Supplemental Guarantor Information (Level 4 CF) (Details 3) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2015	Oct. 31, 2014	Oct. 31, 2013
Cash flow (used in) provided by operating activities:
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	$ 60,182	$ 313,200	$ (568,963)
Cash flow from investing activities:
Purchase of property and equipment - net	$ (9,447)	$ (15,074)	(26,567)
Purchase of marketable securities			(36,202)
Sale and redemption of marketable securities	$ 2,000	$ 40,242	417,846
Payments to Acquire Equity Method Investments	(123,940)	(113,029)	(93,398)
Return of investments in unconsolidated entities	39,766	73,845	69,809
Investment in foreclosed real estate and distressed loans	(2,624)	(2,089)	(26,155)
Return of investments in foreclosed real estate and distressed loans	37,625	$ 53,130	$ 27,370
Net increase in cash from purchase of joint venture interest	$ 3,848
Acquisition of a business, net of cash acquired		$ (1,489,116)
Proceeds from Dividends Received		0
Intercompany investing activites (to) from consolidated entities	$ 0	0	$ 0
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	(52,772)	(1,452,091)	332,703
Cash flow from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of senior notes	350,000	600,000	$ 400,383
Debt issuance costs for senior notes	(3,175)	(4,739)
Proceeds from loans payable	$ 1,954,432	2,229,371	$ 1,164,531
Debt issuance costs for loans payable		(3,063)
Principal Payments of Loans Payable	$ (1,659,458)	(1,767,115)	$ (1,195,524)
Repayments of Senior Debt	$ (300,000)	(267,960)	$ (163,853)
Proceeds from Issuance of Common Stock		220,365
Proceeds from stock-based benefit plans	$ 39,514	28,364	$ 15,798
Excess tax benefits from stock-based compensation	1,628	7,593	24,417
Purchase of treasury stock	(56,888)	(90,754)	(15,377)
(Payments) receipts related to noncontrolling Interest, net	(785)	172	33
Payments of Dividends		0
Intercompany financing advances (to) from consolidated entities	0	0	0
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	325,268	952,234	230,408
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	332,678	(186,657)	(5,852)
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period	586,315	772,972	778,824
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	918,993	586,315	772,972
Toll Brothers Inc. [Member]
Cash flow (used in) provided by operating activities:
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	$ 45,366	$ 137,023	$ 116,508
Cash flow from investing activities:
Purchase of property and equipment - net
Purchase of marketable securities
Sale and redemption of marketable securities
Payments to Acquire Equity Method Investments
Return of investments in unconsolidated entities
Investment in foreclosed real estate and distressed loans
Return of investments in foreclosed real estate and distressed loans
Net increase in cash from purchase of joint venture interest
Acquisition of a business, net of cash acquired
Proceeds from Dividends Received
Intercompany investing activites (to) from consolidated entities	$ (29,620)	$ (302,591)	$ (141,346)
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	$ (29,620)	$ (302,591)	$ (141,346)
Cash flow from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of senior notes
Debt issuance costs for senior notes
Proceeds from loans payable
Debt issuance costs for loans payable
Principal Payments of Loans Payable
Repayments of Senior Debt
Proceeds from Issuance of Common Stock		$ 220,365
Proceeds from stock-based benefit plans	$ 39,514	28,364	$ 15,798
Excess tax benefits from stock-based compensation	1,628	7,593	24,417
Purchase of treasury stock	$ (56,888)	$ (90,754)	$ (15,377)
(Payments) receipts related to noncontrolling Interest, net
Payments of Dividends
Intercompany financing advances (to) from consolidated entities
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	$ (15,746)	$ 165,568	$ 24,838
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period	0	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	0	0	0
Subsidiary Issuer [Member]
Cash flow (used in) provided by operating activities:
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	$ 2,156	$ 15,644	$ 5,163
Cash flow from investing activities:
Purchase of property and equipment - net
Purchase of marketable securities
Sale and redemption of marketable securities
Payments to Acquire Equity Method Investments
Return of investments in unconsolidated entities
Investment in foreclosed real estate and distressed loans
Return of investments in foreclosed real estate and distressed loans
Net increase in cash from purchase of joint venture interest
Acquisition of a business, net of cash acquired
Proceeds from Dividends Received
Intercompany investing activites (to) from consolidated entities	$ (48,981)	$ (342,945)	$ (241,693)
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	(48,981)	(342,945)	(241,693)
Cash flow from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of senior notes	350,000	600,000	$ 400,383
Debt issuance costs for senior notes	$ (3,175)	$ (4,739)
Proceeds from loans payable
Debt issuance costs for loans payable
Principal Payments of Loans Payable
Repayments of Senior Debt	$ (300,000)	$ (267,960)	$ (163,853)
Proceeds from Issuance of Common Stock
Proceeds from stock-based benefit plans
Excess tax benefits from stock-based compensation
Purchase of treasury stock
(Payments) receipts related to noncontrolling Interest, net
Payments of Dividends
Intercompany financing advances (to) from consolidated entities
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	$ 46,825	$ 327,301	$ 236,530
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period	0	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	0	0	0
