Quarterly Financial Information (Unaudited) (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 28, 2019	Sep. 28, 2019	Jun. 29, 2019	Mar. 30, 2019	Dec. 29, 2018	Sep. 29, 2018	Jun. 30, 2018	Mar. 31, 2018	Dec. 28, 2019	Dec. 29, 2018	Dec. 30, 2017	[1]
Quarterly Financial Information Disclosure [Abstract]
Net sales	$ 543,839	$ 608,602	$ 666,394	$ 611,781	$ 559,087	$ 645,958	$ 662,773	$ 640,060	$ 2,430,616	$ 2,507,878	$ 2,266,073
Gross profit	94,358	97,814	102,446	100,388	85,133	79,002	98,953	94,390
Consolidated net income	29,973	30,444	28,676	17,139	27,731	20,863	33,882	24,344	106,232	106,820	87,011	[2]
Net income attributable to Mueller Industries, Inc.	$ 28,170	$ 29,093	$ 27,986	$ 15,723	$ 26,857	$ 20,292	$ 33,182	$ 24,128	$ 100,972	$ 104,459	$ 85,598
Basic earnings per share (in dollars per share)	$ 0.50	$ 0.52	$ 0.50	$ 0.28	$ 0.47	$ 0.36	$ 0.58	$ 0.42	$ 1.81	$ 1.84	$ 1.50
Diluted earnings per share (in dollars per share)	0.50	0.52	0.50	0.28	0.47	0.35	0.58	0.42	1.79	1.82	1.49
Dividends per share (in dollars per share)	$ 0.10	$ 0.10	$ 0.10	$ 0.10	$ 0.10	$ 0.10	$ 0.10	$ 0.10	$ 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.