Took about 5 or 6 hours for 3 fairly capable adults to assemble. Very sturdy. Be careful assembling the horizontal joists to align holes. We had 4 middle screws (2 on opposite long sides) that we couldn’t get in because the holes weren’t perfectly aligned. Didn’t seem to impact stability. A magnetic screwdriver would be helpful bc there’s a step where the screws can fall into joists & become unretrievable. Last tip, don’t forget to place the plastic corner covers (cosmetic feature) before you join the joists. We did. Not worth the time to disassemble IMO, but you might be annoyed when you look at the corners see those covers still lying in the plastic bags. :D Pergola looks great and transforms the cement pad in our yard. We fit 2 full size couches, 2 large chairs, and a coffee table underneath without it feeling cramped.