This took my husband & I about an hour to put together.  Not the best instructions but having put together other items, easy to figure out.  One piece did not have holes drilled in it, so my husband had to do that.  The bed comes with two foot board options, if you want the solid footboard as shown in the picture, do not assemble the first one in the directions. When all assembled, the bed is beautiful.  Very sturdy, the slates are strong and hold the new memory foam mattress very well. No sagging. I would recommend this bed.