I am a female who is not very mechanically inclined, but I was able to put this together.  If I had known what I was doing, this would have only taken about an hour or so.  But because I didn't know what I was doing, it took about 4 hours - and I was worn out. The big time suck involved me having to do things over because several pieces I put on backwards. So please pay close attention to what you're doing and get someone to help you if at all possible.  But I like it very much, it suits my needs and my loft space and is good quality for the money.