Earnings Per Share (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Sep. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2018	Mar. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Sep. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2017	Mar. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Earnings Per Share, Basic, by Common Class, Including Two Class Method [Line Items]
Net income	$ 16,811	$ 69,261	$ 117,049	$ 31,339	$ 25,665	$ 48,783	$ 94,620	$ 22,270	$ 234,461	$ 191,339	$ 148,603
Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interest									0	294	352
Net income attributable to Pool Corporation	$ 16,811	$ 69,261	$ 117,049	$ 31,339	$ 25,665	$ 48,783	$ 94,903	$ 22,281	$ 234,461	$ 191,633	$ 148,955
Weighted average shares outstanding [Abstract]
Basic (in shares)									40,311	40,838	41,872
Effect of dilutive securities [Abstract]
Stock options and employee stock purchase plan (in shares)									1,382	1,611	1,112
Diluted (in shares)									41,693	42,449	42,984
Basic (in dollars per share)	$ 0.42	$ 1.71	$ 2.89	$ 0.78	$ 0.64	$ 1.20	$ 2.30	$ 0.54	$ 5.82	$ 4.69	$ 3.56
Diluted (in dollars per share)	$ 0.41	$ 1.66	$ 2.80	$ 0.75	$ 0.62	$ 1.16	$ 2.21	$ 0.52	$ 5.62	$ 4.51	$ 3.47
Anti-dilutive stock options whose exercise prices were higher than the common stock's average market price during the period (in shares)									0	108	1