Separate Financial Information of Subsidiary Guarantors of Indebtedness, Condensed Consolidating Statement of Cash Flows (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Cash Flows from Operating Activities:
Net (loss) income	$ (265,400)	$ 86,148	$ 103,500
Adjustments to reconcile net (loss) income to net cash from operating activities:
Goodwill and intangible assets impairment	376,574	0	0
Depreciation and amortization	61,457	47,631	31,334
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries	0	0	0
Stock-based compensation expense	9,470	8,818	12,752
Adjustment of interest rate swap to fair value	264	0	0
Adjustment of investments to fair value	0	4,750	5,742
Excess income tax benefit from stock-based compensation	0	(18)	(218)
Deferred income taxes	(25,606)	10,854	(3,826)
Loss on sale of investments	2,699	10	312
(Loss) gain on sale of property and equipment	316	(726)	962
Gain on bargain purchase	0	(47)	0
Other non-cash items	148	(601)	(86)
Other long-term liabilities	(5,104)	(13,819)	(5,353)
Changes in other components of working capital	(222,681)	(174,620)	(119,577)
NET CASH (USED) PROVIDED BY OPERATING ACTIVITIES	(67,863)	(31,620)	25,542
Cash Flows from Investing Activities:
Acquisitions, net of cash balance acquired	0	(341,898)	(30,924)
Acquisition of property and equipment	(41,352)	(66,747)	(25,200)
Proceeds from sale of property and equipment	11,759	10,049	1,811
Investment in available-for-sale securities	(535)	0	0
Proceeds from sale of available-for-sale securities	16,553	30,191	7,066
Change in restricted cash	(3,280)	(6,816)	(23,550)
NET CASH USED BY INVESTING ACTIVITIES	(16,855)	(375,221)	(70,797)
Cash Flows from Financing Activities:
Proceeds from issuance of senior unsecured notes, net of debt discount	0	0	297,774
Proceeds from debt	688,425	701,753	6,803
Repayment of debt	(626,122)	(554,969)	(35,760)
Business acquisition related payments	(11,462)	(1,904)	(6,004)
Purchase of common stock under share repurchase program	0	0	(39,391)
Common stock dividend paid	0	0	(47,090)
Excess income tax benefit from stock-based compensation	0	18	218
Issuance of common stock and effect of cashless exercise	(308)	(191)	(325)
Debt issuance costs	(1,999)	(5,004)	(7,901)
Increase (decrease) in intercompany advances	0	0	0
NET CASH PROVIDED BY FINANCING ACTIVITIES	48,534	139,703	168,324
Net Increase (Decrease) in Cash and Cash Equivalents	(36,184)	(267,138)	123,069
Cash and Cash Equivalents at Beginning of Year	204,240	471,378	348,309
Cash and Cash Equivalents at End of Year	168,056	204,240	471,378
Tutor Perini Corporation [Member]
Cash Flows from Operating Activities:
Net (loss) income	(265,400)	86,148	103,500
Adjustments to reconcile net (loss) income to net cash from operating activities:
Goodwill and intangible assets impairment	0
Depreciation and amortization	5,373	6,143	5,281
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries	225,100	(118,521)	(80,606)
Stock-based compensation expense	9,470	8,818	12,752
Adjustment of interest rate swap to fair value	264
Adjustment of investments to fair value		4,750	5,520
Excess income tax benefit from stock-based compensation		(18)	(218)
Deferred income taxes	(20,220)	8,054	(3,705)
Loss on sale of investments	2,699	10	312
(Loss) gain on sale of property and equipment	0	(142)	69
Gain on bargain purchase		(47)
Other non-cash items	(228)	(659)	(12)
Other long-term liabilities	(2,518)	(9,964)	9,932
Changes in other components of working capital	25,251	(18,898)	5,869
NET CASH (USED) PROVIDED BY OPERATING ACTIVITIES	(20,209)	(34,326)	58,694
Cash Flows from Investing Activities:
Acquisitions, net of cash balance acquired		(341,898)	(30,924)
Acquisition of property and equipment	(15,041)	(24,549)	(6,186)
Proceeds from sale of property and equipment	364	20	2
