CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF EARNINGS - USD ($) shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 26, 2016	Mar. 28, 2015
Income Statement [Abstract]
Product sales	$ 532,940	$ 603,894
Services sales	63,665	66,504
Net sales	596,605	670,398
Product cost of sales	393,492	459,541
Services cost of sales	42,144	45,403
Total cost of sales	435,636	504,944
Gross profit	160,969	165,454
Selling, general and administrative expenses	98,604	107,771
Operating income	62,365	57,683
Other income (expenses):
Interest expense	(11,054)	(11,128)
Interest income	811	874
Other	(1,678)	1,016
Total other income (expenses)	(11,921)	(9,238)
Earnings before income taxes	50,444	48,445
Income tax expense (benefit):
Current	10,514	11,774
Deferred	5,759	5,164
Total income tax expense (benefit)	16,273	16,938
Earnings before equity in earnings of nonconsolidated subsidiaries	34,171	31,507
Equity in earnings of nonconsolidated subsidiaries	0	0
Net earnings	34,171	31,507
Less: Earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests	(1,202)	(768)
Net earnings attributable to Valmont Industries, Inc.	$ 32,969	$ 30,739
Earnings per share:
Basic (in dollars per share)	$ 1.45	$ 1.29
Diluted (in dollars per share)	1.45	1.28
Cash dividends declared per share (in dollars per share)	$ 0.375	$ 0.375
Weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding - Basic (in shares)	22,700	23,868
Weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding - Diluted (in shares)	22,816	23,982