Legal Proceedings	6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2011
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Legal Proceedings	Legal Proceedings Hiawatha Project DBE Issues The Hiawatha Light Rail Transit (“HLRT”) project was performed by Minnesota Transit Constructors (“MnTC”), a joint venture that consisted of our wholly owned subsidiary, Granite Construction Company (“GCCO”), and other unrelated companies. GCCO was the managing partner of the joint venture, with a 56.5% interest. The Minnesota Department of Transportation (“MnDOT”) is the contracting agency for this federally funded project. The Metropolitan Council is the local agency conduit for providing federal funds to MnDOT for the HLRT project. MnDOT and the U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General (“OIG”) each conducted a review of the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (“DBE”) program maintained by MnTC for the HLRT project. In addition, the U.S. Department of Justice (“USDOJ”) is conducting an investigation into compliance issues with respect to MnTC’s DBE Program for the HLRT project. MnDOT and the OIG (collectively, the “Agencies”) have initially identified certain compliance issues in connection with MnTC’s DBE Program and, as a result, have determined that MnTC failed to meet the DBE utilization criteria as represented by MnTC. Although there has been no formal administrative subpoena issued, nor has a civil complaint been filed in connection with the administrative reviews or the investigation, MnDOT has proposed a monetary sanction of $4.3 million against MnTC and specified DBE training for personnel from the members of the MnTC joint venture as a condition of awarding future projects to joint venture members of MnTC on MnDOT and Metropolitan Council work. MnTC and its members are fully cooperating with the Agencies and the USDOJ. MnTC has presented its detailed written responses to the initial determinations of the Agencies as well as the investigation by the USDOJ. MnTC, USDOJ, and the Agencies are continuing to engage in informal discussions in an attempt to resolve this matter. Such discussions, if successful, are expected to include resolution of issues with the USDOT and with the state agencies. We cannot, however, rule out the possibility of civil or criminal actions or administrative sanctions being brought against MnTC or one or more of its members which could result in civil and criminal penalties. US Highway 20 Project GCCO and our wholly-owned subsidiary, Granite Northwest, Inc., are the members of a joint venture known as Yaquina River Constructors (“YRC”) which is contracted by the Oregon Department of Transportation (“ODOT”) to construct a new road alignment of US Highway 20 near Eddyville, Oregon. The project involves constructing seven miles of new road through steep and forested terrain in the Coast Range Mountains. During the fall and winter of 2006, extraordinary rain events produced runoff that overwhelmed installed erosion control measures and resulted in discharges to surface water in alleged violations of YRC’s stormwater permit. In June 2009, YRC was informed that the USDOJ had assumed the criminal investigation that the Oregon Department of Justice conducted in connection with stormwater runoff from the project. YRC and its members are fully cooperating in the investigation. We have communicated with the USDOJ about the agency’s possible penalties against GCCO. The USDOJ and GCCO will communicate further about the USDOJ’s investigation findings, GCCO’s response to the findings, and range of possible penalties contemplated by the USDOJ. We do not know whether any criminal charges or civil lawsuits will be brought or against whom, as a result of the USDOJ’s continuing investigation. While the amount of any penalties for which we may be responsible has not yet been determined, we expect that any criminal or civil penalty or conditional assessment that may result from this investigation will not exceed $1.0 million. City of San Diego Fire Debris Cleanup In the aftermath of the 2007 San Diego County wildfires, GCCO bid for and was awarded a fixed unit price, variable quantity contract with the City of San Diego (the “City”) to perform specified debris cleanup work. The City conducted an audit of the project which found that, while some GCCO billings contained mistakes, rates paid to GCCO appear to be generally reasonable. The former San Diego City Attorney later filed a civil lawsuit against GCCO and another contractor that had been awarded a similar cleanup contract with the City. In advance of litigating the claims, GCCO and the City reached a settlement in a mediation session consisting of payment by GCCO to the City made in May of 2011. Pursuant to the terms of the settlement agreement, the City requested dismissal of the lawsuit with prejudice which the court granted in May of 2011. While Granite believes the allegations in the City’s complaint to be without factual or legal basis and denies liability to the City, GCCO agreed to settle the lawsuit to avoid protracted litigation. The settlement amount paid by GCCO to the City did not have a material impact on the consolidated financial statements. Grand Avenue Project DBE Issues On March 6, 2009, the U.S. Department of Transportation, Office of Inspector General (“OIG”) served upon our wholly-owned subsidiary, Granite Construction Northeast, Inc. (“Granite Northeast”), a United States District Court Eastern District of New York subpoena to testify before a grand jury by producing documents. The subpoena seeks all documents pertaining to the use of a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (“DBE”) firm (the “Subcontractor”), and the Subcontractor’s use of a non-DBE lower tier subcontractor/consultant, on the Grand Avenue Bus Depot and Central Maintenance Facility for the Borough of Queens Project (the “Grand Avenue Project”), a Granite Northeast project. The subpoena also seeks any documents regarding the use of the Subcontractor as a DBE on any other projects and any other documents related to the Subcontractor or to the lower-tier subcontractor/consultant. We have complied with the subpoena and are fully cooperating with the OIG’s investigation. To date, Granite Northeast has not been notified that it is either a subject or target of the OIG’s investigation. Accordingly, we do not know whether any criminal charges or civil lawsuits will be brought or against whom, as a result of the investigation. Therefore, we cannot estimate what, if any, criminal or civil penalty or conditional assessment may result from this investigation. Other Legal Proceedings/Government Inquiries We are a party to a number of other legal proceedings arising in the normal course of business. From time to time, we also receive inquiries from public agencies seeking information concerning our compliance with government construction contracting requirements and related laws and regulations. We believe that the nature and number of these proceedings and compliance inquiries are typical for a construction firm of our size and scope. Our litigation typically involves claims regarding public liability or contract related issues. While management currently believes, after consultation with counsel, that the ultimate outcome of pending proceedings and compliance inquiries, individually and in the aggregate, will not have a material adverse affect on our financial position or overall trends in results of operations or cash flows, litigation is subject to inherent uncertainties. Were one or more unfavorable rulings to occur, there exists the possibility of a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations, cash flows and/or liquidity for the period in which the ruling occurs. In addition, our government contracts could be terminated, we could be suspended or debarred, or payment of our costs disallowed. While any one of our pending legal proceedings is subject to early resolution as a result of our ongoing efforts to settle, whether or when any legal proceeding will be resolved through settlement is neither predictable nor guaranteed.

