Sunjoy assembly
Sunjoy would rather you did not bolt it to your concrete.
Their manual says to anchor it with stakes into the ground, and recommends against permanently attaching it to a concrete floor or platform. That is the opposite of what most people assume, and the opposite of what some other gazebo brands ask for.
A good gazebo, and a long build
Start with the good news, because there is plenty of it. Owners consistently like these. The cedar is genuinely nice, the steel is heavy, the parts arrive clearly labelled, Sunjoy include generous spare hardware so a dropped screw is not a crisis, and their support line runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Owners who had missing parts describe getting them replaced without a fight.
The catch is the time, and the range is remarkable. Two people finished an 11x11 in half a day. Two people took THIRTY HOURS on a 12x16. A pair of retirees did theirs over three days at eight hours a day and were delighted with it. One man built a 12x16 alone in about fifteen hours.
That spread is not about the gazebo. It is about the roof film, the picture-only instructions, and whether you knew the two things below before you started.
How long a Sunjoy actually takes
Owner-reported, from Home Depot and Walmart.
| Model | Time | People |
|---|---|---|
| 11x11 cedar hardtopThe fast end, and it does happen. | half a day | 2 |
| 11x11 / 11x13The most commonly reported figure. | ~8 hours | 2 to 3 |
| 12x16 cedar hardtopOver two days. "Ikea type instructions, clear and well thought out." | 9 to 10 hours | 2 |
| 12x16Solo. He said it would be far less with help. | ~15 hours | 1 |
| 12x16The long end. Same gazebo as the 9-hour build. | ~30 hours | 2 |
| 12x16, retireesAnd they loved it. Pace is a choice. | 3 days x 8 hours | 2 |
It arrives in two boxes weighing around 450 lbs. One owner collected it himself rather than pay the delivery fee, which is worth pricing either way.
What to know before you start
Stakes, not bolts. Sunjoy are specific about it.
Their manual says the gazebo must be anchored with stakes into the ground for safety, and recommends that it should NOT be permanently attached to a concrete floor or platform. Most people assume a hardtop gazebo wants bolting down, and for some brands it does. For this one, follow the manual. If your local code requires footings anyway, and at least one owner poured four 12 inch by 24 inch concrete tubes to satisfy his, that is a conversation to have with your code office before you build rather than after.
Fit the curtain rods BEFORE the roof panels
The single most useful ordering tip for this brand, from an owner who learned it the hard way. If you bought the curtain package, the rods go in before the roof goes on. Do it in the other order and you are working around a finished roof, on a ladder, wishing you had not.
The protective film on the roof panels
Every metal roof panel is covered in it, and it does not want to come off. One owner said it took hours even with help. Another said three days. Budget real time for it, do it before you are tired, and do it before the panels go up rather than after.
The cedar is soft. Do not overtighten.
An owner’s warning worth passing on: the wood is soft and it is easy to crush it by running a fastener down too hard. Snug, not gorilla-tight. It is a beautiful frame and it is easy to mark.
The instructions are pictures, but the parts are labelled
Owners would like some words in the manual, and say so often. What they also say, repeatedly, is that the parts are clearly identified and there are extras in the box. So the fix is straightforward: lay everything out and identify it against the list first, and the picture-only manual stops being a problem.
Before it arrives
Level ground, and stakes rather than bolts unless your code says otherwise.
Check whether you bought the curtain package. If you did, the rods go in early.
Snow needs clearing off the roof, and Sunjoy say so. Also worth knowing: surface rust where the protective coating has been scratched is expressly not treated as a defect, so take care of the finish while you are handling the panels.
Why people hand this one over
It is not a bad build. It is a long one, at height, with a heavy roof, and one where the difference between a half-day and thirty hours comes down to knowing three or four things in advance.
Sunjoy’s own manual says that repairing and replacing parts should be done by a qualified technician, which is a fair position on a structure with a steel roof on it.
And if you want it staked correctly, the curtain rods in the right order, and the film off the panels without three days of your life, that is somebody who has built one before.
What an installer does
- Anchors it the way Sunjoy ask, with stakes, or to your local code if that differs.
- Fits the curtain rods before the roof panels, which is the order that works.
- Strips the protective film off the roof panels, which is hours of the job on its own.
- Assembles the cedar frame without crushing it, because the wood is soft.
- Gets a heavy two-tier steel roof up safely.
- Collects two boxes weighing around 450 lbs, and takes the packaging away.
Get it built by someone who has built one before.
Tell us your ZIP and what you bought. Installers near you will quote you directly, and you deal with them, not with us.
Questions people ask
Should I bolt my Sunjoy gazebo to concrete?
Sunjoy recommend against it. Their manual says to anchor the gazebo with stakes into the ground, and that it should not be permanently attached to a concrete floor or platform. This surprises people, because other hardtop brands ask for exactly the opposite. Follow your own manual, and check whether your local code has a view.
How long does a Sunjoy gazebo take to assemble?
Anywhere from half a day to thirty hours, and both of those are real owner reports. Around eight hours with two or three people is the most common figure. The roof film and the picture-only instructions are what stretch it.
What is the one tip worth knowing?
If you bought the curtain package, install the curtain rods before you put the roof panels on. Doing it afterwards means working around a finished roof from a ladder.
What are Sunjoy gazebos like to own?
Owners are overwhelmingly positive: nice cedar, heavy steel, well labelled parts, spare hardware included, and a support line that operates around the clock. The assembly is long, but the product itself gets consistently good reviews.
Is surface rust covered by the warranty?
No. Sunjoy state that where the protective coating gets scratched, surface oxidation will occur, that this is not a defect, and that it is not covered. So handle the panels carefully during assembly and touch up any scratches.
Installers.org is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Sunjoy Group. Sunjoy is a trademark of its owner, referred to here only to describe the assembly services that independent installers on this directory provide.