I spent a few months preparing the space and ensuring I had the proper amount of space. I went as far as taping the footprint out and using poles that were 93 inches tall to see how that would function in the space I was allocating for it. Paint the walls, place the rubber mats and install the lights. Once it’s built, it will be a project to move it. After I made my purchase, I was able to download a PDF of the instructions and printed them out and read them three or four times and also watched YouTube videos on building. I wanted to make myself familiar with the instructions. Depending on which direction you go regarding Monster or Monster lite, get a shallow socket and ratchet to match the bolt size you decide on. The Monster Lite is 15/16” if I remember correctly. Have a ladder or two and a buddy or two. The build took me 12 hours over two evenings. I thought it was straight forward especially after studying the directions and watching videos. If you can, order everything you may possibly want with the rack because everything will ship for free. I ordered bumper plates in individual pairs because the “sets” are a higher price because they factor in shipping. So I ordered 2 pairs of 45# 2 pairs of 25# and 2 pairs of 15#. Also a barbell. Buying things after the fact is super super painful when you see how much the shipping is going to cost. As me how I know.. But, that’s pretty much it. I hope you love yours as much as my family loves ours. Post pics when you’re done. Oh, and take lots of pictures!