CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME - USD ($) shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 28, 2019	Dec. 29, 2018	Dec. 30, 2017	[1]
Income Statement [Abstract]
Net sales	$ 2,430,616	$ 2,507,878	$ 2,266,073
Cost of goods sold	2,035,610	2,150,400	1,940,617
Depreciation and amortization	42,693	39,555	33,944
Selling, general, and administrative expense	162,358	148,888	140,730
Gain on sale of assets, net	(963)	(253)	(1,491)	[2]
Impairment charges	0	0	1,466	[2]
Insurance recovery	(485)	(3,681)	0
Operating income	191,403	172,969	150,807
Interest expense	(25,683)	(25,199)	(19,502)
Environmental expense	(1,321)	(1,320)	(7,284)
Other income, net	1,684	3,967	2,951
Income before income taxes	166,083	150,417	126,972
Income tax expense	(35,257)	(30,952)	(37,884)
Loss from unconsolidated affiliates, net of foreign tax	(24,594)	(12,645)	(2,077)	[2]
Consolidated net income	106,232	106,820	87,011	[2]
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	(5,260)	(2,361)	(1,413)
Net income attributable to Mueller Industries, Inc.	$ 100,972	$ 104,459	$ 85,598
Weighted average shares for basic earnings per share (in shares)	55,798	56,782	56,925
Effect of dilutive stock-based awards (in shares)	545	487	559
Adjusted weighted average shares for diluted earnings per share (in shares)	56,343	57,269	57,484
Basic earnings per share (in dollars per share)	$ 1.81	$ 1.84	$ 1.50
Diluted earnings per share (in dollars per share)	1.79	1.82	1.49
Dividends per share (in dollars per share)	$ 0.40	$ 0.40	$ 8.40

[1] The Consolidated Statement of Income for 2017 has been adjusted to reflect the adoption of ASU 2017-07, Compensation - Retirement Benefits (Topic 715): Improving the Presentation of Net Periodic Pension Cost and Net Periodic Postretirement Benefit Cost in 2018. The components of net periodic benefit cost (income) other than the service cost component are included in other income, net in the Consolidated Statements of Income.

[2] The Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for prior periods have been adjusted to reflect the adoption of ASU 2016-18, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Restricted Cash. The Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows reflect the changes during the periods in the total of cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash. Therefore, restricted cash activity is included with cash when reconciling the beginning-of-period and end-of-period total amounts shown.