Supplemental Guarantor Information (Level 4 CF) (Details 2) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	1 Months Ended		3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Feb. 29, 2012	Nov. 30, 2011	Apr. 30, 2012	Apr. 30, 2011	Apr. 30, 2012	Apr. 30, 2011
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash (used in) provided by operating activities:
Net income (loss)			$ 16,872	$ (20,773)	$ 14,086	$ (17,356)
Depreciation and amortization					10,698	10,337
Stock-based compensation					8,831	7,717
(Recovery) impairment of investment in unconsolidated entities			(1,621)	19,600	(1,621)	39,600
Income from unconsolidated entities					(12,055)	(17,255)
Distributions of earnings from unconsolidated entities					1,550	6,789
Income from non-performing loan portfolios and foreclosed real estate					(10,004)	(473)
Deferred tax benefit					(3,318)	(6,515)
Deferred tax valuation allowances					3,318	6,515
Inventory impairments and write-offs			2,008	12,922	10,128	18,048
Change in fair value of mortgage loans receivable and derivative instruments					284	818
Gain on marketable securities					(39)
Changes in operating assets and liabilities
Increase in inventory					(202,466)	(154,440)
Origination of mortgage loans					(253,866)	(301,778)
Sale of mortgage loans					266,713	365,328
(Increase) decrease in restricted cash					(27,638)	28,781
Increase (Decrease) in Other Operating Assets					(31,550)	7,172
Increase in customer deposits					28,838	17,554
(Decrease) increase in accounts payable and accrued expenses					(67,789)	(36,546)
Increase (Decrease) in Income Taxes Receivable						141,590
Decrease in income taxes payable					(6,959)	(18,241)
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities					(272,859)	97,645
Cash flow from investing activities:
Purchase of property and equipment - net					(4,747)	(5,112)
Purchase of marketable securities					(177,833)	(329,105)
Sale and redemption of marketable securities					189,716	227,080
Investment in and advances to unconsolidated entities					(75,008)
Return of investments in unconsolidated entities					20,568	15,751
Investment in non-performing loan portfolios and foreclosed real estate					(27,490)	(42,141)
Return of investments in non-performing loan portfolios and foreclosed real estate					11,582
Acquisition of a business		(144,700)			(144,746)
Net cash used in investing activities					(207,958)	(133,527)
Cash flow from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of the Senior Notes	296,200				296,227
Proceeds from loans payable					400,092	438,713
Principal payments of loans payable					(429,709)	(498,960)
Proceeds from stock-based benefit plans					17,189	4,676
Proceeds from Noncontrolling Interests						2,678
Purchase of treasury stock					(284)	(389)
Net cash used in financing activities					283,515	(53,282)
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents					(197,302)	(89,164)
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period		906,340			906,340	1,039,060
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period			709,038	949,896	709,038	949,896
Toll Brothers Inc. [Member]
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash (used in) provided by operating activities:
Net income (loss)			16,872	(20,773)	14,086	(17,356)
Depreciation and amortization					8	28
Stock-based compensation					8,831	7,717
(Recovery) impairment of investment in unconsolidated entities
Income from unconsolidated entities
Distributions of earnings from unconsolidated entities
Income from non-performing loan portfolios and foreclosed real estate
Deferred tax benefit					(3,318)	(6,515)
Deferred tax valuation allowances					3,318	6,515
Inventory impairments and write-offs
Change in fair value of mortgage loans receivable and derivative instruments
Gain on marketable securities
Changes in operating assets and liabilities
Increase in inventory
Origination of mortgage loans
Sale of mortgage loans
(Increase) decrease in restricted cash					(28,234)
Increase (Decrease) in Other Operating Assets					(4,727)	(116,822)
Increase in customer deposits
(Decrease) increase in accounts payable and accrued expenses					90	(1,203)
Increase (Decrease) in Income Taxes Receivable						141,590
Decrease in income taxes payable					(6,959)	(18,241)
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities					(16,905)	(4,287)
Cash flow from investing activities:
Purchase of property and equipment - net
Purchase of marketable securities
Sale and redemption of marketable securities
Investment in and advances to unconsolidated entities
Return of investments in unconsolidated entities
Investment in non-performing loan portfolios and foreclosed real estate
Return of investments in non-performing loan portfolios and foreclosed real estate
Acquisition of a business
Net cash used in investing activities					0	0
