Long-Term Debt and Notes Payable (Details Textual) (USD $)	1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended						12 Months Ended			12 Months Ended				1 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2010 Installment	Jan. 31, 2013	Jan. 31, 2013 Maximum [Member]	Jan. 31, 2013 Minimum [Member]	Jan. 31, 2013 Revolving Credit Facility [Member]	Jan. 31, 2013 Revolving Credit Facility [Member] Maximum [Member]	Jan. 31, 2013 Standby Letters of Credit [Member]	Jan. 31, 2013 First Victoria Bank [Member] Revolving Credit Facility [Member]	Jan. 31, 2012 First Victoria Bank [Member] Revolving Credit Facility [Member]	Aug. 31, 2012 First Victoria Bank [Member] Revolving Credit Facility [Member]	Jan. 31, 2013 First Victoria Bank [Member] Revolving Credit Facility [Member] Maximum [Member]	Jan. 31, 2013 First Victoria Bank [Member] Revolving Credit Facility [Member] Minimum [Member]	Jan. 31, 2013 First Victoria Bank [Member] Amendment to revolving credit facility [Member]	Jan. 31, 2013 First Victoria Bank [Member] Amendment to revolving credit facility [Member] Maximum [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 Mitcham Canada ULC [Member] Installment	Mar. 31, 2010 Mitcham Canada ULC [Member] Note
Notes Payable [Line Items]
Number of promissory notes related to purchase																2
Annual interest rate of promissory note	8.00%														6.00%
Promissory note repayable installments	18														2
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Guaranty of subsidiary debt														$ 5,000,000
Average borrowings under the revolving credit facility								13,046,000	12,239,000
Limit of indebtedness											10,000,000
Outstanding standby letters of credit							622,000
Quarterly earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization												2,000,000
Current assets to current liabilities ratio				1.0							1.25
Debt to shareholders equity ratio			1.0									0.7
Available borrowings under the revolving credit facility to secure letters of credit						10,000,000
Interest rate					3.25%								3.25%
Interest description					Interest is payable monthly at the greater of the prime rate or 3.25%. As of January 31, 2013.								Interest at the prime rate, with a floor of 3.25%
Amortization period								48 months
Maturity date of revolving credit facility													Aug. 31, 2015
Maximum borrowing amount on a revolving basis										50,000,000
Long-Term Debt and Notes Payable (Textual) [Abstract]
Collateral securities		The revolving credit facility and any term loan are collateralized by essentially all of the Company’s domestic assets
Secured promissory note	$ 3,600,000