteries fail in one winter. Every install north of US-10 ships with a cold-pack battery rated to -30°F as a baseline spec, plus a battery blanket for any lift mounted in an unheated garage or mudroom. The 12-month cold-season follow-up call catches battery degradation before the warranty claim hits.

Licensing & Permits

Residential construction in Michigan is regulated by the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) under the Residential Builders and Maintenance & Alteration Contractors Act. Every legitimate stairlift installer must hold a LARA Residential Builder license or a Maintenance & Alteration Contractor license. Ask for the license number before you let them in the house.

  1. LARA Residential Builder License

    Michigan requires a Residential Builder license for anyone performing residential construction, remodeling, or alteration work over $600. Licensure requires 60 hours of pre-licensure education, passing a state exam, and carrying workers compensation insurance. Verify at www.michigan.gov/lara under Licensing. Michigan does not require a state-level bond for Residential Builders, but many jurisdictions (Detroit, Grand Rapids, Ann Arbor) require a local registration and bond on top of the LARA license.

  2. Electrical Permit (local authority dependent)

    A plug-in stairlift on an existing 120V outlet needs no permit in most Michigan jurisdictions. Detroit, Grand Rapids, Lansing, and Ann Arbor all require an electrical permit any time a new dedicated circuit is pulled — and pre-1960 Detroit bungalows with original 60-amp service almost always need one. The permit is pulled by a Michigan-licensed electrical contractor under the Electrical Administrative Board. We handle the permit and inspection in your name.

  3. Building permit (historic districts only)

    Michigan building code treats stairlifts as equipment, not structural modifications, so no building permit is needed for the rail install itself. Exceptions: Detroit's Indian Village and Boston-Edison historic districts, Ann Arbor Old West Side, Grand Rapids Heritage Hill, and Marshall Historic District, where exterior-visible work requires Historic District Commission review. We file the HDC application at no charge when required.

  4. Condo and HOA approval

    Common in Troy, Bloomfield Hills, Rochester Hills, and downtown Detroit lofts. The Michigan Condominium Act (MCL 559.101) and federal Fair Housing Act require reasonable accommodation for disabled residents. We prepare the accommodation packet with a physician medical-necessity letter template at no charge.

Funding & Financial Assistance

Michigan 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.

MI Choice Waiver Michigan Choice Waiver Program

Medicaid 1915(c) HCBS waiver — home modification cap typically $6,000 per plan year, stackable across years with approval

Covers: Stairlifts classified as environmental accessibility adaptations under MI Choice

  • Michigan resident, age 18+
  • Medicaid-eligible
  • Clinically eligible at nursing-facility level of care
  • Assessed by the Supports Coordinator at one of the 16 Michigan Area Agencies on Aging

Timeline: AAA assessment typically 21-45 days from intake. Once approved, payment goes directly to the provider.

We work directly with Michigan's 16 Area Agencies on Aging — AAA 1-B in Oakland, Detroit Area Agency on Aging, Region IV in Cassopolis, Senior Resources of West Michigan, Upper Peninsula AAA, and the rest. You call 1-800-803-7174, get routed to your local AAA, and name us as your vendor.

Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) · Area Agencies on Aging
Michigan Aging & Adult Services Agency: 1-800-803-7174 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.

Selfridge ANG Base in Macomb County and Michigan's 550,000 veterans drive heavy HISA volume across Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, and Kent counties. We prefill VA Form 10-0103 for you.

John D. Dingell VA Medical Center (Detroit) · Aleda E. Lutz VA (Saginaw) · Battle Creek VA · Ann Arbor VA · Iron Mountain VA
Detroit VAMC: 313-576-1000 · Ann Arbor VA: 734-769-7100 · Iron Mountain VA: 906-774-3300

Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) Property Improvement Program MSHDA Property Improvement Program (PIP)

Fixed-rate installment loans up to $50,000 for 20 years, income-qualified

Covers: Low-interest loans for home improvements including accessibility modifications

  • Michigan homeowner
  • Primary residence
  • Meets MSHDA income limits (varies by county)
  • Work performed by a MSHDA-approved contractor
Frequently Asked

