Understanding Build Costs and Upkeep in Rust
How build costs and daily upkeep work in Rust, what resources to plan for, and how RustBases.gg helps you compare base designs by cost.
Picking a base isn't just about looks or door count. The real question is: can you afford to build it? And can you keep it standing? Knowing your costs is the difference between a good wipe and logging in to a decayed base.
How upkeep works
Every base has a daily upkeep cost. It's based on your total building blocks and materials. Your TC needs to be stocked with resources, or your base starts to decay — and it decays fast.
Upkeep cost grows with base size. The first few blocks are cheap, but costs go up as you add more. This is how Rust keeps massive bases in check.
| Material | Decay time (empty TC) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Twig | 1 hour | Never leave anything in twig |
| Wood | 3 hours | Weak to fire and hatchets |
| Stone | 5 hours | Standard early-game material |
| Metal | 8 hours | Good mix of cost and strength |
| Armored | 12 hours | Expensive but very strong |
Build cost vs. upkeep cost
These are two different numbers. Both matter.
- Build cost — what you spend once to put the base up
- Upkeep cost — what your TC eats every day to stop decay
A base might be cheap to build but expensive to maintain. Or the other way around. When comparing designs, look at both numbers.
A base with 10,000 stone build cost and 1,500 daily upkeep is very different from one with 8,000 stone build cost and 3,000 daily upkeep. The second base costs more within three days.
Planning your resources
Before you commit to a design, ask yourself:
- Can I farm the build cost in one session? If not, you'll need a starter base first.
- Can I keep up with the upkeep? If you only play a few hours daily, high upkeep bases will drain you.
- What's my upgrade path? Some bases are made to be upgraded from stone to metal over time.
For solo players, aim for daily upkeep under 5,000 stone and 1,500 metal. For duos and trios, you can go higher since you have more farmers.
How we track costs
We pull build cost and upkeep info from video titles and descriptions when creators include it. You'll see these numbers on video cards. This lets you compare designs before watching the full video.
Not every video has cost data. Some creators focus on the design without listing exact numbers. When cost info is there, we show it with the other tags.
The bottom line
The best base is one you can actually keep running. Don't pick a design that makes you farm 24/7. Match your base to your group size, play time, and resources.
Browse base designs on the home page and save your favorites to a collection for wipe day.
Happy building!