Assembly took me about 90 minutes and needs nothing more than a hammer and a screwdriver. If I had a nail gun handy, that would have sped the process a bit. Everything fits together nicely and the end result is sturdy, easily moved with two built-in handles, and has a fresh cedar/wax scent. The directions were good and those without any woodwork experience may make a mistake or two along the way but there's nothing here that can't be easily corrected. My only difficulty is that this is described as a starter kit for beekeeping beginners. In that case, the product should come with some guidance - what else does one need? Shouldn't there be a top? How about a base? Do I simply put this outside on the ground as is and await the arrival of bees? None of that is explained, so a true beginner will go off to search the Internet for guidance. A search for Langstroth Hive will bring you what you need to know.