Aging-in-Place Remodeling in Lower Makefield and Yardley, PA

Bucks County had 141,780 residents 65 and over on July 1, 2024, 21.8% of the county and the highest share of the 4 counties around Philadelphia (Census Bureau Vintage 2024 estimates). Lower Makefield Township (the Yardley area) is close behind at 21.4% of its 33,485 residents and is the richest township in Bucks County (Census American Community Survey 2024 five-year estimates). The homes are mostly 1980s two-story colonials with the bedrooms and every full bath upstairs, so the stairs decide the work; contractors register with the Attorney General under HICPA and the township or borough issues the permit. The usual projects are the stair lift, the first-floor suite or home elevator, and the bathroom.

Ready to talk to a certified aging-in-place remodeler? Tell us about the house and the stairs, and get matched with a registered remodeler serving Lower Makefield and Yardley.

Lower Makefield and Yardley by the numbers

• 21.4% of Lower Makefield Township's 33,485 residents are 65 or older (Census American Community Survey 2024 five-year estimates); Bucks County as a whole is 21.8%, or 141,780 people (Census Bureau Vintage 2024).
• Median household income $175,206 and median home value $630,200, against $77,971 and $254,500 for Pennsylvania (same ACS file).
• 88% of homes are owner-occupied and 71% are single-family detached; the median home was built in 1984, newer than the Pennsylvania median of 1964 (ACS 2024 five-year; PHFA 2023 housing study).

The homes here

A 1984 colonial is a good house to grow old in, right up to the staircase. The main floor usually has a powder room and a garage with a single step into the house; the bedrooms and full baths are upstairs and the laundry is often in the basement. Yardley Borough, at the river, is older, with steps at the door, narrow halls and the only bath upstairs.

Three answers to the staircase, in rising order of cost. A stair lift on a straight run is the cheap end of the range; a turn at a landing means a curved rail. A main-floor bedroom and bath grows the powder room into a full bath and takes over the room next to it. A home elevator in stacked closets keeps both floors in use for families who expect to stay for decades.

Winter is the entry problem. Ice on stoops and sloped walks makes a covered, railed entry a frequent request, and the garage is usually the shortest route to a step-free door; see ramps, entries and thresholds. Many developments have a homeowners association with rules on street-facing changes, so an exterior ramp may need its sign-off before the township permit. Inside, the 1980s bathroom gets a curbless shower, grab bars into studs, non-slip tile and a comfort-height toilet, finished to match the house; see bathroom safety remodels.

Licensing and permits in Bucks County

Pennsylvania has no statewide contractor license. Any contractor doing at least $5,000 of home improvements a year registers with the Attorney General under HICPA, which requires a written contract on jobs over $500 and caps the deposit at one-third on contracts over $5,000. The Pennsylvania state page has the lookup and the full rules.

The permit comes from the municipality, not the county. More than 90% of Pennsylvania's 2,562 municipalities administer the Uniform Construction Code themselves (Pennsylvania Housing Research Center), so Lower Makefield Township and Yardley Borough each set their own permit rules, and plumbing and electrical licenses are municipal and do not transfer. Yardley Borough has a historic district, and exterior changes inside it may need a separate review. The rest of the county is on the Philadelphia suburbs page; our guide to choosing a remodeler has the checklist.

Who pays

With a median household income of $175,206 and a median home value of $630,200, most Lower Makefield families pay directly, from savings, home equity or siblings splitting the cost; paying out of pocket covers the tools and the payment schedule. Original Medicare pays nothing toward modifications; some Medicare Advantage plans add a bathroom safety allowance, and many long-term care insurance policies carry a capped home modification benefit. For Medicaid, ask the Department of Human Services, Office of Medical Assistance Programs, about coverage and waitlists (Medicaid waivers). Bucks County's Area Agency on Aging takes OPTIONS applications for residents 60 and over, with no income requirement and a sliding-scale cost share; call the Pennsylvania Department of Aging at 717-783-1550 to be connected. The Pennsylvania Assistive Technology Foundation lends statewide for ramps, roll-in showers, widened doorways and stair glides, $100 to $7,000 at 0% and above $7,000 at 3.75%.

Common projects in Lower Makefield and Yardley

• Stair lift. $3,000 to $20,000 installed nationally, averages $7,000 to $8,000; a straight rail is far cheaper than a curved one. Stair lifts.
• Home elevator. A five-figure project; a vertical platform lift costs a fraction of an elevator. Home elevators and lifts.
• Bathroom. Curbless shower conversion $2,500 to $9,000; a full aging-in-place bathroom $6,600 to $28,000, average near $11,000. Bathroom safety remodels.

The Philadelphia metro is union-heavy and labor likely runs above the national average, so get 3 written local quotes.

Ready to talk to a certified aging-in-place remodeler? Request a match and talk to a registered remodeler serving Lower Makefield Township and Yardley.