Contract Assets and Liabilities - Schedule of Change in Contract Asset Balance (Details) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2018 USD ($)
Revenue From Contract With Customer [Abstract]
Balance at January 1, 2018	$ 160,890
Change in the measure of progress on projects, net	169,686
Revisions in estimates, net	(4,998)
Billings	(132,586)
Receipts related to contract retention	(14,329)
Balance at March 31, 2018	$ 178,663

Contract with customer asset balance net.

No definition available.

Name:	gva_ContractWithCustomerAssetBalanceNet
Namespace Prefix:	gva_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Contract with customer billings asset.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	gva_ContractWithCustomerBillingsAsset
Namespace Prefix:	gva_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of increase (decrease) in revenue recognized for cumulative catch-up adjustment from change in estimate of transaction price which increases (decreases) right to consideration in exchange for good or service transferred to customer when right is conditioned on something other than passage of time. Includes, but is not limited to, change in assessment of whether estimate of variable consideration is constrained.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 606
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 10
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=82913847&loc=SL49130551-203045

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of increase (decrease) in revenue recognized for cumulative catch-up adjustment from change in measure of progress which increases (decreases) right to consideration in exchange for good or service transferred to customer when right is conditioned on something other than passage of time.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ContractWithCustomerAssetCumulativeCatchUpAdjustmentToRevenueChangeInMeasureOfProgress
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of increase (decrease) in revenue recognized for cumulative catch-up adjustment from contract modification which increases (decreases) right to consideration in exchange for good or service transferred to customer when right is conditioned on something other than passage of time.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ContractWithCustomerAssetCumulativeCatchUpAdjustmentToRevenueModificationOfContract
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_RevenueFromContractWithCustomerAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration