Notes and Contracts Payable (Narrative) (Detail) - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Line of Credit Facility [Abstract]
Outstanding borrowings under credit facility	$ 160,000,000	$ 0
Credit facility interest rate	2.52%
Line of credit facility, maximum increase in revolving credit	$ 150,000,000
Revolving loans, interest rate description	At the Company’s election, borrowings under the credit agreement bear interest at (a) the Alternate Base Rate plus the applicable spread or (b) the Adjusted LIBOR rate plus the applicable spread (in each case as defined in the agreement). The Company may select interest periods of one, two, three or six months or (if agreed to by all lenders) such other number of months for Eurodollar borrowings of loans. The applicable spread varies depending upon the debt rating assigned by Moody’s Investor Service, Inc. and/or Standard & Poor’s Rating Services. The minimum applicable spread for Alternate Base Rate borrowings is 0.625% and the maximum is 1.00%. The minimum applicable spread for Adjusted LIBOR rate borrowings is 1.625% and the maximum is 2.00%. The rate of interest on Incremental Term Loans will be established at or about the time such loans are made and may differ from the rate of interest on revolving loans.
Weighted-average interest rate	4.10%	4.51%
Base Rate \| Minimum
Line of Credit Facility [Abstract]
Debt instrument, applicable spread	0.625%
Base Rate \| Maximum
Line of Credit Facility [Abstract]
Debt instrument, applicable spread	1.00%
London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) \| Minimum
Line of Credit Facility [Abstract]
Debt instrument, applicable spread	1.625%
London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) \| Maximum
Line of Credit Facility [Abstract]
Debt instrument, applicable spread	2.00%
Unsecured Debt \| JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A
Line of Credit Facility [Abstract]
Credit facility, maximum borrowing capacity	$ 700,000,000
Credit agreement termination date	May 14, 2019

Line of credit facility maximum increase in revolving credit.

No definition available.

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Namespace Prefix:	faf_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Percentage points added to the reference rate to compute the variable rate on the debt instrument.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
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Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Weighted average interest rate of debt outstanding.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The carrying value as of the balance sheet date of the current and noncurrent portions of long-term obligations drawn from a line of credit, which is a bank's commitment to make loans up to a specific amount. Examples of items that might be included in the application of this element may consist of letters of credit, standby letters of credit, and revolving credit arrangements, under which borrowings can be made up to a maximum amount as of any point in time conditional on satisfaction of specified terms before, as of and after the date of drawdowns on the line. Includes short-term obligations that would normally be classified as current liabilities but for which (a) postbalance sheet date issuance of a long term obligation to refinance the short term obligation on a long term basis, or (b) the enterprise has entered into a financing agreement that clearly permits the enterprise to refinance the short-term obligation on a long term basis and the following conditions are met (1) the agreement does not expire within 1 year and is not cancelable by the lender except for violation of an objectively determinable provision, (2) no violation exists at the BS date, and (3) the lender has entered into the financing agreement is expected to be financially capable of honoring the agreement.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02(22))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.7-03(16))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879938&loc=d3e572229-122910

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-03(16))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6876686&loc=d3e534808-122878

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Date the credit facility terminates, in CCYY-MM-DD format.

+ References

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:dateItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The effective interest rate at the end of the reporting period.

+ References

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Description of the interest rate for the amounts borrowed under the credit facility, including the terms and the method for determining the interest rate (for example, fixed or variable, LIBOR plus a percentage, increasing rate, timing of interest rate resets, remarketing provisions).

+ References

+ Details

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Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Maximum borrowing capacity under the credit facility without consideration of any current restrictions on the amount that could be borrowed or the amounts currently outstanding under the facility.

+ References

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
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- Details

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- Details

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- Details

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- Details

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