Cover Page - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2019	Mar. 12, 2020	Jun. 30, 2019
Cover page.
Entity Registrant Name	Basic Energy Services, Inc.
Document Type	10-K
Document Annual Report	true
Document Transition Report	false
Entity File Number	001-32693
Entity Incorporation, State or Country Code	DE
Entity Tax Identification Number	54-2091194
Document Period End Date	Dec. 31, 2019
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2019
Document Fiscal Period Focus	FY
Current Fiscal Year End Date	--12-31
Entity Central Index Key	0001109189
Amendment Flag	false
Title of 12(g) Security	common stock
Entity Well-known Seasoned Issuer	No
Entity Current Reporting Status	Yes
Entity Interactive Data Current	Yes
Entity Voluntary Filers	No
Entity Filer Category	Non-accelerated Filer
Entity Small Business	true
Entity Emerging Growth Company	false
Entity Shell Company	false
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding		24,983,699
Entity Public Float			$ 48,848,836
Entity Address, Address Line One	801 Cherry Street
Entity Address, Address Line Two	Suite 2100
Entity Address, City or Town	Fort Worth
Entity Address, State or Province	TX
Entity Address, Postal Zip Code	76102
City Area Code	817
Local Phone Number	334-4100
Documents Incorporated by Reference	Portions of the proxy statement for the registrant’s 2020 Annual Meeting of Stockholders (to be filed within 120 days of the close of the registrant’s fiscal year) are incorporated by reference into Part III.