Investment in available-for-sale securities	0
Proceeds from sale of available-for-sale securities	16,553	21,200	7,066
Change in restricted cash	(3,251)	(3,435)	(23,550)
NET CASH USED BY INVESTING ACTIVITIES	(1,375)	(348,662)	(53,592)
Cash Flows from Financing Activities:
Proceeds from issuance of senior unsecured notes, net of debt discount			297,774
Proceeds from debt	688,425	599,832	2,463
Repayment of debt	(601,282)	(488,592)	(13,126)
Business acquisition related payments	(11,462)	(1,904)	(2,270)
Purchase of common stock under share repurchase program			(39,391)
Common stock dividend paid			(47,090)
Excess income tax benefit from stock-based compensation		18	218
Issuance of common stock and effect of cashless exercise	(308)	(191)	(325)
Debt issuance costs	(1,999)	(5,004)	(7,901)
Increase (decrease) in intercompany advances	(122,063)	191,609	(239,469)
NET CASH PROVIDED BY FINANCING ACTIVITIES	(48,689)	295,768	(49,117)
Net Increase (Decrease) in Cash and Cash Equivalents	(70,273)	(87,220)	(44,015)
Cash and Cash Equivalents at Beginning of Year	134,936	222,156	266,171
Cash and Cash Equivalents at End of Year	64,663	134,936	222,156
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Cash Flows from Operating Activities:
Net (loss) income	(232,348)	111,125	77,723
Adjustments to reconcile net (loss) income to net cash from operating activities:
Goodwill and intangible assets impairment	376,574
Depreciation and amortization	55,812	41,194	25,761
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries	0	0	0
Stock-based compensation expense	0	0	0
Adjustment of interest rate swap to fair value	0
Adjustment of investments to fair value		0	222
Excess income tax benefit from stock-based compensation		0	0
Deferred income taxes	(5,386)	2,800	(121)
Loss on sale of investments	0	0	0
(Loss) gain on sale of property and equipment	316	(584)	893
Gain on bargain purchase		0
Other non-cash items	376	58	(74)
Other long-term liabilities	(2,586)	(3,855)	(15,285)
Changes in other components of working capital	(268,525)	(164,460)	(116,505)
NET CASH (USED) PROVIDED BY OPERATING ACTIVITIES	(75,767)	(13,722)	(27,386)
Cash Flows from Investing Activities:
Acquisitions, net of cash balance acquired		0	0
Acquisition of property and equipment	(26,311)	(42,198)	(18,781)
Proceeds from sale of property and equipment	11,395	10,029	1,809
Investment in available-for-sale securities	(535)
Proceeds from sale of available-for-sale securities	0	8,991	0
Change in restricted cash	(29)	(3,381)	0
NET CASH USED BY INVESTING ACTIVITIES	(15,480)	(26,559)	(16,972)
Cash Flows from Financing Activities:
Proceeds from issuance of senior unsecured notes, net of debt discount			0
Proceeds from debt	0	101,921	4,340
Repayment of debt	(24,840)	(66,377)	(17,246)
Business acquisition related payments	0	0	(3,734)
Purchase of common stock under share repurchase program			0
Common stock dividend paid			0
Excess income tax benefit from stock-based compensation		0	0
Issuance of common stock and effect of cashless exercise	0	0	0
Debt issuance costs	0	0	0
Increase (decrease) in intercompany advances	137,980	(162,857)	222,696
NET CASH PROVIDED BY FINANCING ACTIVITIES	113,140	(127,313)	206,056
Net Increase (Decrease) in Cash and Cash Equivalents	21,893	(167,594)	161,698
Cash and Cash Equivalents at Beginning of Year	52,492	220,086	58,388
Cash and Cash Equivalents at End of Year	74,385	52,492	220,086
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Cash Flows from Operating Activities:
Net (loss) income	7,248	7,396	2,883
Adjustments to reconcile net (loss) income to net cash from operating activities:
Goodwill and intangible assets impairment	0
Depreciation and amortization	272	294	292
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries	0	0	0
