It took my about 3 hours to put this together while my kids napped.  My husband only helped me flip it over when I had to put on the back...a few of the pieces were not marked so I had to really look through the instructions and figure out which pieces they were referring to in the instructions.  I also had issues with a couple of the main screws being bent but managed to use pliers to get them on.  After putting it all together I have to say it's a really nice shelf for the price.