Expert Stairlift Installation in Unity, PA

Most installations take 3 to 4 hours from arrival to cleanup. A straight lift on a standard staircase — like the ones in most Lawson Heights Colonials or Pleasant Unity ranch homes — finishes closer to 3 hours. A curved lift with a custom-bent rail takes 4 to 5 hours because the rail was fabricated off-site from laser measurements taken during the assessment. We schedule the install at your convenience and you can use the lift the same day.

No — the rail bolts directly into the stair treads, not the wall. This matters especially in Unity Township's older homes where plaster walls can't support a rail mount and where homeowners want to preserve original woodwork. When the lift is eventually removed, the bolt holes in the treads are small and easy to fill. No drywall repair, no repainting, no structural changes to the home.

Yes. The narrowest staircase we've done in the township was 29 inches wide in a pre-1900 farmhouse off Beatty County Road. Standard stairlifts fold up to about 12 inches from the wall when not in use, leaving roughly 17 inches of passable stair width — enough for someone to walk up beside it. We measure every tread width and rise at the assessment and tell you honestly if the geometry works before you spend a dollar.

Yes. Outdoor stairlifts rated IP55 handle the full Pennsylvania weather cycle — summer humidity, fall rain, winter freeze-thaw, and spring mud. The motor housing is sealed, the upholstery is marine-grade, and the rail has a corrosion-resistant coating. We've installed them on porch steps in Vista Morada, stone entry stairs in Youngstown, and deck access stairs throughout the township. They run on the same battery-backed DC motor as the indoor units.

Yes, through the HISA (Home Improvements and Structural Alterations) grant. Service-connected veterans can receive up to $6,800; non-service-connected veterans up to $2,000. The grant is one-time, tax-free, and never repaid. Unity Township veterans apply through the Westmoreland County VA Clinic at 5274 Route 30, Suite 10 in Greensburg — about 9 miles from most parts of the township. The application requires a medical-necessity statement from your VA primary care provider. We help with the paperwork during your free assessment.

Yes — through Pennsylvania's Office of Long-Term Living (OLTL), which oversees the OBRA Waiver and the Act 150 Program. Both cover home modifications, including stairlifts, when medically necessary to keep someone in their home instead of a nursing facility. Westmoreland County residents may also qualify through Community HealthChoices (CHC), Pennsylvania's managed care program for dual-eligible adults. Your OLTL service coordinator initiates the request, and we provide the product specs and quote they need.

The Westmoreland County Redevelopment Authority runs the Accessible Housing Program, which provides ramps and stairlifts at no cost to county residents with permanent physical disabilities. There is no age requirement, and all incomes are encouraged to apply. The program works with the Area Agency on Aging and the county Veterans Affairs office to identify eligible applicants. We are an approved provider and can walk you through the application at your assessment.

Two state-level programs apply. The Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency (PHFA) runs the ACCESS Home Modification Program, which provides mortgage-based funding for accessibility improvements. The Department of Community and Economic Development offers the Keystone Communities Accessible Housing Grant, though availability varies by funding cycle. For most Unity Township families, the fastest path to coverage is through the VA HISA grant (for veterans), the OLTL OBRA/Act 150 waivers (for Medicaid-eligible residents), or the county Accessible Housing Program (for low-income residents with permanent disabilities).