v3.8.0.1

Note 17 - Commitments and Contingencies (Details Textual) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016	Dec. 31, 2016
Nonrefundable Cash Deposits	$ 80,300
Capitalized Preacquisition and Other Development and Construction Costs	31,300
Remaining Purchase Price of Land Purchase and Option Contracts	$ 995,100
Number of Joint Ventures the Company Holds Membership Interest In	28
Number of Active Joint Ventures	14
Number of Inactive Joint Ventures	14
Number of Joint Ventures Having Project Specific Non-recourse Debt to the Company	0
Outstanding Joint Venture Surety Bonds	$ 0
Outstanding Surety Bonds	1,002,200
Surety Bonds Cost to Complete	506,100
Mortgage Loans in Process	$ 291,600
Mortgage Loans in Process, Interest Rate	4.00%
Loans Receivable Held-for-sale, Net, Not Part of Disposal Group, Mortgage	$ 163,400
Mortgage Loans Committed to Sell to Investors	33,300
Gain (Loss) on Mortgage Loan Related to Indemnification and Repurchase Allowance	300	$ 100
Mortgage Loan Repurchase Reserve	3,800		$ 3,600
Mortgage Loan Repurchase Payments	100	$ 300
Insurance and Litigation Accruals	233,800		$ 233,500
Mortgage Loans in Process [Member]
Mortgage Loans Expected to be Originated on a Non-presold Basis	$ 258,300

Capitalized preacquisition and other development and construction costs relating to land purchase and option contracts.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	caa_CapitalizedPreacquisitionAndOtherDevelopmentAndConstructionCosts
Namespace Prefix:	caa_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Represents the amount of gain (loss) on mortgage loan related to indemnification and repurchase allowance.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	caa_GainLossOnMortgageLoanRelatedToIndemnificationAndRepurchaseAllowance
Namespace Prefix:	caa_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Accrual as of the balance sheet date for the estimate of insurance and litigation liabilities.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	caa_InsuranceAndLitigationAccruals
Namespace Prefix:	caa_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Payments related to loan indemnification or repurchase obligations.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	caa_MortgageLoanRepurchasePayments
Namespace Prefix:	caa_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Reserve for probable loan indemnification or repurchase obligations.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	caa_MortgageLoanRepurchaseReserve
Namespace Prefix:	caa_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Mortgage loans committed to sell to investors subject to the Company's funding and completion of the investors' administrative review of applicable loan documents.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	caa_MortgageLoansCommittedToSellToInvestors
Namespace Prefix:	caa_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Mortgage loans in process that were or are expected to be originated on a non-presold basis.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	caa_MortgageLoansExpectedToBeOriginatedOnANonPresoldBasis
Namespace Prefix:	caa_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Mortgage loans in process for which interest rates were committed to borrowers.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	caa_MortgageLoansInProcess
Namespace Prefix:	caa_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Weighted average interest rate of mortgage loans in process for which interest rates were committed to borrowers.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	caa_MortgageLoansInProcessInterestRate
Namespace Prefix:	caa_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Non-refundable cash deposits.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	caa_NonrefundableCashDeposits
Namespace Prefix:	caa_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Number of active joint ventures.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	caa_NumberOfActiveJointVentures
Namespace Prefix:	caa_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Number of inactive joint ventures.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	caa_NumberOfInactiveJointVentures
Namespace Prefix:	caa_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Number of Joint Ventures Having Project Specific Non-recourse Debt to the Company

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	caa_NumberOfJointVenturesHavingProjectSpecificNonrecourseDebtToTheCompany
Namespace Prefix:	caa_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Number of Joint Ventures The Company Holds Membership Interest In.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	caa_NumberOfJointVenturesTheCompanyHoldsMembershipInterestIn
Namespace Prefix:	caa_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Joint venture surety bonds outstanding subject to indemnity arrangements by the Company.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	caa_OutstandingJointVentureSuretyBonds
Namespace Prefix:	caa_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Surety bonds outstanding (exclusive of surety bonds related to joint ventures).

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	caa_OutstandingSuretyBonds
Namespace Prefix:	caa_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Remaining purchase price of land purchase and option contracts.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	caa_RemainingPurchasePriceOfLandPurchaseAndOptionContracts
Namespace Prefix:	caa_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Remaining in cost to complete in connection with surety bonds outstanding (exclusive of surety bonds related to joint ventures).

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	caa_SuretyBondsCostToComplete
Namespace Prefix:	caa_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount, after allowance for bad debt, of mortgage loan receivables held-for-sale that are not part of a disposal group. Excludes loans and leases covered under loss sharing agreements and loans classified as debt securities.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=82891408&loc=d3e4428-111522

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LoansReceivableHeldForSaleNetNotPartOfDisposalGroupMortgage
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_MortgageLoansOnRealEstateLoanTypeAxis=caa_MortgageLoansInProcessMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

CalAtlantic Group, Inc. 10-Q