Nothing’s worse than logging into Rust to find your base half-gone. Structures decay when they aren’t maintained, and your tool cupboard is what holds it all together. This guide explains how upkeep works, decay times by building tier, the demolish window, and how to keep your base standing while you’re offline.
How upkeep works
Your Tool Cupboard (TC) protects every structure in its radius — but only while it’s stocked with upkeep resources (wood, stone, metal fragments and high-quality metal). The game continuously deducts upkeep from the TC based on how many building blocks you have: the bigger your base, the higher the upkeep cost per cycle. When the TC runs dry, the unprotected structure starts to decay. So a stocked TC is the single thing keeping your base alive.
Decay times by tier
Once decay starts, tougher materials last longer before they crumble — giving you a window to come back and restock. Roughly, from fastest to slowest:
- Twig — almost no protection; decays fast and breaks to anything.
- Wood — a few hours.
- Stone — several hours.
- Sheet Metal — longer still.
- Armoured — the longest decay window of any tier.
So a fully stocked TC keeps everything safe indefinitely; if you’ll be away a while, over-stock it before you log off so even a long absence doesn’t cost you the base.
The demolish window
Misplaced a wall? You can demolish any building block within a short window after placing it (a few minutes), or at any time with a Hammer while authorised on the tool cupboard. After that window, the only way to remove a piece is to destroy it — so plan your build and use the early demolish window to fix mistakes.
Keeping a big base alive
- Match base size to your farm — an over-sized base you can’t upkeep is a slow loss.
- Keep HQM in the TC — armoured pieces need high-quality metal upkeep.
- Check the TC’s authorised list and stock before logging off.
Get exact decay times & upkeep
Exact decay timers and upkeep costs depend on tier and block count. Use our free Rust Decay Calculator and Upkeep Calculator to see precise numbers for your base, so you never under-stock the cupboard again.
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