Bergen County
Aging in Place in Ridgewood's Prewar Houses
In a prewar Ridgewood house the staircase often turns or narrows, so a stairlift has to be measured for your stairs rather than picked from a brochure, and we arrange a site visit before any price. Nearly four Village of Ridgewood homes in ten were built in 1939 or earlier, the highest share of any town on this site.
Request a quote in Ridgewood
Tell us which part of the house has become hard and who it is for. That is usually enough for us to tell you which trade the job needs, whether the town has to see it first, and who, if anyone, might help pay.
$100 off your first job
Credited by us on your first booked job.
- One credit per customer per property, on your first booked job.
- Valid through December 31, 2026.
Mention this offer when you book. Full terms.
Turning stairs and private lift review in the Village of Ridgewood
This page is about the Village of Ridgewood, and its lift permits follow a route most New Jersey towns do not use: the village contracts elevator subcode enforcement to a private agency, one of 55 municipalities in the state that do. Call the construction office to learn which agency handles it and what it charges before comparing installer timelines, because the fee and the schedule belong to the agency, not the installer. The housing explains why the stair gets measured first. Turning or narrow stairs in a prewar house often rule out a straight-rail stairlift and point to a curved rail, which is built to fit that one staircase. Plaster walls and narrow doorways strengthen the case for a first-floor bath conversion instead, so price both. Ridgewood has the lowest share of residents 65 and older on this site, and many projects here are planned for a parent moving in rather than for a crisis, which is the right moment to compare.
Does your Ridgewood staircase turn?
Tell us whether it is straight, turns at a landing or curves. That one detail decides whether a standard stairlift is even possible.
Stairlifts and bathrooms for older Ridgewood houses
Accessible Bathrooms and Walk-In Showers
A bathroom you, or a parent, can use without climbing over a tub wall, planned so the right contractor is on the job from the start, including a licensed plumber if the drain has to move.
Accessible Bathrooms in Ridgewood →Stairlifts, Platform Lifts and Home Elevators
Get up the stairs, or up the steps to the front door, without being carried, with an installer who matches the device and a plan prepared for New Jersey's elevator review in your town.
Stairlifts and Home Lifts in Ridgewood →Wheelchair Ramps and Step-Free Entries
A way into the house with no steps, for a wheelchair, a walker or someone who can no longer manage the stoop, planned around the permit and any association rules before anyone builds.
About Wheelchair Ramps →Doorway Widening and Interior Access
Get a wheelchair or walker through the bathroom, bedroom and front doors without scraped knuckles or turning sideways, with the wall behind each opening checked before anyone quotes.
Doorway Widening in Ridgewood →Ridgewood's prewar housing and who reviews a lift
The ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates show 89.2% of Ridgewood's 9,191 housing units were built before 1980, 74.4% before 1960 and 37.9% in 1939 or earlier. The largest single building decade is 1939 or earlier, with 37.9% of units.
Source: United States Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, table B25034, accessed 2026-09-22
The DCA listing of elevator subcode jurisdiction as of April 1, 2026 shows Third Party jurisdiction for the Village of Ridgewood and the Town of Morristown, meaning the municipality subcontracts elevator subcode enforcement to a private agency.
Source: New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, Division of Codes and Standards, Elevator Subcode Jurisdiction as of 4/01/2026, accessed 2026-09-22
DCA's Elevator Safety unit states that a New Jersey municipality may give elevator subcode jurisdiction to the State, hire its own local subcode official, or subcontract to a third party agency. The DCA municipal listing of elevator subcode jurisdiction as of April 1, 2026 shows 469 municipalities with State jurisdiction, 40 with Local and 55 with Third Party.
Source: New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, Division of Codes and Standards, Elevator Subcode Jurisdiction as of 4/01/2026, accessed 2026-09-22
The ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put Ridgewood village's population at 26,308, of whom 3,665 (13.9%) are 65 or older and 6.9% are 75 or older, below New Jersey's 17.2% aged 65 and older.
Source: United States Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, table B01001, accessed 2026-09-22
The ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates show about 606 of Ridgewood's civilian noninstitutionalized residents aged 65 and older (17.2%) report an ambulatory difficulty, serious difficulty walking or climbing stairs, and 15.1% report an independent living difficulty. The statewide figures are 19.1% and 12.7%.
Source: United States Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, tables B18105 and B18107, accessed 2026-09-22
Planning for a parent moving in?
Tell us who the house needs to work for and when. You get the options compared before any contractor visits.