We got this bed three days earlier than scheduled, which is great with all the delays we've been having. We started putting it together last night, at about 5:30, and finally stopped at about 10:45. It's not done yet, so that should tell you what to expect for assembly time. We got everything but the trundle done last night. It seems to be as sturdy as you'd expect for the price. The top bunk railing wobbles, so don't let anyone lean on it, cuz it will fall with enough weight. The stairs seem to be solid though, which is nice. And the cubbies go all the way to the back of the bed, which is great. My biggest complaint so far, aside from the assembly time, is that the bottom stair is wasted space. No opening, tons of opportunity for storage wasted. But I can sit on the bottom bunk and very nearly sit up straight between the top slats, at 5' 10". It doesn't creak, and construction materials seem fairly solid.