Rust 3x3 Base Design (2026)
For duos & trios · 3x3 footprint, two storeys, stone throughout
A classic mid-size core — nine ground tiles for workbenches, furnaces and storage, with room for a central loot room protected by honeycomb.
3x3 Base build cost
The reference build we cost is a 3x3 footprint, two storeys, stone throughout — 51 building blocks plus doors and a tool cupboard. Every rate below is the in-game cost per piece, so you can re-run the totals against your own layout.
| Piece | Qty | Cost each |
|---|---|---|
| Stone building blocks | 51 | 300 stone |
| Sheet metal door | 3 | 150 metal frags |
| Tool cupboard | 1 | 1,000 wood |
| Total | 15,300 stone · 450 metal frags · 1,000 wood | |
3x3 Base upkeep
A full tool cupboard drains roughly 10% of build cost per day, per resource. That means this design costs the following just to keep standing:
Over a full seven-day wipe cycle that is 10,710 stone, 315 metal frags, 700 wood — the number worth checking before you commit to a size. Work out how long your TC lasts.
What it costs to raid
Hard-side cost of breaking every structure on the cheapest route from outside to the loot room.
| Raider has to break | Rockets | C4 |
|---|---|---|
| 3× Stone Wall | 12 | 6 |
| Total | 12 | 6 |
That is 16,800 sulfur in rockets, or 13,200 sulfur in C4. Compare every explosive.
Pros
- checkGreat storage
- checkCentral protected loot room
- checkPopular, well-documented layouts
Cons
- closeMore upkeep than a 2x2
Keep the tool cupboard in an unreachable core tile so it can't be accessed early in a raid.
Building and raid data verified against July 2026. The piece list above is our reference build for this archetype, published so the totals can be checked — your own layout will differ.
Compare with other designs
Related guides
A no-BS Rust base design guide: building tiers, upkeep, tool cupboards, bunkers, airlocks and honeycomb, plus the raid costs that actually matter.
A real player's Rust raid guide: exact sulfur costs per structure, C4 vs rockets vs satchels vs eco raiding, online/offline tactics and defence.