Mortgage Loans - Other Mortgage Loans (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Mar. 31, 2018	Sep. 30, 2017
Mortgage Loans on Real Estate, Write-down or Reserve [Line Items]
Other mortgage loans	$ 7.6	$ 8.3
Real estate owned	0.3	0.0
Total other mortgage loans and real estate owned, before loss reserves	7.9	8.3
Schedule of mortgage loss reserves
Loan loss reserves	8.3	8.7
Mortgage Loans on Real Estate [Member]
Schedule of mortgage loss reserves
Loan loss reserves	0.9	1.0
Obligation to Repurchase Receivables Sold [Member]
Schedule of mortgage loss reserves
Loan loss reserves	$ 7.4	$ 7.7

Reserve for mortgage loans on real estate.

No definition available.

Name:	dhi_ReserveForMortgageLoansOnRealEstateAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	dhi_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of allowance to cover probable credit losses on loans and leases. Includes carryover of or adjustments to the allowance for loan losses in connection with business combinations. Excludes allowance for loans and leases covered under loss sharing agreements.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 11B
-Subparagraph (g)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84173941&loc=SL6953423-111524

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 11B
-Subparagraph (c)(1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84173941&loc=SL6953423-111524

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-03.7(d))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6876686&loc=d3e534808-122878

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 4
-Subparagraph (SAB Topic 6.L.1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=27010918&loc=d3e74567-122707

Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 30
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (b)(1)(ii)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=82894903&loc=d3e15032-111544

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LoansAndLeasesReceivableAllowance
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Total carrying amount of mortgage loans as of the balance sheet date.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_MortgageLoansOnRealEstate
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- 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

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

- Definition

Carrying amount as of the balance sheet date of other real estate and foreclosed assets. Other real estate may include real estate investments, real estate loans that qualify as investments in real estate, and premises that are no longer used in operations may also be included in real estate owned. Foreclosed assets include all assets obtained in full or partial satisfaction of a debt arrangement through foreclosure proceedings.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-03.10(4))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6876686&loc=d3e534808-122878

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_OtherRealEstateAndForeclosedAssets
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Carrying amount as of the balance sheet date of land and buildings obtained through foreclosure proceedings or defeasance in full or partial satisfaction of a debt arrangement.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 205
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 6
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-04(c)(Schedule III))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=27047687&loc=d3e5864-122674

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 11
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84173941&loc=d3e5162-111524

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 3
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=82891408&loc=d3e4437-111522

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 970
-SubTopic 360
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.12-28)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6590653&loc=d3e638233-123024

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_RealEstateAcquiredThroughForeclosure
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_MortgageLoansOnRealEstateWriteDownOrReserveByLoanAxis=us-gaap_MortgagesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_MortgageLoansOnRealEstateWriteDownOrReserveByLoanAxis=us-gaap_ObligationToRepurchaseReceivablesSoldMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: