SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	9 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2011
Stockholders' Equity Note Disclosure [Text Block]	NOTE 9 — SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY During 2010, Griffon granted 713,637 restricted shares; 703,845 shares issued to employees, substantially all of which were three to four-year cliff vesting, and a total fair value of $7,989, or a weighted average fair value of $11.35 per share; and 9,792 shares issued to Directors, vesting annually in equal installments over three years with total fair value of $120, or a weighted average fair value of $12.25 per share. In connection with the ATT acquisition, Griffon entered into certain retention arrangements with the ATT senior management team. Under these arrangements, the ATT management team purchased 239,145 shares of common stock and received 239,145 shares of restricted stock that vest in full after four years, subject to the attainment of a specified performance measure. During 2011, 107,509 restricted shares were forfeited which had a weighted average fair value of $11.81 per share. During the third quarter of 2011, Griffon granted a total of 10,000 shares of restricted stock with three-year cliff vesting and a total fair value of $99, or a weighted average fair value of $9.94 per share. During the second quarter of 2011, Griffon granted 365,000 restricted shares and 590,000 performance shares. The restricted shares had a total fair value of $4,544, or a weighted average fair value of $12.45 per share with 260,000 shares having a three-year cliff vesting; 30,000 shares, issued to Directors, vesting annually in equal installments over three years; and 75,000 shares vesting annually in equal installments over five years. The performance shares have a fair value of $7,346, or a weighted average fair value of $12.45 per share, and cliff vest when either the stock price of Griffon closes at $16 per share for twenty consecutive trading days or in 7 years, whichever comes first. During the first quarter of 2011, Griffon granted a total of 450,700 shares of restricted stock with three-year cliff vesting and a total fair value of $5,956, or a weighted average fair value of $13.22 per share. The fair value of restricted stock and option grants is amortized over the respective vesting periods. For the three and nine months ended June 30, 2011, stock based compensation expense totaled $2,120 and $6,767, respectively, compared to $1,512 and $4,447, respectively, for the prior year comparable periods.

- Definition

Disclosures related to accounts comprising shareholders' equity, including other comprehensive income. Includes: (1) balances of common stock, preferred stock, additional paid-in capital, other capital and retained earnings; (2) accumulated balance for each classification of other comprehensive income and total amount of comprehensive income; (3) amount and nature of changes in separate accounts, including the number of shares authorized and outstanding, number of shares issued upon exercise and conversion, and for other comprehensive income, the adjustments for reclassifications to net income; (4) rights and privileges of each class of stock authorized; (5) basis of treasury stock, if other than cost, and amounts paid and accounting treatment for treasury stock purchased significantly in excess of market; (6) dividends paid or payable per share and in the aggregate for each class of stock for each period presented; (7) dividend restrictions and accumulated preferred dividends in arrears (in aggregate and per share amount); (8) retained earnings appropriations or restrictions, such as dividend restrictions; (9) impact of change in accounting principle, initial adoption of new accounting principle and correction of an error in previously issued financial statements; (10) shares held in trust for Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP); (11) deferred compensation related to issuance of capital stock; (12) note received for issuance of stock; (13) unamortized discount on shares; (14) description, terms and number of warrants or rights outstanding; (15) shares under subscription and subscription receivables; effective date of new retained earnings after quasi-reorganization and deficit eliminated by quasi-reorganization and, for a period of at least ten years after the effective date, the point in time from which the new retained dates; and (16) retroactive effective of subsequent change in capital structure.

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