Took 2 hours to put together. Easily done if you follow instructions. This heater must be attached to the ground or your patio or to a weighted platform, or it will fall over. I made one out of plywood(28" x 28") and bolted it down to the plywood and put heavy bricks on the plywood.. You should also buy a hose extension. Lights easily and with the natural gas, I don't have to worry about running out of fuel. I have a covered patio and it heats well within a 10 to 12 foot radius. I have only used it once and it works great. Looking forward to using it for a long time.