Stock-based compensation expense	0	0	0
Adjustment of interest rate swap to fair value	0
Adjustment of investments to fair value		0	0
Excess income tax benefit from stock-based compensation		0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0	0
Loss on sale of investments	0	0	0
(Loss) gain on sale of property and equipment	0	0	0
Gain on bargain purchase		0
Other non-cash items	0	0	0
Other long-term liabilities	0	0	0
Changes in other components of working capital	20,593	8,738	(8,941)
NET CASH (USED) PROVIDED BY OPERATING ACTIVITIES	28,113	16,428	(5,766)
Cash Flows from Investing Activities:
Acquisitions, net of cash balance acquired		0	0
Acquisition of property and equipment	0	0	(233)
Proceeds from sale of property and equipment	0	0	0
Investment in available-for-sale securities	0
Proceeds from sale of available-for-sale securities	0	0	0
Change in restricted cash	0	0	0
NET CASH USED BY INVESTING ACTIVITIES	0	0	(233)
Cash Flows from Financing Activities:
Proceeds from issuance of senior unsecured notes, net of debt discount			0
Proceeds from debt	0	0	0
Repayment of debt	0	0	(5,388)
Business acquisition related payments	0	0	0
Purchase of common stock under share repurchase program			0
Common stock dividend paid			0
Excess income tax benefit from stock-based compensation		0	0
Issuance of common stock and effect of cashless exercise	0	0	0
Debt issuance costs	0	0	0
Increase (decrease) in intercompany advances	(15,917)	(28,752)	16,773
NET CASH PROVIDED BY FINANCING ACTIVITIES	(15,917)	(28,752)	11,385
Net Increase (Decrease) in Cash and Cash Equivalents	12,196	(12,324)	5,386
Cash and Cash Equivalents at Beginning of Year	16,812	29,136	23,750
Cash and Cash Equivalents at End of Year	29,008	16,812	29,136
Eliminations [Member]
Cash Flows from Operating Activities:
Net (loss) income	225,100	(118,521)	(80,606)
Adjustments to reconcile net (loss) income to net cash from operating activities:
Goodwill and intangible assets impairment	0
Depreciation and amortization	0	0	0
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries	(225,100)	118,521	80,606
Stock-based compensation expense	0	0	0
Adjustment of interest rate swap to fair value	0
Adjustment of investments to fair value		0	0
Excess income tax benefit from stock-based compensation		0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0	0
Loss on sale of investments	0	0	0
(Loss) gain on sale of property and equipment	0	0	0
Gain on bargain purchase		0
Other non-cash items	0	0	0
Other long-term liabilities	0	0	0
Changes in other components of working capital	0	0	0
NET CASH (USED) PROVIDED BY OPERATING ACTIVITIES	0	0	0
Cash Flows from Investing Activities:
Acquisitions, net of cash balance acquired		0	0
Acquisition of property and equipment	0	0	0
Proceeds from sale of property and equipment	0	0	0
Investment in available-for-sale securities	0
Proceeds from sale of available-for-sale securities	0	0	0
Change in restricted cash	0	0	0
NET CASH USED BY INVESTING ACTIVITIES	0	0	0
Cash Flows from Financing Activities:
Proceeds from issuance of senior unsecured notes, net of debt discount			0
Proceeds from debt	0	0	0
Repayment of debt	0	0	0
Business acquisition related payments	0
Purchase of common stock under share repurchase program			0
Common stock dividend paid			0
Excess income tax benefit from stock-based compensation		0	0
Issuance of common stock and effect of cashless exercise	0	0	0
Debt issuance costs	0	0	0
Increase (decrease) in intercompany advances	0	0	0
NET CASH PROVIDED BY FINANCING ACTIVITIES	0	0	0
Net Increase (Decrease) in Cash and Cash Equivalents	0	0	0
Cash and Cash Equivalents at Beginning of Year	0	0	0
Cash and Cash Equivalents at End of Year	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0