Cemetery Perpetual Care Trusts Long-term Receivable and Investment (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Mar. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Long-term receivable and investment components [Line Items]
Cemetery perpetual care trust investments	$ 1,440,935	$ 1,407,465
Cemetery Perpetual Care
Long-term receivable and investment components [Line Items]
Trust investments, at market	1,378,853	1,349,073
Restricted Cash	62,082	58,392
Cemetery perpetual care trust investments	$ 1,440,935	$ 1,407,465

The aggregate fair value as of the balance sheet date of financial instruments and other positions may include: (1) mortgages, mortgage-backed and asset backed securities; (2) US government and agency obligations; (3) state and municipal government obligations; (4) other sovereign government debt; (5) corporate obligations; (6) corporate equities; (7) principal investments; (8) derivative contracts; and (9) physical commodities. Includes both pledged and unpledged holdings.

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	sci_CemeteryPerpetualCareTrustInvestments
Namespace Prefix:	sci_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Line items represent the components of long-term receivables and investments, including trust investments, at market; cash and cash equivalents held by the trust; insurance policies held by the trust; and gross carrying value of long-term receivables from customers and unearned finance charges and cancellation allowance related to those receivables.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	sci_LongTermReceivableAndInvestmentComponentsLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	sci_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The carrying amounts of cash and cash equivalent items which are restricted as to withdrawal or usage. Restrictions may include legally restricted deposits held as compensating balances against borrowing arrangements, contracts entered into with others, or entity statements of intention with regard to particular deposits; however, time deposits and short-term certificates of deposit are not generally included in legally restricted deposits. Excludes compensating balance arrangements that are not agreements which legally restrict the use of cash amounts shown on the balance sheet. This element is for unclassified presentations; for classified presentations there is a separate and distinct element.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

+ Details

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

- Definition

This item represents the reported amount of the entity's investments measured at fair value. Fair value is the price that would be received to sell an investment in an orderly transaction between market participants at the balance sheet [measurement] date.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 946
-SubTopic 320
-Section S99
-Paragraph 7
-Subparagraph (SX 210.12-15)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=50485924&loc=d3e611379-123010

+ Details

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

- Details

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