A stair lift quote looks like a single number on a page. It is not. It is a short contract written in the seller's words, and what it leaves out is where the trouble lives. This piece is for the moment you have a quote in hand and want to know what it actually promises.
Local option: New Plan Care gives families in the St. Louis area in-home help so a parent can stay home: companionship, help with bathing and dressing, meals, and overnight care. Call (314) 405-0887.
Start with the measurements
A quote is only as good as the rail length it was built on. Ask whether the measurement was taken from the top landing to the bottom landing, along the line the chair will travel, and whether the stairs have a curve, a turn, or a landing in the middle. The quote should state the rail length, the number of landings it covers, and whether the top and bottom mounts are included. If the rail length line is blank or says approximately, ask for a corrected quote before you compare anything else.
Read the scope line
Look for what is included and what is not. Installation is often listed separately from the unit. Check whether there is a removal fee for when the unit is no longer needed, and whether removal is included in the price or billed later. Check the weight limit, the seat belt, and the footrest as they are written. Ask what happens during a power outage, whether there is a battery backup and how long it lasts, and what the chair does if it stops partway up the stairs. Those answers should be in writing.
Read the warranty as a promise
A warranty is a promise with a clock on it. Ask for the length in years, what it covers in parts and in labor, whether travel for the technician is included, and who answers the phone when the chair stops. Ask for the registration card or the paper that proves the warranty was started. A company that cannot show you the warranty terms before you sign has told you something about how it will answer later.
Check who pays
Medicare generally does not pay for a stair lift, and a hospice plan may not pay for one either. Ask the hospice team whether anything in the plan of care covers it, and ask your insurer in writing. The Sources page lists the Medicare and federal references this site uses. Do not treat a supplier's statement about coverage as the same thing as the insurer's answer.
Compare the same scope
Get at least two written quotes built from the same measurements, and set them side by side on the same lines: rail length, landings, installation, removal, warranty years, outage behavior, and the service phone number. Compare the scope lines, not the totals. A lower total that comes with a shorter warranty and a removal fee is not the cheaper option.
Ask the hospice team whether the person who will ride the chair can use it safely in their current condition. That is a question for the clinical team, not the seller, and the answer belongs in the file before anything is ordered.