Supplemental Guarantor Financial Information (Condensed Consolidating Balance Sheet) (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009	Dec. 31, 2008
Assets
Current assets	$ 822,510	$ 721,674
Property and equipment, net	266,583	180,786
Goodwill and other intangible assets, net	925,796
Other Assets Noncurrent	66,256
Total assets	2,081,145	1,655,828
Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity
Current liabilities	580,247	486,544
Long-term debt	460,725	394,151
Liabilities Other Than Longterm Debt Noncurrent	228,966
Total liabilities	1,269,938	1,002,666
Total equity	811,207	653,162	528,162	443,090
Total liabilities and equity	2,081,145	1,655,828
MasTec, Inc [Member]
Assets
Net investments in and advances to (from) consolidated affiliates	811,966
Other Assets Noncurrent	7,119
Total assets	819,085
Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity
Current liabilities	(15)
Total liabilities	(15)
Total equity	819,100
Total liabilities and equity	819,085
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Assets
Current assets	764,922
Property and equipment, net	253,929
Goodwill and other intangible assets, net	895,563
Net investments in and advances to (from) consolidated affiliates	117,978
Other Assets Noncurrent	52,382
Total assets	2,084,774
Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity
Current liabilities	547,813
Long-term debt	460,638
Liabilities Other Than Longterm Debt Noncurrent	207,828
Total liabilities	1,216,279
Total equity	868,495
Total liabilities and equity	2,084,774
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Assets
Current assets	57,588
Property and equipment, net	12,654
Goodwill and other intangible assets, net	30,233
Net investments in and advances to (from) consolidated affiliates	(41,830)
Other Assets Noncurrent	6,755
Total assets	65,400
Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity
Current liabilities	32,449
Long-term debt	87
Liabilities Other Than Longterm Debt Noncurrent	21,138
Total liabilities	53,674
Total equity	11,726
Total liabilities and equity	65,400
Eliminations [Member]
Assets
Net investments in and advances to (from) consolidated affiliates	(888,114)
Total assets	(888,114)
Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity
Total equity	(888,114)
Total liabilities and equity	$ (888,114)