Cash flow from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of the Senior Notes
Proceeds from loans payable
Principal payments of loans payable
Proceeds from stock-based benefit plans					17,189	4,676
Proceeds from Noncontrolling Interests
Purchase of treasury stock					(284)	(389)
Net cash used in financing activities					16,905	4,287
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents					0	0
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period						0
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period			0	0	0	0
Subsidiary Issuer [Member]
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash (used in) provided by operating activities:
Net income (loss)			0	0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization					1,739	1,614
Stock-based compensation
(Recovery) impairment of investment in unconsolidated entities
Income from unconsolidated entities
Distributions of earnings from unconsolidated entities
Income from non-performing loan portfolios and foreclosed real estate
Deferred tax benefit
Deferred tax valuation allowances
Inventory impairments and write-offs
Change in fair value of mortgage loans receivable and derivative instruments
Gain on marketable securities
Changes in operating assets and liabilities
Increase in inventory
Origination of mortgage loans
Sale of mortgage loans
(Increase) decrease in restricted cash
Increase (Decrease) in Other Operating Assets					(301,074)	(1,614)
Increase in customer deposits
(Decrease) increase in accounts payable and accrued expenses					3,108
Increase (Decrease) in Income Taxes Receivable
Decrease in income taxes payable
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities					(296,227)	0
Cash flow from investing activities:
Purchase of property and equipment - net
Purchase of marketable securities
Sale and redemption of marketable securities
Investment in and advances to unconsolidated entities
Return of investments in unconsolidated entities
Investment in non-performing loan portfolios and foreclosed real estate
Return of investments in non-performing loan portfolios and foreclosed real estate
Acquisition of a business
Net cash used in investing activities					0	0
Cash flow from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of the Senior Notes					296,227
Proceeds from loans payable
Principal payments of loans payable
Proceeds from stock-based benefit plans
Proceeds from Noncontrolling Interests
Purchase of treasury stock
Net cash used in financing activities					296,227	0
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents					0	0
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period			0	0	0	0
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash (used in) provided by operating activities:
Net income (loss)			16,879	(22,034)	14,097	(16,694)
Depreciation and amortization					8,883	8,202
Stock-based compensation
(Recovery) impairment of investment in unconsolidated entities						10,000
Income from unconsolidated entities					(11,687)	(12,027)
Distributions of earnings from unconsolidated entities					1,550	6,789
Income from non-performing loan portfolios and foreclosed real estate
Deferred tax benefit
Deferred tax valuation allowances
Inventory impairments and write-offs					10,128	18,048
Change in fair value of mortgage loans receivable and derivative instruments
Gain on marketable securities					(39)
Changes in operating assets and liabilities
Increase in inventory					(106,801)	(35,860)
Origination of mortgage loans
Sale of mortgage loans
(Increase) decrease in restricted cash					1,133	28,781
Increase (Decrease) in Other Operating Assets					(4,979)	5,654
Increase in customer deposits					34,386	9,467
(Decrease) increase in accounts payable and accrued expenses					(8,109)	(26,473)
Increase (Decrease) in Income Taxes Receivable
Decrease in income taxes payable
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities					(61,438)	(4,113)
Cash flow from investing activities:
Purchase of property and equipment - net					(3,826)	(1,929)
Purchase of marketable securities					(117,781)	(329,105)
Sale and redemption of marketable securities					189,716	227,080
Investment in and advances to unconsolidated entities					(1,142)
Return of investments in unconsolidated entities					19,509	8,051
Investment in non-performing loan portfolios and foreclosed real estate
Return of investments in non-performing loan portfolios and foreclosed real estate
Acquisition of a business					(144,746)
Net cash used in investing activities					(58,270)	(95,903)
Cash flow from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of the Senior Notes
Proceeds from loans payable
Principal payments of loans payable					(17,074)	(7,709)
Proceeds from stock-based benefit plans
Proceeds from Noncontrolling Interests
Purchase of treasury stock
Net cash used in financing activities					(17,074)	(7,709)
