Separate Financial Information of Subsidiary Guarantors of Indebtedness, Condensed Consolidating Balance Sheet (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Separate Financial Information of Subsidiary Guarantors of Indebtedness [Abstract]
Ownership interest in guarantors (in hundredths)	100.00%
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 168,056	$ 204,240	$ 471,378	$ 348,309
Restricted cash	38,717	35,437
Accounts receivable	1,224,613	1,275,031
Costs and estimated earnings in excess of billings	465,002	358,398
Deferred income taxes	10,071	0
Other current assets	75,388	76,928
Total current assets	1,981,847	1,950,034
Long-term investments	46,283	62,311
Property and equipment, net	485,095	491,377
Intercompany notes and receivables	0	0
Other assets:
Goodwill	570,646	892,602	621,920
Intangible assets, net	126,821	197,999
Investments in Subsidiaries	0	0
Other	85,718	18,804
Total assets	3,296,410	3,613,127	2,779,220
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
Current maturities of long-term debt	67,710	59,959
Accounts payable	696,473	785,725
Billings in excess of costs and estimated earnings	301,761	384,282
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities	168,326	163,268
Total current liabilities	1,234,270	1,393,234
Long-term debt, less current maturities	669,380	612,548
Deferred income taxes	109,900	97,921
Other long-term liabilities	138,996	109,597
Intercompany notes and advances payable	0	0
Contingencies and commitments
Stockholders' Equity	1,143,864	1,399,827	1,312,994	1,288,426
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	3,296,410	3,613,127
Tutor Perini Corporation [Member]
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	64,663	134,936	222,156	266,171
Restricted cash	30,236	26,985
Accounts receivable	177,856	106,540
Costs and estimated earnings in excess of billings	111,821	103,418
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Other current assets	26,461	53,513
Total current assets	411,037	425,392
Long-term investments	46,283	62,311
Property and equipment, net	64,248	49,343
Intercompany notes and receivables	0	9,232
Other assets:
Goodwill	0	0
Intangible assets, net	0	0
Investments in Subsidiaries	2,122,116	2,431,150
Other	81,198	13,830
Total assets	2,724,882	2,991,258
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
Current maturities of long-term debt	42,589	36,105
Accounts payable	97,834	40,072
Billings in excess of costs and estimated earnings	95,657	58,877
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities	30,545	39,870
Total current liabilities	266,625	174,924
Long-term debt, less current maturities	603,371	507,482
Deferred income taxes	102,138	89,798
Other long-term liabilities	134,874	104,740
Intercompany notes and advances payable	474,010	714,487
Contingencies and commitments
Stockholders' Equity	1,143,864	1,399,827
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	2,724,882	2,991,258
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	74,385	52,492	220,086	58,388
Restricted cash	8,481	8,452
Accounts receivable	1,121,098	1,257,384
Costs and estimated earnings in excess of billings	377,132	254,828
Deferred income taxes	15,823	0
Other current assets	49,993	48,218
Total current assets	1,646,912	1,621,374
Long-term investments	0	0
Property and equipment, net	416,006	436,921
Intercompany notes and receivables	493,277	705,371
Other assets:
Goodwill	570,646	892,602
Intangible assets, net	126,821	197,999
Investments in Subsidiaries	134	300
Other	9,058	9,183
Total assets	3,262,854	3,863,750
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
Current maturities of long-term debt	25,121	23,854
Accounts payable	698,015	844,664
Billings in excess of costs and estimated earnings	206,070	325,371
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities	108,589	123,598
Total current liabilities	1,037,795	1,317,487
Long-term debt, less current maturities	105,922	129,650
Deferred income taxes	7,762	8,123
Other long-term liabilities	4,122	4,857
Intercompany notes and advances payable	0	(15,835)
Contingencies and commitments
Stockholders' Equity	2,107,253	2,419,468
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	3,262,854	3,863,750
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	29,008	16,812	29,136	23,750
Restricted cash	0	0
Accounts receivable	1,088	10,173
Costs and estimated earnings in excess of billings	152	152
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Other current assets	2,891	2,767
Total current assets	33,139	29,904
Long-term investments	0	0
Property and equipment, net	4,841	5,113
Intercompany notes and receivables	0	(10,761)
Other assets:
Goodwill	0	0
Intangible assets, net	0	0
Investments in Subsidiaries	50	50
Other	35,375	20,375
Total assets	73,405	44,681
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
Current maturities of long-term debt	0	0
Accounts payable	156	55
Billings in excess of costs and estimated earnings	34	34
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities	38,901	27,370
Total current liabilities	39,091	27,459
Long-term debt, less current maturities	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Other long-term liabilities	0	0
Intercompany notes and advances payable	19,267	5,190
Contingencies and commitments
Stockholders' Equity	15,047	12,032
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	73,405	44,681
Eliminations [Member]
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0	0
Restricted cash	0	0
Accounts receivable	(75,429)	(99,066)
Costs and estimated earnings in excess of billings	(24,103)	0
Deferred income taxes	(5,752)	0
Other current assets	(3,957)	(27,570)
Total current assets	(109,241)	(126,636)
Long-term investments	0	0
Property and equipment, net	0	0
Intercompany notes and receivables	(493,277)	(703,842)
Other assets:
Goodwill	0	0
Intangible assets, net	0	0
Investments in Subsidiaries	(2,122,300)	(2,431,500)
Other	(39,913)	(24,584)
Total assets	(2,764,731)	(3,286,562)
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
Current maturities of long-term debt	0	0
Accounts payable	(99,532)	(99,066)
Billings in excess of costs and estimated earnings	0	0
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities	(9,709)	(27,570)
Total current liabilities	(109,241)	(126,636)
Long-term debt, less current maturities	(39,913)	(24,584)
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Other long-term liabilities	0	0
Intercompany notes and advances payable	(493,277)	(703,842)
Contingencies and commitments
Stockholders' Equity	(2,122,300)	(2,431,500)
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	$ (2,764,731)	$ (3,286,562)
7.625% Senior Notes due 2018 [Member]
Separate Financial Information of Subsidiary Guarantors of Indebtedness [Abstract]
Interest rate (in hundredths)	7.625%