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The total liability as of the balance sheet date from proceeds deposited into trust from the sale of cemetery property interment rights, including undistributed earnings on investments, excluding accrued expenses.

No definition available.

Name:	sci_CareTrustsCorpusExcludingAccruedExpenses
Namespace Prefix:	sci_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

Name:	sci_ComponentsofOtherIncomeNonoperatingLineItems
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The total liability as of the balance sheet date of amounts deposited into trust, including retrospective refunds and undistributed earnings and losses on investments.

No definition available.

Name:	sci_DeferredPreneedFuneralAndCemeteryReceiptsHeldInTrust
Namespace Prefix:	sci_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

The total liability as of the balance sheet date of amounts deposited into trust, including retrospective refunds and undistributed earnings and losses on investments, excluding accrued expenses.

No definition available.

Name:	sci_DeferredPreneedFuneralAndCemeteryReceiptsHeldInTrustExcludingAccruedExpenses
Namespace Prefix:	sci_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
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Effect on deferred receipts held in trust and care trust corpus' of the aggregate amount of income from investments (for example, dividends) not considered a component of the entity's core operations.

No definition available.

Name:	sci_InvestmentIncomeNonoperatingEffectOnDeferredPreneedReceiptsHeldInTrustAndCareTrustCorpus
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Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
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This item represents the gross profit realized on the sale of debt or equity securities categorized neither as held-to-maturity nor trading securities.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 320

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 9

-Subparagraph (a)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=27724398&loc=d3e27357-111563

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Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
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This item represents the gross loss realized on the sale of debt or equity securities categorized neither as held-to-maturity nor trading securities.

Name:	us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesGrossRealizedLosses
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
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Period Type:	duration

Amount of operating dividend and interest income, including amortization and accretion of premiums and discounts, on securities.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 320

-SubTopic 10

-Section 35

-Paragraph 4

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=27723805&loc=d3e24721-111560

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 04

-Paragraph 2, 3

-Article 9

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 942

-SubTopic 225

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-04.2,3)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879574&loc=d3e536633-122882

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Amount of expenses related to the generation of investment income.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 944

-SubTopic 225

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.7-04.2)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879464&loc=d3e573970-122913

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 225

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 2

-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-03.9)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=26872669&loc=d3e20235-122688

Name:	us-gaap_InvestmentIncomeInvestmentExpense
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

The aggregate amount of income from investments (for example, dividends) not considered a component of the entity's core operations.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 225

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 2

-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-03.7)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=26872669&loc=d3e20235-122688

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 03

-Paragraph 7

-Article 5

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The aggregate amount of income or expense from ancillary business-related activities (that is to say, excluding major activities considered part of the normal operations of the business).

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
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The aggregate carrying amount, as of the balance sheet date, of liabilities not separately disclosed in the balance sheet.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 03

-Paragraph 15

-Article 9

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 942

-SubTopic 210

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-03.15)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6876686&loc=d3e534808-122878

Name:	us-gaap_OtherLiabilities
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Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
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The net amount of other income and expense amounts, the components of which are not separately disclosed on the income statement, resulting from ancillary business-related activities (that is, excluding major activities considered part of the normal operations of the business) also known as other nonoperating income (expense) recognized for the period. Such amounts may include: (a) dividends, (b) interest on securities, (c) net gains or losses on securities, (d) unusual costs, (e) gains or losses on foreign exchange transactions, and (f) miscellaneous other income and expense items.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 03

-Paragraph 9

-Article 5

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 225

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 2

-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-03.9)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=26872669&loc=d3e20235-122688

Name:	us-gaap_OtherNonoperatingIncomeExpense
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Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
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The amount of other than temporary impairment (OTTI) losses on equity securities, OTTI related to credit losses on debt securities, and OTTI losses on debt securities when the entity intends to sell the securities or it is more likely than not that the entity will be required to sell the securities before recovery of its amortized cost basis. Additionally, this item includes OTTI losses recognized during the period on investments accounted for under the cost method of accounting.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 320

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 8B

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=27724398&loc=SL6284393-111563

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Name:	us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=sci_CemeteryMember
Namespace Prefix:
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Period Type:

Name:	us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=sci_CemeteryPerpetualCareMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
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Period Type:

Name:	us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=sci_FuneralMember
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