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Cash flow (used in) provided by operating activities:
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	100,487	279,724	(518,598)
Cash flow from investing activities:
Purchase of property and equipment - net	(10,181)	(13,161)	(15,038)
Purchase of marketable securities			(25,938)
Sale and redemption of marketable securities	2,000	40,242	357,583
Payments to Acquire Equity Method Investments	(4,552)	(16,683)	(34,071)
Return of investments in unconsolidated entities	$ 23,213	$ 63,581	$ 43,405
Investment in foreclosed real estate and distressed loans
Return of investments in foreclosed real estate and distressed loans
Net increase in cash from purchase of joint venture interest	$ 3,848
Acquisition of a business, net of cash acquired		$ (1,489,116)
Proceeds from Dividends Received		$ 15,000
Intercompany investing activites (to) from consolidated entities
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	$ 14,328	$ (1,400,137)	$ 325,941
Cash flow from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of senior notes
Debt issuance costs for senior notes
Proceeds from loans payable	$ 400,000	$ 1,156,300
Debt issuance costs for loans payable		(3,063)
Principal Payments of Loans Payable	$ (113,745)	$ (704,320)	$ (33,329)
Repayments of Senior Debt
Proceeds from Issuance of Common Stock
Proceeds from stock-based benefit plans
Excess tax benefits from stock-based compensation
Purchase of treasury stock
(Payments) receipts related to noncontrolling Interest, net
Payments of Dividends
Intercompany financing advances (to) from consolidated entities	$ (73,185)	$ 457,108	$ 184,064
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	213,070	906,025	150,735
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	327,885	(214,388)	(41,922)
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period	455,714	670,102	712,024
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	783,599	455,714	670,102
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Cash flow (used in) provided by operating activities:
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	(78,246)	(102,540)	(161,333)
Cash flow from investing activities:
Purchase of property and equipment - net	$ 734	$ (1,913)	(11,529)
Purchase of marketable securities			(10,264)
Sale and redemption of marketable securities			60,263
Payments to Acquire Equity Method Investments	$ (119,388)	$ (96,346)	(59,327)
Return of investments in unconsolidated entities	16,553	10,264	26,404
Investment in foreclosed real estate and distressed loans	(2,624)	(2,089)	(26,155)
Return of investments in foreclosed real estate and distressed loans	$ 37,625	$ 53,130	$ 27,370
Net increase in cash from purchase of joint venture interest
Acquisition of a business, net of cash acquired
Proceeds from Dividends Received
Intercompany investing activites (to) from consolidated entities
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	$ (67,100)	$ (36,954)	$ 6,762
Cash flow from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of senior notes
Debt issuance costs for senior notes
Proceeds from loans payable	$ 1,554,432	$ 1,073,071	$ 1,164,531
Debt issuance costs for loans payable
Principal Payments of Loans Payable	$ (1,545,713)	$ (1,062,795)	$ (1,162,195)
Repayments of Senior Debt
Proceeds from Issuance of Common Stock
Proceeds from stock-based benefit plans
Excess tax benefits from stock-based compensation
Purchase of treasury stock
(Payments) receipts related to noncontrolling Interest, net	$ (785)	$ 172	$ 33
Payments of Dividends		(15,000)
Intercompany financing advances (to) from consolidated entities	142,205	171,777	188,272
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	150,139	167,225	190,641
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	4,793	27,731	36,070
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period	130,601	102,870	66,800
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	135,394	130,601	102,870
Eliminations [Member]
Cash flow (used in) provided by operating activities:
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	$ (9,581)	$ (16,651)	$ (10,703)
Cash flow from investing activities:
Purchase of property and equipment - net
Purchase of marketable securities
Sale and redemption of marketable securities
Payments to Acquire Equity Method Investments
Return of investments in unconsolidated entities
Investment in foreclosed real estate and distressed loans
Return of investments in foreclosed real estate and distressed loans
Net increase in cash from purchase of joint venture interest
Acquisition of a business, net of cash acquired
Proceeds from Dividends Received		$ (15,000)
Intercompany investing activites (to) from consolidated entities	$ 78,601	645,536	$ 383,039
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	$ 78,601	$ 630,536	$ 383,039
Cash flow from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of senior notes
Debt issuance costs for senior notes
Proceeds from loans payable
Debt issuance costs for loans payable
Principal Payments of Loans Payable
Repayments of Senior Debt
Proceeds from Issuance of Common Stock
Proceeds from stock-based benefit plans
Excess tax benefits from stock-based compensation
Purchase of treasury stock
(Payments) receipts related to noncontrolling Interest, net
Payments of Dividends		$ 15,000
Intercompany financing advances (to) from consolidated entities	$ (69,020)	(628,885)	$ (372,336)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	(69,020)	(613,885)	(372,336)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period	0	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0