Supplemental Condensed Consolidating Financial Statements - Condensed Consolidating Statement of Operations (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Jan. 02, 2016	Oct. 03, 2015	Jul. 04, 2015	Apr. 04, 2015	Jan. 03, 2015	Oct. 04, 2014	Jul. 05, 2014	Apr. 05, 2014	Jan. 02, 2016	Jan. 03, 2015	Jan. 04, 2014
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	$ 428,150	$ 517,831	$ 515,656	$ 454,949	$ 454,110	$ 549,845	$ 531,494	$ 443,944	$ 1,916,585	$ 1,979,393	$ 2,151,972
Cost of sales									1,694,113	1,750,289	1,923,489
Gross profit	51,469	60,824	59,983	50,196	49,815	64,580	62,033	52,676	222,472	229,104	228,483
Operating expenses:
Selling, general, and administrative									195,941	211,346	245,887
Gains from sales of property									0	(5,251)	(5,220)
Depreciation and amortization									9,741	9,473	9,117
Total operating expenses									205,682	215,568	249,784
Operating income (loss)									16,790	13,536	(21,301)
Non-operating expenses:
Interest expense									27,342	26,771	28,024
Other expense (income), net									871	325	306
Income (loss) before provision for (benefit from) income taxes									(11,423)	(13,560)	(49,631)
Provision for (benefit from) income taxes									153	312	(9,013)
Equity income (loss) of subsidiaries									0	0	0
Net income (loss)	$ (6,063)	$ 561	$ 2,870	$ (8,945)	$ (7,640)	$ (860)	$ 3,236	$ (8,608)	(11,576)	(13,872)	(40,618)
BlueLinx Holdings
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales									0	0	0
Cost of sales									0	0	0
Gross profit									0	0	0
Operating expenses:
Selling, general, and administrative									3,483	5,498	5,913
Gains from sales of property										0	0
Depreciation and amortization									0	0	0
Total operating expenses									3,483	5,498	5,913
Operating income (loss)									(3,483)	(5,498)	(5,913)
Non-operating expenses:
Interest expense									0	0	0
Other expense (income), net									0	0	0
Income (loss) before provision for (benefit from) income taxes									(3,483)	(5,498)	(5,913)
Provision for (benefit from) income taxes									(91)	(160)	(157)
Equity income (loss) of subsidiaries									(9,242)	(8,534)	(34,862)
Net income (loss)									(12,634)	(13,872)	(40,618)
BlueLinx Corporation and Subsidiaries
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales									1,916,585	1,979,393	2,151,972
Cost of sales									1,694,113	1,750,289	1,923,489
Gross profit									222,472	229,104	228,483
Operating expenses:
Selling, general, and administrative									219,389	237,437	272,452
Gains from sales of property										(5,251)	(5,220)
Depreciation and amortization									6,713	6,405	5,700
Total operating expenses									226,102	238,591	272,932
Operating income (loss)									(3,630)	(9,487)	(44,449)
Non-operating expenses:
Interest expense									14,944	13,688	13,686
Other expense (income), net									878	337	318
Income (loss) before provision for (benefit from) income taxes									(19,452)	(23,512)	(58,453)
Provision for (benefit from) income taxes									(29)	22	(9,248)
Equity income (loss) of subsidiaries									0	0	0
Net income (loss)									(19,423)	(23,534)	(49,205)
LLC Subsidiaries
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales									26,084	26,329	27,363
Cost of sales									0	0	0
Gross profit									26,084	26,329	27,363
Operating expenses:
Selling, general, and administrative									211	(5,260)	(5,115)
Gains from sales of property										0	0
Depreciation and amortization									3,028	3,068	3,417
Total operating expenses									3,239	(2,192)	(1,698)
Operating income (loss)									22,845	28,521	29,061
Non-operating expenses:
Interest expense									12,398	13,083	14,338
Other expense (income), net									(7)	(12)	(12)
Income (loss) before provision for (benefit from) income taxes									10,454	15,450	14,735
Provision for (benefit from) income taxes									273	450	392
Equity income (loss) of subsidiaries									0	0	0
Net income (loss)									10,181	15,000	14,343
Eliminations
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales									(26,084)	(26,329)	(27,363)
Cost of sales									0	0	0
Gross profit									(26,084)	(26,329)	(27,363)
Operating expenses:
Selling, general, and administrative									(27,142)	(26,329)	(27,363)
Gains from sales of property										0	0
Depreciation and amortization									0	0	0
Total operating expenses									(27,142)	(26,329)	(27,363)
Operating income (loss)									1,058	0	0
Non-operating expenses:
Interest expense									0	0	0
Other expense (income), net									0	0	0
Income (loss) before provision for (benefit from) income taxes									1,058	0	0
Provision for (benefit from) income taxes									0	0	0
Equity income (loss) of subsidiaries									9,242	8,534	34,862
Net income (loss)									$ 10,300	$ 8,534	$ 34,862