Level 4 Consolidating Statements of Cash Flows (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2013
Cash provided by (used for) operations
Net income (loss)	$ 5,565	$ 80,836
Items in net income (loss) not using (providing) cash
Equity in net income of affiliates	0	0
Depreciation and amortization, including deferred financing costs and other	12,729	8,888
Stock-based compensation	842	243
Pension expense	278	2,726
Deferred income taxes	643	(68,018)
Other	(1,908)	(232)
Decrease (increase) in working capital
Receivables	(46,707)	(68,635)
Inventories	(37,700)	(61,297)
Prepaid expenses and other	(4,880)	(384)
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	48,315	53,793
Pension contributions	(390)	(9,663)
Income taxes payable	2,314	6,772
Other	(3,051)	(2,472)
Net cash provided by (used for) operations	(23,950)	(57,443)
Cash provided by (used for) investment
Expenditures for property and equipment	(12,539)	(5,316)
Proceeds from sales of assets	4,520	489
Other	61	22
Net cash provided by (used for) investment	(7,958)	(4,805)
Cash provided by (used for) financing
Net proceeds from issuance of common stock	0	262,736
Issuances of long-term debt, including revolving credit facility	13,000	55,000
Payments of long-term debt, including revolving credit facility	(13,000)	(80,000)
Financing costs	(11)	(149)
Other	(345)	0
Due to (from) affiliates	0	0
Net cash provided by (used for) financing	(356)	237,587
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	(32,264)	175,339
Balance at beginning of the period	118,249	45,893
Balance at end of the period	85,985	221,232
Boise Cascade Company (Parent) [Member]
Cash provided by (used for) operations
Net income (loss)	5,565	80,836
Items in net income (loss) not using (providing) cash
Equity in net income of affiliates	(18,931)	(28,773)
Depreciation and amortization, including deferred financing costs and other	442	457
Stock-based compensation	842	243
Pension expense	278	2,726
Deferred income taxes	643	(68,018)
Other	0	0
Decrease (increase) in working capital
Receivables	(103)	274
Inventories	(101)	0
Prepaid expenses and other	(6,531)	(1,734)
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	7,096	(327)
Pension contributions	(390)	(9,663)
Income taxes payable	2,319	6,772
Other	(2,806)	(1,709)
Net cash provided by (used for) operations	(11,677)	(18,916)
Cash provided by (used for) investment
Expenditures for property and equipment	(105)	0
Proceeds from sales of assets	0	0
Other	0	2
Net cash provided by (used for) investment	(105)	2
Cash provided by (used for) financing
Net proceeds from issuance of common stock		262,736
Issuances of long-term debt, including revolving credit facility	13,000	55,000
Payments of long-term debt, including revolving credit facility	(13,000)	(80,000)
Financing costs	(11)	(149)
Other	(345)
Due to (from) affiliates	(20,120)	(43,174)
Net cash provided by (used for) financing	(20,476)	194,413
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	(32,258)	175,499
Balance at beginning of the period	118,198	45,680
Balance at end of the period	85,940	221,179
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Cash provided by (used for) operations
Net income (loss)	19,373	30,193
Items in net income (loss) not using (providing) cash
Equity in net income of affiliates	0	0
Depreciation and amortization, including deferred financing costs and other	11,980	8,124
Stock-based compensation	0	0
Pension expense	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Other	(1,908)	(232)
Decrease (increase) in working capital
Receivables	(46,311)	(68,680)
Inventories	(36,437)	(59,913)
Prepaid expenses and other	1,669	1,386
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	41,369	54,531
Pension contributions	0	0
Income taxes payable	0	0
Other	(245)	(761)
Net cash provided by (used for) operations	(10,510)	(35,352)
Cash provided by (used for) investment
Expenditures for property and equipment	(12,425)	(5,336)
Proceeds from sales of assets	4,520	72
Other	60	8
Net cash provided by (used for) investment	(7,845)	(5,256)
Cash provided by (used for) financing
Net proceeds from issuance of common stock		0
Issuances of long-term debt, including revolving credit facility	0	0
Payments of long-term debt, including revolving credit facility	0	0
Financing costs	0	0
Other	0
Due to (from) affiliates	18,369	40,607
Net cash provided by (used for) financing	18,369	40,607
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	14	(1)
Balance at beginning of the period	25	35
Balance at end of the period	39	34
Non-guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Cash provided by (used for) operations
Net income (loss)	(442)	(1,420)
Items in net income (loss) not using (providing) cash
Equity in net income of affiliates	0	0
Depreciation and amortization, including deferred financing costs and other	307	307
Stock-based compensation	0	0
Pension expense	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Other	0	0
Decrease (increase) in working capital
Receivables	(293)	(229)
Inventories	(1,162)	(1,384)
Prepaid expenses and other	(18)	(36)
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	(150)	(411)
Pension contributions	0	0
Income taxes payable	(5)	0
Other	0	(2)
Net cash provided by (used for) operations	(1,763)	(3,175)
Cash provided by (used for) investment
Expenditures for property and equipment	(9)	20
Proceeds from sales of assets	0	417
Other	1	12
Net cash provided by (used for) investment	(8)	449
Cash provided by (used for) financing
Net proceeds from issuance of common stock		0
Issuances of long-term debt, including revolving credit facility	0	0
Payments of long-term debt, including revolving credit facility	0	0
Financing costs	0	0
Other	0
Due to (from) affiliates	1,751	2,567
Net cash provided by (used for) financing	1,751	2,567
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	(20)	(159)
Balance at beginning of the period	26	178
Balance at end of the period	6	19
Eliminations [Member]
Cash provided by (used for) operations
Net income (loss)	(18,931)	(28,773)
Items in net income (loss) not using (providing) cash
Equity in net income of affiliates	18,931	28,773
Depreciation and amortization, including deferred financing costs and other	0	0
Stock-based compensation	0	0
Pension expense	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Other	0	0
Decrease (increase) in working capital
Receivables	0	0
Inventories	0	0
Prepaid expenses and other	0	0
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	0	0
Pension contributions	0	0
Income taxes payable	0	0
Other	0	0
Net cash provided by (used for) operations	0	0
Cash provided by (used for) investment
Expenditures for property and equipment	0	0
Proceeds from sales of assets	0	0
Other	0	0
Net cash provided by (used for) investment	0	0
Cash provided by (used for) financing
Net proceeds from issuance of common stock		0
Issuances of long-term debt, including revolving credit facility	0	0
Payments of long-term debt, including revolving credit facility	0	0
Financing costs	0	0
Other	0
Due to (from) affiliates	0	0
Net cash provided by (used for) financing	0	0
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Balance at beginning of the period	0	0
Balance at end of the period	$ 0	$ 0