The canopy was very easy to assemble. I did it all by myself. The hardware is different in style to the usual ones where you pull out the preassembled base at the 4 corners. After assembly, the canopy feels sturdy and elegant. I will buy it again, except I am trying to find out if the canopy top, which is the weak part and will not last a year or two, can be bought separately. So far, no answer to my query.