Not at all. With the exception of Industrial Dobby Loom and Jacquard looms, AVL looms are normally assembled by the customer. AVL looms are generally shipped in a partially assembled state. All of the so-called "hard stuff" is already done. Dobbies go out whole. So do the Spring Lever Systems, Harness Pulley Supports, and Beams. The Tension Box and Bobbin Winder also go out fully assembled. The looms come with a fully illustrated manual and generally take about a day to assemble. There are also several assembly videos on our YouTube channel. If you would like AVL to come out for an in-home installation, we do have a service option available.