Montclair, Essex County

Aging in Place in Montclair, NJ: Home Modifications

Aging in place in Montclair, NJ means making a prewar house, a two-family or a condo work for the person living there now. Describe the trouble spot, and Aging in Place NJ connects you with a local contractor for the job.

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Residential New Jersey street in fall with a ranch house that has a wooden ramp and railing

Home modifications in Montclair

Choose the job that matches your problem and the page will walk through what it takes in a Montclair house.

In Montclair, local help with aging services comes from Essex County Division of Senior Services.

Questions people ask

Which Montclair homes are likely to need accessibility changes?

Prewar houses, which make up about three quarters of the town, often have steep stairs, narrow doors and small bathrooms. Two-family houses and condos add shared entries and approvals.

Is there a county office I can ask about aging services?

Yes. The state lists the Essex County Division of Senior Services for Montclair residents. It runs home modification and repair programs and a falls program. Ask what you qualify for.

I rent in Montclair. Can I still make changes?

Often yes, with your landlord's written approval. Grab bars, a handheld shower and a seat can usually be removed later. Ask before you start.

Does Montclair handle its own permits for lifts?

Yes. Montclair has its own elevator subcode official, so stairlift and platform lift permits go through the town construction office, not the State.

How do I start a project in Montclair?

Choose the job closest to your problem, then call or use the form. You can say you are not sure yet and describe the trouble spot.

Homes in Montclair

Montclair is one of the oldest housing stocks in this part of NJ. The median home dates to 1938, most homes predate 1960. Houses of that age come with wide front porches, steep staircases, narrow upstairs hallways and bathrooms squeezed into corners.

Source: Census Bureau, median year built and age

The mix here is not all detached houses. Only about half of Montclair's housing units are single-family detached, and many occupied homes are rented. A good share of the town is two-family houses, apartments and condominiums. For someone in an upstairs flat, the work looks different from a standalone house: a shared entry, a landlord or association to ask, and less room for a ramp.

About 15 percent of residents are 65 or older. That sits a little under the statewide share, but many of those households live in exactly the houses with the stairs and tubs that cause trouble.

Each of the five jobs below is written for these conditions.

White two-story colonial house with green shutters and a wooden entry ramp, surrounded by autumn leaves

1938Median year homes were built

15.0%Residents aged 65 and over

Aging in place in Montclair, NJ: a prewar town with mixed housing

The median Montclair home dates to 1938. Almost three in four homes were built before 1960, and more than 85 percent before 1980. Few towns in this part of New Jersey have older housing.

Source: Census Bureau, year built and median year built

Prewar construction has real charm and real friction for older residents. Think of a porch up a full flight, an upstairs reached by a steep, narrow stair, a bathroom tucked under the eaves and doors cut for a smaller era. Walls are often plaster, and pipes run where the original builder put them.

That age is the reason to plan carefully. A contractor who has seen the inside of the wall can tell you what is possible. A catalog cannot.

Owner, renter or condo: who decides in Montclair

Montclair is not a town of detached houses alone. Only about half of housing units are single-family detached, and about 57 percent of occupied homes are owner-occupied. That leaves a large share of renters, two-family households and condo owners.

Own a house: you decide, and you can start when you are ready.
Own a condo: the board may need to approve anything touching common walls, plumbing stacks or the entry.
Rent: ask your landlord in writing first. Many changes, like grab bars and handheld showers, can be made removable.

New Jersey's Medicaid housing supports rules treat modifications to rental properties and association-governed areas as the owner's, landlord's or association's responsibility, and a rented home needs a written approval letter. That is a useful model for any renter: ask for it in writing.

Sources: Census Bureau, owners and renters, NJ Medicaid

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Small print: This guarantee covers our planning and introduction service. The contractor's work is covered by your contract with them. Offer terms. Guarantee terms.

Aging in Place NJ · (315) 640-3590

Which job fits which Montclair home

Prewar bathroom: an accessible bathroom in Montclair can replace a tub with a seated shower.
Steep stairs: stairlift installation in Montclair handles tight prewar staircases and some turns.
Big porch, many steps: a wheelchair ramp in Montclair can be shaped to the porch.
Narrow doors: doorway widening in Montclair opens a bath or bedroom door.
Unsteady but independent: grab bars and handrails in Montclair are quick to add.

Upstairs in a two-family house, the entry is shared and the ramp question often turns into a lift or a rear-door question. Say what kind of building you live in when you call.

When a parent says no, and when a smaller change is enough

Many adult children call Montclair projects in on behalf of a parent who does not want one. That resistance usually has a reason, and the reason is the thing to answer.

"It will look like a hospital." Bars come in finishes that match a bathroom, and a stair rail can look like part of the house. Ask the contractor for examples.
"I do not need it yet." That may be true. Work done before a fall is calmer and easier to schedule than work done after one.
"We cannot afford it." Then start small. A second stair rail, a tub seat and bars at the toilet cost far less than a remodel, and they can be done first.

CDC reports that one in four older adults falls every year, and that falls are the leading cause of injury for adults 65 and older. Fixing the trouble spot is not an admission of frailty. It is the same sensible step as a good pair of glasses.

Source: CDC

If you live far away, send photos of the stairs, the tub and the porch with the form. A contractor can say a lot from them.

Essex County programs to ask about

The state lists the Essex County Division of Senior Services as the county aging office for Montclair residents. Its program list includes Home Modifications for ramps, Residential Repair and a Matter of Balance falls program. Eligibility and waiting lists are the county's to explain, so call before you assume anything.

Sources: Essex County, NJ JACC

Programs like these are separate from what we do. Aging in Place NJ is not a contractor, a funder or a medical provider. We help you plan and connect you with a local contractor.

For costs beyond county help, the guide on paying for home modifications covers Medicaid, JACC for those 60 and over who qualify, VA benefits and tax rules. Original Medicare treats home modifications as noncovered.

Questions to ask any Montclair contractor

You will sign a contract, so know what New Jersey requires of one.

Is the contract in writing, signed and itemized? It must be if the price is over $500.
Does it include the contractor's insurance certificate and the insurer's phone number?
Who pulls the permit, and has it been issued before work starts?
Will you ask me to sign off or pay in full before the work is done? That should not happen.

Sources: NJ Legislature, NJ Consumer Affairs

You can also cancel before midnight of the third business day. Our page on the three-day right to cancel shows the steps.

Montclair and the towns around it

If you also care for someone nearby, we cover aging in place in West Orange, aging in place in Livingston and aging in place in Wayne. Housing differs, so each page reads differently.

Pick a service above, then use the form or phone (315) 640-3590 to take $100 off your first project.

Also serving nearby

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