Furniture assembly: how long it takes and what it costs

Kokkupandud tammepuidust söögilaud
Guide 2026

“Two hours and it is done” – that is what most people think before the box is opened. Here are honest times for the most common pieces of furniture, what usually goes wrong, and when it makes sense to call someone else in to assemble it.

Short answer. A wardrobe takes two people 1.5–3 hours, a bed 1–2, kitchen units a full day. Assembly is 40 €/h per specialist, with a minimum of 1 fitter for 2 h or 2 fitters for 1.5 h. Dismantling before a move goes twice as fast as assembly.

How long each job takes

Item Two people On your own
Bedside table, small shelf unit 15–30 min 30–45 min
Desk 30–60 min 1–1.5 h
Chest of drawers, 4–6 drawers 45–90 min 1.5–2.5 h
Bed with frame 1–2 h difficult alone
Wardrobe, 2–3 doors 1.5–3 h not recommended
Sliding-door wardrobe 3–5 h not recommended
Kitchen units, small kitchen 6–10 h not recommended
Corner sofa 30–60 min 1–1.5 h

The times apply to typical flat-pack furniture when the instructions are there and all the parts are in the box. For older furniture whose instructions went missing long ago, add a third.

What goes wrong most often

ONE PART MISSING

Check the parts list before you start. Otherwise a half-built wardrobe sits in the middle of the room for a week while the missing fitting is on its way.

BACK PANEL THE WRONG WAY ROUND

The most common mistake. Screw holes in chipboard do not survive being undone twice – by the third time the thread no longer holds.

NOT ENOUGH ROOM

A wardrobe is assembled where it is going to stand – not somewhere else. A finished wardrobe will not turn through a doorway.

THE DRILL SET TOO STRONG

At full speed a cordless drill drives the thread straight through the board. Do the last turns by hand or on the lowest torque setting.

Dismantling before a move

  • Dismantling goes about twice as fast as assembly – a wardrobe in 40–60 minutes.
  • Put the screws and fittings in a bag and tape it to the piece of furniture they belong to.
  • Photograph every item before taking it apart. That replaces the missing instructions.
  • Remove glass doors and mirrors separately and pack them between sheets of film-covered cardboard.
  • An old chipboard wardrobe may not survive being taken apart. If it has already moved twice, consider whether to take it at all – a new wardrobe can cost less than paying for the labour twice.

When the service is worth ordering

Example: a move and the assembly of new furniture on the same day.

Dismantling and removing the old furniture, 3 h × 84 € (van, 2 workers)252 €
Waste station fee 4 m³ × 31 €124 €
Assembling the new wardrobe and bed, 3 h × 2 fitters × 40 €240 €
Approximate totalapprox. 616 €

The 31 €/m³ waste station fee is the company rate, which applies when we do the transport. If you take it yourself, as a Tallinn resident you pay 10.30 €/m³.

Need something assembled or taken apart?

Tell us which items and which floor – we will give you a time and a price straight away.

Frequently asked questions

Do you bring your own tools?

Yes. Cordless drill, screwdrivers, hammer and spirit level come with us. If the item needs drilling into a wall, tell us in advance what the wall is made of – concrete and plasterboard need different fixings.

Will you assemble furniture I brought home from the shop myself?

Yes, whichever shop it came from. Keep the instructions – without them the job takes longer.

What is the minimum order?

One fitter for two hours, or two fitters for an hour and a half. If the work takes less, we still charge the minimum.

Do you fix the wardrobe to the wall as well?

Yes, and we strongly recommend it if there are children in the house. A tall chest of drawers or wardrobe is a tipping hazard if it is not fixed.

Do you take the old furniture away at the same time?

Yes, and it is the sensible way – one crew takes the old one apart, removes it and assembles the new one. The old furniture goes to the waste station, and we provide the receipt on request.

Do you assemble kitchen units too?

Simpler ones, yes. Fitting a whole kitchen, with appliances connected and the worktop cut, is a trade of its own – for that we recommend a kitchen fitter.

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