Stairlift Cost With Installation, by Stair Type

Each range draws on at least three independent price guides, manufacturers or dealers: the low end is the middle of the lows they publish, and the high end the middle of their highs. These ranges summarize published prices, not records of what buyers paid, so use them as a guide rather than a quote for your stairs.

Looking at every type together, the National Council on Aging gives a typical installed figure of $2,500 to $12,000.

If you bought a straight lift second-hand or online, expect to pay an installer $550 to $850 to fit it. A curved lift is different: its rail was made for one staircase, so it needs a survey and a separate quote, and it rarely fits another home.

When you buy a new lift from a dealer, fitting is usually part of the price. ConsumerAffairs puts the fitting share at roughly 15% to 35% of the total.

If your stairs curve or turn at a landing, expect to pay much more: installed, a curved lift runs $9,000 to $15,000, against $2,500 to $7,500 for one straight flight. The rail has to be made to fit your stairs, and fitting it takes longer, as the National Council on Aging explains.

Within that curved range, a longer or more involved rail can add $1,000 to $5,000, says Angi.

Lifts for outside are made to cope with rain and weather. Outdoor lifts typically cost $2,000 to $3,500 more than indoor lifts, according to Lifeway Mobility.

The lift runs on household power, so the bill grows when no outlet sits near the stairs or the fixing surface needs extra work. Outlet and circuit prices are from HomeGuide; the removal and concrete figures are one dealer's list prices, from The Albany Lift Company.

A used lift or a rental can cost less up front, but a rental adds a deposit, a minimum term and a fee to fit and remove it. Figures from HomeGuide and Fixr.

A number of states operate Medicaid waiver programs. These state programs support people in receiving care at home rather than moving into a care facility, and some pay for stairlifts as a home modification. Coverage varies from state to state.

The VA's HISA home modification benefit pays up to $6,800 over a lifetime for a service-connected disability (or a rating of 50% or more) and $2,000 for other disabilities, but it excludes removable equipment such as stair glides, so it is unlikely to help with a stair lift.