Legal Proceedings

Hiawatha Project DBE Issues

The Hiawatha Light Rail Transit (“HLRT”) project was performed by Minnesota Transit Constructors (“MnTC”), a joint venture that consisted of our wholly owned subsidiary, Granite Construction Company (“GCCO”), and other unrelated companies. GCCO was the managing partner of the joint venture, with a 56.5% interest. The Minnesota Department of Transportation (“MnDOT”) is the contracting agency for this federally funded project. The Metropolitan Council is the local agency conduit for providing federal funds to MnDOT for the HLRT project. MnDOT and the U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General (“OIG”) each conducted a review of the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (“DBE”) program maintained by MnTC for the HLRT project. In addition, the U.S. Department of Justice (“USDOJ”) is conducting an investigation into compliance issues with respect to MnTC’s DBE Program for the HLRT project. MnDOT and the OIG (collectively, the “Agencies”) have initially identified certain compliance issues in connection with MnTC’s DBE Program and, as a result, have determined that MnTC failed to meet the DBE utilization criteria as represented by MnTC. Although there has been no formal administrative subpoena issued, nor has a civil complaint been filed in connection with the administrative reviews or the investigation, MnDOT has proposed a monetary sanction of $4.3 million against MnTC and specified DBE training for personnel from the members of the MnTC joint venture as a condition of awarding future projects to joint venture members of MnTC on MnDOT and Metropolitan Council work. MnTC and its members are fully cooperating with the Agencies and the USDOJ. MnTC has presented its detailed written responses to the initial determinations of the Agencies as well as the investigation by the USDOJ. MnTC, USDOJ, and the Agencies are continuing to engage in informal discussions in an attempt to resolve this matter. Such discussions, if successful, are expected to include resolution of issues with the USDOT and with the state agencies. We cannot, however, rule out the possibility of civil or criminal actions or administrative sanctions being brought against MnTC or one or more of its members which could result in civil and criminal penalties.

