Segment Disclosures - Revenues (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2016	Mar. 31, 2015
Segment Reporting Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Total consolidated revenues	$ 1,144,026	$ 957,749
Homebuilding [Member]
Segment Reporting Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Revenues	1,121,504	941,538
Homebuilding [Member] \| Mid Atlantic [Member]
Segment Reporting Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Revenues	633,571	556,120
Homebuilding [Member] \| North East [Member]
Segment Reporting Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Revenues	97,153	82,993
Homebuilding [Member] \| Mid East [Member]
Segment Reporting Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Revenues	244,277	185,429
Homebuilding [Member] \| South East [Member]
Segment Reporting Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Revenues	146,503	116,996
Mortgage Banking [Member]
Segment Reporting Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Mortgage Banking	$ 22,522	$ 16,211

The noninterest income derived from mortgage banking activities (fees and commissions), excluding fees earned from servicing third-party assets.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 225
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-04.13 (d))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879574&loc=d3e536633-122882

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FeesAndCommissionsMortgageBanking
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Revenue related to the sale of homes and home building activities including design, development, general contracting, and renovation services for residential buildings, including single-family houses, multifamily housing, townhouses, apartments, and modular housing.

+ References

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 210.5-03.1(e))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=26872669&loc=d3e20235-122688

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_HomeBuildingRevenue
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of revenue recognized from goods sold, services rendered, insurance premiums, or other activities that constitute an earning process. Includes, but is not limited to, investment and interest income before deduction of interest expense when recognized as a component of revenue, and sales and trading gain (loss).

+ References

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 210.5-03.1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=26872669&loc=d3e20235-122688

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_Revenues
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_SegmentReportingRevenueReconcilingItemLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

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

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis=nvr_MidAtlanticMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis=nvr_NorthEastMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis=nvr_MidEastMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis=nvr_SouthEastMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

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