Aggregate affirmative claim recovery estimate included in contract asset and liability balances.

No definition available.

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

- Definition

Costs in excess of billings and estimated earnings and billings in excess of estimated earnings.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- 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://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 606
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 10
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109196051&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 revenue recognized that was previously included in balance of obligation to transfer good or service to customer for which consideration from customer has been received or is due.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 606
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 8
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109196051&loc=SL49130549-203045

+ Details

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Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- Details

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Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Contract Assets and Liabilities - Additional Information (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Sep. 30, 2017
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Revenue recognized	$ 600	$ 103,300
Contracts Revenue		(37,793)
Aggregate claim recovery estimate included in contract assets and liability	37,200	37,200	$ 26,700
Costs in excess of billings and estimated earnings and billings in excess of estimated earnings				$ 21,600
Performance Obligations [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Contracts Revenue	$ 25,300	$ 86,200