Putting together my flat-pack dining table on my own took about 2 hours; not quite how I’d planned to spend a whole Saturday afternoon. Learning how long it takes to assemble furniture helps you plan your busy schedule accordingly.
My time-consuming experience shouldn’t be a discouraging factor. Piecing together simpler furniture, such as floating shelves, may take as little as 5 minutes. I’ll explain the factors that affect assembly duration and shed light on whether hiring a pro is better than a DIY assembly.
We will cover which furniture assembly projects require:
- 30 Minutes or Less
- 30 to 60 Minutes
- Longer than 60 Minutes
As well as:
- Professional Assembly vs DIY Assembly
- FAQ About Furniture Assembly
30 Minutes or Less
Furniture such as average-sized desks, floating shelves, standard-sized beds, and single-door wardrobes take less than 30 minutes to assemble. They come with easy-to-follow instructions and user-friendly tools, helping you piece them together without major difficulties. If the process takes you slightly longer than 30 minutes, do not feel that you’ve done something wrong. It’s best to take your time if you’re a newbie and get the assembly done right.
30 to 60 Minutes
This is the average amount of time needed to assemble the most common pieces of flat-pack furniture. They include:
- Cribs
- Double-door wardrobes
- Double beds
- Bed frames
- Shoe racks
- Bookcases
It’s quite normal that larger pieces of furniture require more time to assemble. A handyperson with plenty of experience may take as little as 30 minutes to assemble any of the above, while a beginner could use up the entire hour or slightly longer.
Longer than 60 Minutes
Assembling a dining table, sofa, bunk bed, triple-door wardrobe, or home office may take longer than 60 minutes. Depending on the size and style, some dining tables and sofas can even take up to 2 hours to assemble.
Overall, these types of furniture are more complex than floating shelves. With longer instructions to follow and more pieces to assemble, expect to spend more than an hour piecing together these types of furniture.
Here’s a table that sums up all the furniture items we’ve covered:
| Furniture | Assembly Time (approx.) |
| Floating Shelves | 5 minutes |
| Desk | 30 minutes |
| Crib | 30 to 60 minutes |
| Closet (standard size) | 30 to 60 minutes |
| Bed frame | 30 to 60 minutes |
| Shoe Rack | 30 to 60 minutes |
| Bookcase | 60 minutes |
| Dining Table | 2 hours |
| Sofa | 2 hours |
Professional Assembly vs DIY Assembly
Similar to any other industry, experienced professionals typically require less time to complete their tasks than DIYers. But that’s not the only difference.
Experts complete the tasks efficiently without any damage to the property. DIY assembly may lead to accidents such as drilling into electric wires. More commonly, improper assembly simply results in furniture breaking down. Pros are trained to avoid drilling mistakes and will test the furniture’s durability post-assembly, ensuring that each piece is sturdy and secure.
Hiring professional furniture assemblers minimizes property damage, helps you maximize your free time, and ensures effective task completion. Learn more about what’s included in furniture assembly service.
FAQ About Furniture Assembly
Can you hire pros to disassemble furniture before moving?
Yes, you most certainly can. Hiring professionals to disassemble your furniture saves you plenty of time to focus on other pre-moving tasks. The downside is the cost, which could be the same as a first-time assembly. For more on this topic, check out the following:
- Do movers disassemble and reassemble furniture for you?
Is it possible to hurt yourself when assembling furniture?
Yes, DIY furniture assembly can cause harmful injuries. You may accidentally hit your thumb while trying to hammer nails or hurt your back when lifting heavy pieces of large furniture. For safety reasons and peace of mind, it’s always better to hire professionals.
How high can professional furniture assembly cost?
The price for hiring an expert assembler can reach as high as $70 per hour, largely depending on where you live and the type of furniture.
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Main Photo Credit: Syda Productions / Adobe Stock Free / License
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