Stock-Based Compensation (Details) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands		1 Months Ended		3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
		Feb. 28, 2017 stock_awards	Feb. 29, 2016 stock_awards	Sep. 30, 2017 USD ($) $ / shares shares	Sep. 30, 2016 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2017 USD ($) tranch $ / shares shares	Sep. 30, 2016 USD ($) shares	Dec. 31, 2016 $ / shares shares
Stock-Based Compensation [Abstract]
Number of types of stock-based awards granted (in types) | stock_awards		2	2
Fair market value of awards | $						$ 8,400	$ 1,800
Stock-based compensation expense | $				$ 2,488	$ 2,114	6,931	5,980
Tax benefit from compensation expense | $						2,700	2,300
Unrecognized compensation expense | $				12,600		$ 12,600
Unrecognized compensation, period for recognition						1 year 10 months
Officer [Member]
Stock-Based Compensation [Abstract]
Performance Shares Target Percentage Earned, Officers								97.00%
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Additional Disclosures [Abstract]
Performance Shares that could be awarded, as a percentage of ROIC target amount, minimum						0.00%
Performance Shares that could be awarded, as a percentage of ROIC target amount, maximum						200.00%
Other employees [Member]
Stock-Based Compensation [Abstract]
Performance Shares Target Percentage Earned, Other Employees								104.00%
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Additional Disclosures [Abstract]
Performance Shares that could be awarded, as a percentage of EBITDA target amount, minimum						0.00%
Performance Shares that could be awarded, as a percentage of EBITDA target amount, maximum						200.00%
Performance Shares [Member]
Stock-Based Compensation [Abstract]
Stock-based compensation expense | $				$ 1,297	1,081	$ 3,312	$ 2,955
Number of shares [Abstract]
Outstanding, December 31, 2016						448,500
Granted						178,021	418,344
Performance condition adjustment	[1]					5,175
Vested						(117,253)
Forfeited	[2]					(24,624)
Outstanding, September 30, 2017				489,819		489,819		448,500
Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value [Abstract]
Outstanding, December 31, 2016 | $ / shares						$ 18.16
Granted | $ / shares						27.05
Performance condition adjustment | $ / shares	[1]					16.56
Vested | $ / shares						20.41
Forfeited | $ / shares	[2]					19.50
Outstanding, September 30, 2017 | $ / shares				$ 20.77		$ 20.77		$ 18.16
PSUs forfeited during the period due to the full performance condition not being achieved						8,457
Performance Shares [Member] | Officer [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Additional Disclosures [Abstract]
Vesting period (in years)						3 years
Performance Shares [Member] | Other employees [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Additional Disclosures [Abstract]
Number of equal tranches for annual vesting (in tranches) | tranch						3
Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) [Member]
Stock-Based Compensation [Abstract]
Stock-based compensation expense | $				$ 1,191	1,033	$ 3,619	$ 2,944
Number of shares [Abstract]
Outstanding, December 31, 2016						387,287
Granted						214,035	334,587
Performance condition adjustment						0
Vested						(180,949)
Forfeited						(13,843)
Outstanding, September 30, 2017				406,530		406,530		387,287
Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value [Abstract]
Outstanding, December 31, 2016 | $ / shares						$ 19.73
Granted | $ / shares						27.10
Performance condition adjustment | $ / shares						0.00
Vested | $ / shares						20.74
Forfeited | $ / shares						22.51
Outstanding, September 30, 2017 | $ / shares				$ 23.07		$ 23.07		$ 19.73
Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) [Member] | Officers and other employees [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Additional Disclosures [Abstract]
Number of equal tranches for annual vesting (in tranches) | tranch						3
Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) [Member] | Nonemployee Directors [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Additional Disclosures [Abstract]
Vesting period (in years)						1 year
Employee Stock Options [Member]
Stock-Based Compensation [Abstract]
Stock-based compensation expense | $				$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 81

[1] Amount represents additional PSU's earned during the nine months ended September 30, 2017 based on the performance condition adjustment, as other employees earned 104% of the target based Boise Cascade's 2016 EBITDA.

[2] Total PSUs forfeited during the nine months ended September 30, 2017 includes 8,457 shares related to the performance condition adjustment, as officers earned 97% of the target based on Boise Cascade’s 2016 ROIC.