Michigan stairlift questions answered

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

Do I need a permit to install a stairlift in Michigan?
In most of Michigan, no. Michigan building code treats stairlifts as equipment rather than structural modifications, so no building permit is needed for the rail install itself. The exceptions are (1) Detroit, Grand Rapids, Lansing, and Ann Arbor when a new dedicated electrical circuit is required — common in pre-1960 bungalows with original 60-amp service, which triggers a local electrical permit pulled by a licensed Michigan electrical contractor, and (2) properties inside designated Historic District Commission jurisdictions like Indian Village, Heritage Hill, or Old West Side. We handle both filings at no charge when applicable.
How do I verify a stairlift installer is licensed in Michigan?
Go to www.michigan.gov/lara and search the licensing lookup by Residential Builder license number or company name. Any legal residential contractor in Michigan must hold an active LARA Residential Builder license or Maintenance & Alteration Contractor license — not just a business license. Detroit and Grand Rapids also require a local contractor registration on top of the LARA license. If your installer cannot produce a LARA license number, walk away — unlicensed work voids your homeowners insurance claim if anything goes wrong.
Does MI Choice actually pay for stairlifts in Michigan?
Yes. MI Choice is Michigan's primary Medicaid HCBS waiver for adults 18+ who meet nursing-facility level of care, and it covers environmental accessibility adaptations including stairlifts. The home modification cap is typically $6,000 per plan year, which covers most straight-rail installs outright and can stack across plan years for more complex curved installs with Supports Coordinator approval. The process is: Medicaid eligibility, MI Choice enrollment through your local Area Agency on Aging, and a Supports Coordinator who includes the stairlift in your plan of care. Call 1-800-803-7174 to start.
I'm in the Upper Peninsula — do you actually cover that far north?
Yes. Our UP routes run weekly across Marquette, Houghton, Delta, Dickinson, Chippewa, and the rest of the 15 UP counties. Every install north of Mackinac Bridge ships with a cold-pack battery rated to -30°F and a battery blanket standard — not as a $400 upcharge the way national chains price it — because the Keweenaw and Marquette County routinely see -20°F January lows with -40°F windchill. Mackinac Bridge crossings add about half a day to scheduling but no travel surcharge. Houghton and Hancock installs are common due to retired mining and university population.
Does basement humidity in metro Detroit actually kill stairlifts?
Yes, and it's the single biggest reason we ship sealed motor housings standard across all of Lower Michigan. Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Washtenaw, and Monroe county basements run 65-75% summer humidity year after year, and an unsealed stairlift motor will fail inside two years of installation. Standard-spec units from national chains come with open motor housings — fine for dry climates, terrible for Michigan. Our baseline spec for every Michigan install includes the sealed housing. If your installer doesn't mention it, ask.
I'm a veteran in Michigan — how do I get the VA to pay?
Start at your VA facility: John D. Dingell VAMC in Detroit, Ann Arbor VA, Battle Creek VA, Aleda E. Lutz VA in Saginaw, or the Iron Mountain VA if you're in the UP. Request a HISA consult with your primary care team. A VA provider writes a prescription stating the stairlift is medically necessary. Service-connected: up to $8,150. Non-service-connected: up to $2,000. We prefill VA Form 10-0103 for you. Typical approval runs 4-8 weeks. Selfridge ANG Base retirees in Macomb County are our most common HISA cases in metro Detroit.
My Grand Rapids craftsman bungalow has a tight staircase — will it fit?
Almost certainly yes, with a narrow-gauge rail. Craftsman bungalows in Heritage Hill, Eastown, Creston, and Alger Heights typically have tread widths between 30 and 34 inches with original newel posts that foul standard 36-inch rails. Same pattern in Kalamazoo, Holland, and the older Kent and Ottawa county stock. We ship the narrow-gauge rail as default for any pre-1940 West Michigan home. Confirm with your installer that tread width was measured before they quoted — not after.
Michigan Coverage

Ready for your Michigan home assessment?

Free in-home visit within 24 hours anywhere in Michigan. A LARA-licensed Residential Builder measures your staircase, walks you through the options, and writes a quote honored for 30 days. No deposit, no obligation. Most Michigan families go from first phone call to working lift within 10 days downstate, 12-14 days in the UP.

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