CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN EQUITY - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Total	Common stock	Additional paid-in capital	Retained earnings	Accumulated other comprehensive loss	Treasury stock	Noncontrolling interests
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Common stock, outstanding (in shares)		160,366,000
Balance at beginning of year at Dec. 26, 2020		$ 802	$ 280,051	$ 1,019,694	$ (54,883)	$ (468,919)	$ 24,315
Treasury stock beginning balance (in shares) at Dec. 26, 2020						46,192,000
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Issuance of shares under two-for-one stock split (in shares)		0
Issuance of shares under two-for-one stock split		$ 0	0
Acquisition of shares under incentive stock option plans			720			$ (636)
Stock-based compensation expense			9,822
Issuance of restricted stock			(4,385)			$ 4,385
Net income attributable to Mueller Industries, Inc.	$ 468,520			468,520
Dividends paid or payable to stockholders of Mueller Industries, Inc.				(29,725)
Total other comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Mueller Industries, Inc.	(230)				1,536
Issuance of shares under incentive stock option plans (in shares)						(176,000)
Repurchase of common stock (in shares)						194,000
Repurchase of common stock						$ (4,864)
Issuance of restricted stock (in shares)						(436,000)
Purchase of Mueller Middle East							15,414
Dividends paid to noncontrolling interests							(9,722)
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	(6,604)						6,604
Foreign currency translation	(6,730)						(1,766)
Treasury stock ending balance (in shares) at Dec. 25, 2021						45,774,000
Balance at end of year at Dec. 25, 2021		$ 802	286,208	1,458,489	(53,347)	$ (470,034)	34,845
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Common stock, outstanding (in shares)		160,366,000
Issuance of shares under two-for-one stock split (in shares)		0
Issuance of shares under two-for-one stock split		$ 0	0
Acquisition of shares under incentive stock option plans			830			(2,260)
Stock-based compensation expense			17,801
Issuance of restricted stock			(7,569)			$ 7,569
Net income attributable to Mueller Industries, Inc.	658,316			658,316
Dividends paid or payable to stockholders of Mueller Industries, Inc.				(57,009)
Total other comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Mueller Industries, Inc.	(14,275)				(10,828)
Issuance of shares under incentive stock option plans (in shares)						(153,000)
Repurchase of common stock (in shares)						1,438,000
Repurchase of common stock						$ (38,054)
Issuance of restricted stock (in shares)						(696,000)
Purchase of Mueller Middle East							(5,604)
Dividends paid to noncontrolling interests							(7,248)
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	(4,504)						4,504
Foreign currency translation	(30,382)						(3,447)
Treasury stock ending balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2022						46,363,000
Balance at end of year at Dec. 31, 2022	$ 1,813,964	$ 802	297,270	2,059,796	(64,175)	$ (502,779)	23,050
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Common stock, outstanding (in shares)	114,003,234	160,366,000
Issuance of shares under two-for-one stock split (in shares)		0
Issuance of shares under two-for-one stock split		$ 802	(802)
Acquisition of shares under incentive stock option plans			786			(9,541)
Stock-based compensation expense			23,131
Issuance of restricted stock			(8,214)			$ 8,214
Net income attributable to Mueller Industries, Inc.	$ 602,897			602,897
Dividends paid or payable to stockholders of Mueller Industries, Inc.				(68,393)
Total other comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Mueller Industries, Inc.	17,735				16,954
Issuance of shares under incentive stock option plans (in shares)						57,000
Repurchase of common stock (in shares)						516,000
Repurchase of common stock						$ (19,303)
Issuance of restricted stock (in shares)						(728,000)
Purchase of Mueller Middle East							0
Dividends paid to noncontrolling interests							(9,312)
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	(6,752)						6,752
Foreign currency translation	$ 21,943						781
Treasury stock ending balance (in shares) at Dec. 30, 2023	15,000,000					46,208,000
Balance at end of year at Dec. 30, 2023	$ 2,358,716	$ 1,604	$ 312,171	$ 2,594,300	$ (47,221)	$ (523,409)	$ 21,271
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Common stock, outstanding (in shares)	114,157,918	160,366,000