US Highway 20 Project

GCCO and our wholly-owned subsidiary, Granite Northwest, Inc., are the members of a joint venture known as Yaquina River Constructors (“YRC”) which is contracted by the Oregon Department of Transportation (“ODOT”) to construct a new road alignment of US Highway 20 near Eddyville, Oregon. The project involves constructing seven miles of new road through steep and forested terrain in the Coast Range Mountains. During the fall and winter of 2006, extraordinary rain events produced runoff that overwhelmed installed erosion control measures and resulted in discharges to surface water in alleged violations of YRC’s stormwater permit. In June 2009, YRC was informed that the USDOJ had assumed the criminal investigation that the Oregon Department of Justice conducted in connection with stormwater runoff from the project. YRC and its members are fully cooperating in the investigation. We have communicated with the USDOJ about the agency’s possible penalties against GCCO. The USDOJ and GCCO will communicate further about the USDOJ’s investigation findings, GCCO’s response to the findings, and range of possible penalties contemplated by the USDOJ. We do not know whether any criminal charges or civil lawsuits will be brought or against whom, as a result of the USDOJ’s continuing investigation. While the amount of any penalties for which we may be responsible has not yet been determined, we expect that any criminal or civil penalty or conditional assessment that may result from this investigation will not exceed $1.0 million.

City of San Diego Fire Debris Cleanup

In the aftermath of the 2007 San Diego County wildfires, GCCO bid for and was awarded a fixed unit price, variable quantity contract with the City of San Diego (the “City”) to perform specified debris cleanup work. The City conducted an audit of the project which found that, while some GCCO billings contained mistakes, rates paid to GCCO appear to be generally reasonable. The former San Diego City Attorney later filed a civil lawsuit against GCCO and another contractor that had been awarded a similar cleanup contract with the City. In advance of litigating the claims, GCCO and the City reached a settlement in a mediation session consisting of payment by GCCO to the City made in May of 2011. Pursuant to the terms of the settlement agreement, the City requested dismissal of the lawsuit with prejudice which the court granted in May of 2011. While Granite believes the allegations in the City’s complaint to be without factual or legal basis and denies liability to the City, GCCO agreed to settle the lawsuit to avoid protracted litigation. The settlement amount paid by GCCO to the City did not have a material impact on the consolidated financial statements.

Grand Avenue Project DBE Issues

On March 6, 2009, the U.S. Department of Transportation, Office of Inspector General (“OIG”) served upon our wholly-owned subsidiary, Granite Construction Northeast, Inc. (“Granite Northeast”), a United States District Court Eastern District of New York subpoena to testify before a grand jury by producing documents. The subpoena seeks all documents pertaining to the use of a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (“DBE”) firm (the “Subcontractor”), and the Subcontractor’s use of a non-DBE lower tier subcontractor/consultant, on the Grand Avenue Bus Depot and Central Maintenance Facility for the Borough of Queens Project (the “Grand Avenue Project”), a Granite Northeast project. The subpoena also seeks any documents regarding the use of the Subcontractor as a DBE on any other projects and any other documents related to the Subcontractor or to the lower-tier subcontractor/consultant. We have complied with the subpoena and are fully cooperating with the OIG’s investigation. To date, Granite Northeast has not been notified that it is either a subject or target of the OIG’s investigation. Accordingly, we do not know whether any criminal charges or civil lawsuits will be brought or against whom, as a result of the investigation. Therefore, we cannot estimate what, if any, criminal or civil penalty or conditional assessment may result from this investigation.

Other Legal Proceedings/Government Inquiries

We are a party to a number of other legal proceedings arising in the normal course of business. From time to time, we also receive inquiries from public agencies seeking information concerning our compliance with government construction contracting requirements and related laws and regulations. We believe that the nature and number of these proceedings and compliance inquiries are typical for a construction firm of our size and scope. Our litigation typically involves claims regarding public liability or contract related issues. While management currently believes, after consultation with counsel, that the ultimate outcome of pending proceedings and compliance inquiries, individually and in the aggregate, will not have a material adverse affect on our financial position or overall trends in results of operations or cash flows, litigation is subject to inherent uncertainties. Were one or more unfavorable rulings to occur, there exists the possibility of a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations, cash flows and/or liquidity for the period in which the ruling occurs. In addition, our government contracts could be terminated, we could be suspended or debarred, or payment of our costs disallowed. While any one of our pending legal proceedings is subject to early resolution as a result of our ongoing efforts to settle, whether or when any legal proceeding will be resolved through settlement is neither predictable nor guaranteed.