Permafrost Base Building Guide: Materials, Workstations & Blueprints
Wood vs Tin vs Armored structures with HP and costs, every workstation and what it unlocks, the blueprint tree and its point costs, snap-grid rules, decay and repair — all from the game's building data.
A base in Permafrost is three things: walls that hold heat, workstations that turn loot into gear, and a Bed. The game ships 171 building parts across seven categories, three structural materials and a blueprint tree that charges 2 points per set. This guide lays out the costs, the hit points and the unlock order so your first shelter becomes a workshop without wasted Scrap.
Wood, Tin or Armored?
| Piece | Wooden | Tin (Scrap) | Armored (Quality Metal) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foundation | 5 Wood → 500 HP | 5 Scrap → 750 HP | 5 Quality Metal → 1000 HP |
| Wall / Window Wall | 3 Wood → 500 HP | 3 Scrap → 750 HP | 5 / 3 Quality Metal → 1000 HP |
| Doorway | 3 Wood → 500 HP | 3 Scrap → 750 HP | 3 Quality Metal → 1000 HP |
| Door | 2 Wood → 250 HP | 2 Scrap → 500 HP | 2 Quality Metal → 750 HP |
| Floor / Roof | 3 Wood → 500 HP | 3 Scrap → 750 HP | 3 Quality Metal → 1000 HP |
| Stairs | 2 Wood → 500 HP | 2 Scrap → 750 HP | 2 Quality Metal → 750 HP |
| Shutter | 2 Wood → 200 HP (2 pts) | 2 Scrap → 400 HP | 2 Quality Metal → 800 HP (2 pts) |
| Repair cost | 1 Wood | 1 Scrap | 1 Quality Metal |
Every structural piece can decay and every one repairs for a single unit of its material, so the real difference is HP per build. Scrap comes from metal debris (1–5 per node) and from recycling Metal Junk, which makes Tin the natural mid-game material. Quality Metal is smelted from 5 Iron + 5 Scrap at a Makeshift Smelter, or 2 Iron Ingot + 2 Scrap at a Professional Smelter, so Armored walls are a late investment. Full part list and placement rules on the structures hub.
Workstation order
- 1Workbench — 10 Wood (2 blueprint points)
The Crafting Bench powers 64 recipes: Flint and Copper tools, bows, Components, Batteries, Chemicals, bandages and heaters. The quest New Home has you build it with your first walls. Recipes at the bench.
- 2Campfire → Stove
The Campfire (2 Stone) cooks meat; the Stove (30 Scrap) is unlocked by House Camp Flipper and is 'a vital tool for turning raw ingredients into delicious meals' — the Warming, Energy and Healthy dishes.
- 3Tanning Rack — 15 Wood + 3 Deer Pelt (2 points)
Turns any pelt plus 2 Animal Fat into Treated Hide, and 1 Treated Hide into 3 Cloth. Cloth is in almost every clothing recipe, so this rack is your fabric supply. Recipes.
- 4Tailoring Bench — 15 Wood + 3 Copper Ingot (quest, 2 points)
63 recipes: every clothing set from Casual to Permafrost Armor. Skinwalker hands you the blueprint in the Woods (House into a Home). Recipes.
- 5Stone Furnace — 40 Stone (2 points)
Smelts 3 Copper + 5 Coal → Copper Ingot, 3 Iron + 3 Coal → Iron Ingot, 5 Wood → 2 Coal. The Makeshift Smelter (5 Scrap) makes Quality Metal; the Professional Smelter (5 Iron Ingot) is the only station for Moonrock Ingot.
- 6Weapon Bench — 10 Wood + 10 Iron Ingot (quest, 2 points)
17 recipes: Gunpowder (1 Coal + 2 Sulfur + 1 Scrap), every ammunition type, and craftable guns like the IZG, CKR-94 and Mrozny 91. The Rat Queen's quest Parking Zoo hands over the recipe. Recipes.
- 7Repair Bench and Dismantle Bench
Repair Bench (10 Wood + 10 Flint) fixes gear 'before the cold or enemies destroy it first'; Dismantle Bench (10 Wood + 10 Iron, quest) breaks gear into components — Metal Junk → Scrap, Rags → Cloth, Weapon Parts → Quality Metal.
