diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index f0c4fd3..f072abc 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -2815,6 +2815,11 @@
         "pify": "^3.0.0"
       }
     },
+    "manakin": {
+      "version": "0.5.1",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/manakin/-/manakin-0.5.1.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha1-xKcRb2sA3z1fGjetPKUV0iBlplg="
+    },
     "map-cache": {
       "version": "0.2.2",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/map-cache/-/map-cache-0.2.2.tgz",
@@ -5448,11 +5453,27 @@
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/pg-connection-string/-/pg-connection-string-0.1.3.tgz",
       "integrity": "sha1-2hhHsglA5C7hSSvq9l1J2RskXfc="
     },
+    "pg-minify": {
+      "version": "0.5.4",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/pg-minify/-/pg-minify-0.5.4.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-GHB2v4OiMHDgwiHH86ZWNfvgEPVijrnfuWLQocseX6Zlf30k+x0imA65zBy4skIpEwfBBEplIEEKP4n3q9KkVA=="
+    },
     "pg-pool": {
       "version": "2.0.3",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/pg-pool/-/pg-pool-2.0.3.tgz",
       "integrity": "sha1-wCIDLIlJ8xKk+R+2QJzgQHa+Mlc="
     },
+    "pg-promise": {
+      "version": "8.4.6",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/pg-promise/-/pg-promise-8.4.6.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-H0QaHNp6K5EBr6xJaqGTDOt/lWZtbL7o0461FfEzUCj0Zpd2JPW/r54VmDASjAVew59jQmHBpLmvZ7p5pkvFgQ==",
+      "requires": {
+        "manakin": "0.5.1",
+        "pg": "7.4.3",
+        "pg-minify": "0.5.4",
+        "spex": "2.0.2"
+      }
+    },
     "pg-types": {
       "version": "1.12.1",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/pg-types/-/pg-types-1.12.1.tgz",
@@ -6086,6 +6107,11 @@
       "integrity": "sha1-PpNdfd1zYxuXZZlW1VEo6HtQhKM=",
       "dev": true
     },
+    "spex": {
+      "version": "2.0.2",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/spex/-/spex-2.0.2.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-LU6TS3qTEpRth+FnNs/fIWEmridYN7JmaN2k1Jk31XVC4ex7+wYxiHMnKguRxS7oKjbOFl4H6seeWNDFFgkVRg=="
+    },
     "split": {
       "version": "0.3.3",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/split/-/split-0.3.3.tgz",
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 80ffaba..2f03a40 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -6,7 +6,8 @@
   "scripts": {
     "test": "nyc tape ./test/*.js | tap-spec",
     "coverage": "nyc report --reporter=text-lcov > coverage.lcov && codecov",
-    "start": "nodemon server.js"
+    "start": "nodemon server.js",
+    "build-db": "node src/db/db_build.js"
   },
   "repository": {
     "type": "git",
@@ -36,6 +37,7 @@
     "express-handlebars": "^3.0.0",
     "express-sessions": "^1.0.6",
     "passport": "^0.4.0",
-    "pg": "^7.4.3"
+    "pg": "^7.4.3",
+    "pg-promise": "^8.4.6"
   }
-}
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/db/dbConnection.js b/src/db/dbConnection.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..31f0e18
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/db/dbConnection.js
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+const pgp = require('pg-promise')();
+// require('env2')('./config.env');
+
+const herokuDB = {
+  host: process.env.HEROKU_HOST,
+  user: process.env.HEROKU_USER,
+  password: process.env.HEROKU_PW,
+  database: process.env.HEROKU_DB,
+  ssl: true,
+};
+
+const localDB = {
+  host: 'localhost',
+  port: 5432,
+  database: 'emotions',
+  user: 'emoadmin',
+  password: 'adminemo'
+};
+
+// const testDB = {
+//   host: 'localhost',
+//   port: 5432,
+//   database: 'emotions',
+//   user: 'emoadmin',
+//   password: 'adminemo'
+// };
+
+// let DB_URL = process.env.EMO_DB_URL;
+
+// if (!DB_URL) {
+//   throw new Error('Environmental variable DB_URL needs to be set');
+// }
+
+const connection = process.env.NODE_ENV === 'production' ? herokuDB : localDB;
+
+const db = pgp(connection);
+module.exports = db;
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/db/db_build.js b/src/db/db_build.js
index e69de29..89d1c60 100644
--- a/src/db/db_build.js
+++ b/src/db/db_build.js
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+const { QueryFile } = require('pg-promise');
+const path = require('path');
+const db = require('./dbConnection');
+
+const sql = file => QueryFile(path.join(__dirname, file)/*, { minify: true }*/);
+
+const build = sql('./db_build.sql');
+
+db.query(build)
+  .then(res => console.log('db built, res = ', res))
+  .catch(err => console.log('db build error = ', err));
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/db/db_build.sql b/src/db/db_build.sql
index e69de29..832b9f7 100644
--- a/src/db/db_build.sql
+++ b/src/db/db_build.sql
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+BEGIN;
+
+DROP TABLE IF EXISTS users, scores CASCADE;
+
+CREATE TABLE users (
+  id SERIAL PRIMARY KEY,
+  name VARCHAR(50) NOT NULL,
+  email VARCHAR(80) UNIQUE NOT NULL,
+  pw_hash VARCHAR(100) NOT NULL,
+  admin BOOLEAN DEFAULT FALSE
+);
+
+CREATE TABLE scores (
+  id SERIAL PRIMARY KEY,
+  user_id INTEGER REFERENCES users(id) NOT NULL,
+  score FLOAT(4) NOT NULL, -- should give about 7 decimal places (4-bytes worth)
+  emotion VARCHAR(20),
+  img VARCHAR(100)
+);
+
+INSERT INTO users (name,email,pw_hash) VALUES
+('Nicolas Cage', 'nicolas@cage.com', 'placeholder'),
+('Harry', 'harry@potter.com', 'placeholder');
+
+INSERT INTO scores (user_id, score, emotion, img) VALUES
+(1, 1000.97657, 'Anger', 'nicolascage-anger-1' ), -- last number should be score id
+(2, 1.4736, 'Sadness', 'harry-sadness-1'), -- may need to include file extension at end of img
+(2, 20.4736, 'Disgust', 'harry-disgust-1');
+
+COMMIT;
\ No newline at end of file