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents					(136,782)	(107,725)
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period		775,300			775,300	930,387
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period			638,518	822,662	638,518	822,662
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash (used in) provided by operating activities:
Net income (loss)			15,413	(12,748)	17,102	(9,410)
Depreciation and amortization					68	493
Stock-based compensation
(Recovery) impairment of investment in unconsolidated entities					(1,621)	29,600
Income from unconsolidated entities					(368)	(5,228)
Distributions of earnings from unconsolidated entities
Income from non-performing loan portfolios and foreclosed real estate					(10,004)	(473)
Deferred tax benefit
Deferred tax valuation allowances
Inventory impairments and write-offs
Change in fair value of mortgage loans receivable and derivative instruments					284	818
Gain on marketable securities
Changes in operating assets and liabilities
Increase in inventory					(95,665)	(118,580)
Origination of mortgage loans					(253,866)	(301,778)
Sale of mortgage loans					266,713	365,328
(Increase) decrease in restricted cash					(537)
Increase (Decrease) in Other Operating Assets					247,131	145,274
Increase in customer deposits					(5,548)	8,087
(Decrease) increase in accounts payable and accrued expenses					(61,978)	(8,086)
Increase (Decrease) in Income Taxes Receivable
Decrease in income taxes payable
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities					101,711	106,045
Cash flow from investing activities:
Purchase of property and equipment - net					(921)	(3,183)
Purchase of marketable securities					(60,052)
Sale and redemption of marketable securities
Investment in and advances to unconsolidated entities					(73,866)
Return of investments in unconsolidated entities					1,059	7,700
Investment in non-performing loan portfolios and foreclosed real estate					(27,490)	(42,141)
Return of investments in non-performing loan portfolios and foreclosed real estate					11,582
Acquisition of a business
Net cash used in investing activities					(149,688)	(37,624)
Cash flow from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of the Senior Notes
Proceeds from loans payable					400,092	438,713
Principal payments of loans payable					(412,635)	(491,251)
Proceeds from stock-based benefit plans
Proceeds from Noncontrolling Interests						2,678
Purchase of treasury stock
Net cash used in financing activities					(12,543)	(49,860)
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents					(60,520)	18,561
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period		131,040			131,040	108,673
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period			70,520	127,234	70,520	127,234
Eliminations [Member]
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash (used in) provided by operating activities:
Net income (loss)			(32,292)	34,782	(31,199)	26,104
Depreciation and amortization
Stock-based compensation
(Recovery) impairment of investment in unconsolidated entities
Income from unconsolidated entities
Distributions of earnings from unconsolidated entities
Income from non-performing loan portfolios and foreclosed real estate
Deferred tax benefit
Deferred tax valuation allowances
Inventory impairments and write-offs
Change in fair value of mortgage loans receivable and derivative instruments
Gain on marketable securities
Changes in operating assets and liabilities
Increase in inventory
Origination of mortgage loans
Sale of mortgage loans
(Increase) decrease in restricted cash
Increase (Decrease) in Other Operating Assets					32,099	(25,320)
Increase in customer deposits
(Decrease) increase in accounts payable and accrued expenses					(900)	(784)
Increase (Decrease) in Income Taxes Receivable
Decrease in income taxes payable
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities					0	0
Cash flow from investing activities:
Purchase of property and equipment - net
Purchase of marketable securities
Sale and redemption of marketable securities
Investment in and advances to unconsolidated entities
Return of investments in unconsolidated entities
Investment in non-performing loan portfolios and foreclosed real estate
Return of investments in non-performing loan portfolios and foreclosed real estate
Acquisition of a business
Net cash used in investing activities					0	0
Cash flow from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of the Senior Notes
Proceeds from loans payable
Principal payments of loans payable
Proceeds from stock-based benefit plans
Proceeds from Noncontrolling Interests
Purchase of treasury stock
Net cash used in financing activities					0	0
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents					0	0
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period			$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0