The blueprint tree
Blueprints come in sets that cost 2 blueprint points each, split into a Building tree and a Crafting tree. The Building tree starts with the Wooden Structures Set (tier 1), then Wooden Structures Advanced (beams, balustrades, window wall), the Furniture Set (tier 4: table, chair, stool, shelves), Tin Structures (tier 7), Tin Advanced (tier 9), Moon Rock Lamps (tier 10) and both Quality Metal sets at tier 11. The Crafting tree runs Stone Tools (tier 1) → Tribal Clothes (tier 4) → Scrap Tools (tier 5) → Iron Tools (tier 9) → Moon Rock Tools (tier 11), with the Refined tool sets alongside. Quest-only sets (Military, Scavenger, Technocracy, Utility, Permafrost Armor) are rewarded by story NPCs. Browse the whole tree on the blueprints page.
| Tier | Set | Contents |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wooden Structures Set | Door, Doorway, Floor / Roof, Foundation, Stairs, Wall |
| 2 | Wooden Structures Advanced Set | Beams, Balustrades, Window Wall |
| 4 | Furniture Set | Hanging Shelf, Chair, Standing Shelf, Stool, Table |
| 7 | Tin Structures Set | Door, Doorway, Floor, Foundation, Stairs, Wall, Window Wall |
| 9 | Tin Structures Advanced Set | Tin beams and balustrades |
| 10 | Moon Rock Lamps Set | Desk, Scrap, Wood and Metal standing lamps |
| 11 | Quality Metal Structures (+ Advanced) Set | Armored Door, Doorway, Floor / Roof, Foundation, Stairs, Wall, Window Wall, beams |
Placement rules and decay
- Structural pieces snap to a grid with slot types Foundation, Wall, SmallWall, Floor, Roof, Beam, Door, Stairs and WindowShutter; the 'Small' variants cost 1 Wood and fill half-gaps.
- Decorations such as the Bear Head Trophy (1 Treated Hide + 3 Bones, 350 HP) are wall-only and rotate with the surface you hit.
- Every part has a max health and most can decay over time; repair costs are usually one unit of the base material.
- Storage: Small Wooden Chest 2 Wood, Wooden Chest 5 Wood, Wooden Cabinet 5 Wood + 2 Quality Metal, Plastic Barrel 50 Processed Plastic — all 500 HP.
- A Bed (5 Cloth + 5 Wood) 'recovers the energy most efficiently' and clears the Weary → Tired → Exhausted ladder.
- The Fast Travel Point (20 Wood + 5 Rope + 10 Treated Hide, 1500 HP) links your base to discovered fast-travel points.
- Quests like House Camp Flipper and Breaking the Radio Silence pay you to renovate walls, stairs and roofs
- Renovating levels the Renovating skill (−1% time per level, cap 50)
- Existing shells already block wind while you gather Scrap
- You only choose material and layout with your own foundations
- Quest renovation zones are fixed in place
- Your own Fast Travel Point needs 10 Treated Hide you will want for clothing
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Guide FAQ
What is the strongest building material in Permafrost?
Quality Metal (Armored) parts: 1000 HP for a wall, foundation or floor, built from Quality Metal smelted at a Makeshift or Professional Smelter. Tin parts are 750 HP and wooden parts 500 HP.
How do I get a Tailoring Bench?
Skinwalker gives you the blueprint during the Woods quest House into a Home / The Way Home. It costs 15 Wood and 3 Copper Ingot to place and 2 blueprint points to learn.
How much do blueprints cost?
Every blueprint set costs 2 blueprint points, whether it is the Wooden Structures Set or the Quality Metal Structures Set. Quest sets such as Military and Permafrost Armor are rewarded, not bought.
Where do I smelt ingots?
A Stone Furnace (40 Stone) smelts Copper, Iron and Gold Ingots and makes Coal; a Makeshift Smelter (5 Scrap) makes Quality Metal from 5 Iron + 5 Scrap; a Professional Smelter (5 Iron Ingot) is required for Moonrock Ingots.
Do buildings decay in Permafrost?
Yes — structural pieces are flagged as decaying over time and repair for one unit of their material (1 Wood, 1 Scrap or 1 Quality Metal). A Repair Bench (10 Wood + 10 Flint) repairs your gear.