Very easy to assemble. Directions were easy to follow and all of the parts/pieces lined up properly. Total assembly time was about an hour with only 2 people needed for holding parts on a few of the steps. Seems to be very sturdy but we will see how long it lasts with a 3 year old that loves jumping on the bed..... I will say that overall I am impressed with the bed, but as other reviews mentioned, the black "chalkboard" is not actually chalkboard painted. It is simply black paint and we are going to apply chalkboard paint over it.