Why most US stairlift dealers under-book
Most US dealers rely on a mix of Google LSAs, Yelp, BBB, Angi/HomeAdvisor leads, and word of mouth from physical therapists. Each channel has a ceiling, and the shared-lead platforms in particular sell the same homeowner enquiry to four or five competitors at once.
Meta is the most under-used channel in this category, and it is where the 70+ homeowner actually spends their afternoons. The dealers who consistently fill their evaluation diary are the ones running senior-targeted Meta creative and calling every lead inside ten minutes. Acquiri runs that entire stack for you.
What a qualified US stairlift lead looks like
Before any evaluation lands in your calendar, our US-based call team confirms:
- Age and mobility: typically 70+, currently struggling with stairs, not planning a year out.
- Home ownership: owns the home outright or with mortgage. Renters are routed elsewhere.
- Staircase profile: straight, curved, or split-landing. Curved-capable dealers only get curved-likely leads.
- Buyer presence: spouse or adult child involved if the user is not the primary decision-maker.
- Funding readiness: cash, financing, or applicable benefits (VA Aid & Attendance, state Medicaid waivers, long-term-care policies).
Realistic US economics in 2026
Across active Acquiri stairlift partners in the US, a qualified in-home evaluation runs $90 to $190 all-in. Sun Belt retirement markets (Florida, Arizona, the Carolinas, Texas) sit toward the lower end on volume, denser metro areas in the Northeast and California toward the upper end on cost.
Close rates land between 25% and 40% on attended evaluations. Dealers who quote on the day, run Synchrony / Wells Fargo financing on the spot, and follow up within 48 hours close at the top end.
With an average straight unit around $4,500 and a curved unit around $13,000 installed, a US partner spending $6,000 a month with Acquiri typically sees 35 to 60 booked evaluations, 10 to 20 installs, and $45,000 to $200,000 of revenue depending on straight vs curved mix.
State-by-state CPL patterns
US CPL varies more than UK CPL because Medicare Advantage penetration, Medicaid HCBS waiver rules, and housing stock all differ by state. General patterns we see:
- Florida, Arizona, Nevada: $90 to $130. Highest retirement density; efficient Meta serving; strong straight and curved mix.
- Texas, Georgia, the Carolinas: $95 to $140. Large owner-occupier senior audience; STAR+PLUS waiver relevance in TX.
- Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan: $100 to $150. Older housing stock drives curved demand; CHC waiver relevance in PA.
- New York, Massachusetts, New Jersey: $130 to $190. High CPMs, competitive audience, but curved-heavy installs offset.
- California: $140 to $200. Highest CPL nationally; use tight geo-fencing around retirement communities.
- Midwest rural (IA, KS, NE, WI): $80 to $120. Excellent value but lower absolute volume; combine with adjacent metros.
Seasonal patterns US dealers should plan around
US stairlift demand shows two clear peaks and one deep trough:
- January to March: strongest quarter nationwide. Post-holiday family conversations plus New Year "get this sorted" mindset.
- April to June: steady baseline. Snowbird returns in the Northeast/Midwest sustain volume.
- July: 20% drop. Vacations disrupt in-home evaluations; hold spend but keep creative live.
- September to November: second peak, particularly in the Sun Belt as snowbirds fly south and settle in for winter.
- Late December: two-week drop; pull spend and prepare January launch.
Funding levers that lift close rate
The biggest US-specific close-rate lever is funding fluency at the evaluation. Dealers who train evaluators to open with the funding conversation, not close with it, materially outperform.
- VA Aid & Attendance: up to ~$2,700/mo tax-free benefit for wartime veterans and surviving spouses; often covers a stairlift entirely.
- State Medicaid HCBS waivers: FL SMMC LTC, TX STAR+PLUS, PA CHC, OH MyCare, NY CDPAP-adjacent — each has home-modification pathways.
- Long-term-care insurance: newer policies often cover mobility equipment; older policies rarely do. Ask early.
- Retail financing: Synchrony, Wells Fargo, GreenSky. On-the-day approvals lift close by 8 to 15 percentage points.
Common mistakes we fix on onboarding
Same four issues as UK, plus one US-specific:
- TCPA-weak lead forms. Missing express consent language creates enforceable liability. Every Acquiri form includes it.
- Age band too wide (55+). Narrow to 65+ with adult-child overlay for lower CPL and better connect rate.
- Slow first call: median call time over 30 minutes cuts connect rate in half.
- No same-day quote. Written follow-ups drop close 30% to 40%.
- Missing funding conversation. Evaluators trained on VA and HCBS waivers close 8 to 15 points higher.
Decision framework: spend to installs
Use this to sanity-check monthly budget against expected installs, assuming a healthy straight/curved mix:
- $3,500/mo: 20 to 30 evaluations, 6 to 12 installs, $30k to $80k revenue.
- $6,000/mo: 35 to 60 evaluations, 10 to 20 installs, $45k to $200k revenue.
- $10,000/mo: 60 to 100 evaluations, 18 to 35 installs, $80k to $350k revenue.
- $18,000/mo: 100 to 160 evaluations, 30 to 60 installs, $150k to $600k revenue. Multi-installer required.
What we run for US stairlift dealers
Every part of the stack is included:
- Meta ad creative and copy purpose-built for the 70+ US homeowner, refreshed weekly.
- ZIP-radius geo-targeting around your service area so you do not pay to reach homes outside your drive time.
- A US-based call team that dials every form fill inside minutes and qualifies against the criteria above.
- Compliant data capture (TCPA-aware consent language on every form).
- SMS and voice reminders 24 hours and 2 hours pre-evaluation to keep show-rate above 80%.
- Weekly reporting on leads, evaluations booked, attended, and cost per evaluation.
How fast you can be running
Onboarding is 72 hours. We collect your service ZIP range, financing partners, and curved capability on day one, ship creative and brief the call team on day two, and start filling your evaluation diary on day three.