We just got ours and it's pretty straight forward but mostly requires two people...although with enough tenacity it could be done alone. You first assemble to base (excluding the empty weighted tubs) which is two pieces forming the cross legs. Then attach a roundish piece with a foot peddle that acts as the rotator (to rotate the umbrella left and right after assembled). Then install an approximate 4ft vertical base pole...there are a couple plastic bits and screws that go in-between the 4ft base piece and upper portion. The upper portion is basically the entire rest of the umbrella pre-assembled with fabric and all and is heavy and awkward. You have to lift the upper up vertically over and then slide down onto the vertical 4ft base pole...you do not yet need to fill the empty weighted tubs yet but DO NOT OPEN THE UMBRELLA UNTIL THEY'RE FULL. Some of the fabric is fitted to the end of poles and a few have to be easily pulled out and slide over (no problem). The hardest part is filling the weighted base tubs with mostly sand and a little water. The opening to fill them with is all of 3in, leaving no easy way to get sand in quickly and easily...you'll spill sand everywhere in the process. We would load sand in with small hand garden shovels up to the opening and then tilt the whole tub up on one end so the sand would spread down to the other end, and repeat many times...took about an hour to fill both base tubs but all worth it in the end. Our square 10x10ft is absolutely beautiful and easy to open and close and totally stable in the wind etc BUT the fabric leaks in the rain and this is pretty much right off the bat newly bought, ugh! Am looking into options.
