Preparing the interactive tool. Please wait; the guide and worked examples remain available below.
1. Separate permission from decay
A cupboard can protect connected building blocks from decay while your character is not authorized to build, or your character can have building privilege while the cupboard has insufficient upkeep. One symptom does not prove the other is working.
| What you see | Check first | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| BUILDING PRIVILEGE appears, but placement is blocked | Check the placement message and the specific blocker | Privilege is present; another building rule may prevent that placement. |
| No BUILDING PRIVILEGE indicator | Approach the cupboard and check authorization; walk across the footprint | You may be outside its projected footprint or not authorized. |
| TC says base is not protected / decaying | Inspect its material costs, stock, and time-left display | Privilege alone does not mean upkeep is paid. |
| A nearby structure decays while the main base does not | Check whether foundations connect it to the protected building | Separate buildings need their own cupboard or a connected footprint. |
2. Restore authorization without guessing the radius
- Go to the Tool Cupboard and use its interaction menu to authorize. Facepunch says placement authorizes the placer; teammates need to authorize themselves separately.
- Walk through the exact area where the building plan is blocked. The BUILDING PRIVILEGE indicator is a practical boundary check; do not infer the shape from a simple circle around the cupboard.
- If an authorized teammate still cannot build, have them inspect their own indicator and re-authorize at that cupboard. Confirm they are not working on a disconnected external structure.
- Read the placement preview and the game’s blocker message. TC authorization does not override every placement restriction, and unauthorized twig floors or ladders can behave differently from other building pieces.
3. Read the upkeep panel as the current calculation
Open the cupboard inventory and record the displayed resource categories, cost per 24 hours, time protected, and any visible upkeep tax. Those values are more useful than a generic ‘small base’ estimate. Doors and building blocks affect upkeep; the Facepunch guide says ordinary deployables such as sleeping bags do not.
- Write down each material row exactly as the game displays it; do not combine unlike materials into one total.
- Check the visible group tax by hovering over the upkeep cost if the interface offers that detail. The September 2026 group-scaling update counts current and recently removed authorizations and code-lock access, so removing someone just before checking may not immediately erase the tax.
- If your server advertises an upkeep multiplier or custom decay settings, record it from that server’s rules/admin. Do not apply an extra multiplier to a TC reading that already reflects it.
- Reopen the TC after any group, building, or server-setting change; the screen is the baseline for your next reserve plan.
4. Plan a reserve for the time you will be away
Use the local reserve planner below only as arithmetic on numbers you enter. It assumes a straight-line multiplier because the owner enters that assumption; it does not know the server’s config or apply Rust’s internal group-scaling rules. If the in-game 24-hour display already includes the server’s settings, leave the multiplier at 1.0.
| Situation | Good next move | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| A duo base’s TC total changed after a larger group joined | Re-read the live 24-hour cost and tax detail | Reusing an old solo screenshot or base-size chart. |
| Community server says upkeep is 0.5× | Ask whether the TC UI is already modified; compare its displayed rate | Multiplying a server-adjusted display by 0.5 again. |
| You are short one material but have plenty of another | Add the missing displayed category separately | Treating total value as interchangeable upkeep. |
| An external wall or disconnected building is decaying | Check coverage/connection and its own TC protection | Assuming the main TC protects every nearby structure. |
5. If the panel and the server rules disagree
Record the server name/type, patch date, visible TC values, group size, and the exact decay message. The official console-command reference documents server-side upkeep controls, but a player should not assume a command value is active on a community server. Ask that server’s admin to confirm the effective setting. Steam discussions are anecdotal context, not a substitute for the TC UI or administrator confirmation.
Before you play
- I checked the live Rust UI and current server/platform scope.
- I recorded the relevant settings rather than relying on a generic community build.
- I changed one variable at a time and verified the result in game.
Frequently asked questions
Does this guide inspect my server?
No. It uses published Facepunch sources and values that you verify in your own UI.
Can server settings change the outcome?
Yes. Console parity, community-server multipliers, plugins and custom settings may differ; the live server rules and UI are authoritative.
Sources & revision notes
Editorial revision: November 6, 2026; not a gameplay test date. The reference notes identify source limits and version differences.
- Facepunch Rust Wiki — Tool Cupboard, building privilege, decay and upkeep (Official)
Facepunch documentation or update notes. Verify against the live in-game UI and server settings; this guide does not read a Rust server.
- Facepunch Rust Wiki — Tool Cupboard item (Official)
Facepunch documentation or update notes. Verify against the live in-game UI and server settings; this guide does not read a Rust server.
- Facepunch — Breach and Clear update (September 3, 2026), upkeep group scaling (Official)
Facepunch documentation or update notes. Verify against the live in-game UI and server settings; this guide does not read a Rust server.
- Facepunch — Rust patch history (Official)
Facepunch documentation or update notes. Verify against the live in-game UI and server settings; this guide does not read a Rust server.
- Facepunch Rust Wiki — server upkeep commands (Official)
Facepunch documentation or update notes. Verify against the live in-game UI and server settings; this guide does not read a Rust server.
- Steam discussion — community server advertising TC upkeep x0.5 (Community)
External user-generated context, possibly patch- or server-specific; not official mechanics authority or GamerWin testing.
- Steam discussion — decay settings on a privately hosted server (Community)
External user-generated context, possibly patch- or server-specific; not official mechanics authority or GamerWin testing.
November 6, 2026: first publication, based on current Facepunch sources; no live server or in-game test was performed.
How we research and correct guidesNo affiliate links or paid placement. Commercial disclosure.