Senior Notes, Secured, and Subordinated Indebtedness - Narrative (Details)								12 Months Ended
	Sep. 15, 2015 USD ($)	Nov. 21, 2014 $ / shares shares	Aug. 11, 2014 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2014	Oct. 24, 2013 USD ($)	Nov. 08, 2012 USD ($)	Sep. 03, 2009	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($) land_acquisition	Mar. 27, 2015 USD ($)	Mar. 26, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 03, 2014 $ / note shares	Dec. 31, 2013 USD ($)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total notes payable								$ 175,181,000	$ 39,235,000
Debt instrument, maturity date							Sep. 30, 2016
Long-term debt, gross								1,105,776,000	925,398,000
Subordinated amortizing notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument interest rate												5.50%
Initial principal amount of each amortizing note | $ / note												18.01
Quarterly installment on each amortizing note | $ / note												1.6250
First installment payment per amortizing note | $ / note												1.8056
Long-term debt, gross								$ 14,066,000	$ 20,717,000
5 3/4% Senior Notes due 2019
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument interest rate								5.75%	5.75%				5.75%
Long-term debt, gross								$ 148,295,000	$ 147,766,000
8 1/2% Senior Notes due 2020
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument interest rate								8.50%	8.50%				8.50%
Long-term debt, gross								$ 422,896,000	$ 422,889,000
7% Senior Notes due 2022
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument interest rate								7.00%	7.00%				7.00%
Long-term debt, gross								$ 345,338,000	$ 294,791,000
Revolving Credit Facility
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Deferred loan costs								$ 1,400,000	1,300,000
Maximum borrowing capacity										$ 130,000,000.0	$ 100,000,000
Additional capacity under accordion feature										200,000,000.0	$ 125,000,000.0
Sublimit for letters of credit										$ 50,000,000.0
Revolving Credit Facility | Revolving Credit Facility Agreement
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Commitment fee								0.50%
Letters of credit outstanding, amount								$ 8,600,000	4,000,000
Seller Financing
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total notes payable								$ 0	$ 547,000
Number of land acquisitions | land_acquisition									2
First Note Payable | Seller Financing | Seller Financing Notes Payable Maturing May 2015
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument interest rate								7.00%
Debt instrument, maturity date								May 15, 2015
First Note Payable | Seller Financing | Seller Financing Notes Payable Maturing January 2015
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total notes payable									$ 400,000
Second Note Payable | Seller Financing | Seller Financing Notes Payable Maturing January 2015
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total notes payable									$ 100,000
Debt instrument interest rate									4.00%
Senior Notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Deferred loan costs								$ 13,358,000
Senior Notes | Senior Notes Due 2020 and 2022
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt premium								4,887,000
Senior Notes | 5 3/4% Senior Notes due 2019
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Deferred loan costs								$ 1,700,000	$ 2,200,000
Debt instrument interest rate				5.75%				5.75%	5.75%
Debt instrument, maturity date									Apr. 15, 2019
Principal amount								$ 150,000,000
Percentage of issuance price on face value				100.00%
Senior Notes | 8 1/2% Senior Notes due 2020
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt premium								3,900,000
Deferred loan costs								$ 6,000,000	$ 7,300,000
Debt instrument interest rate						8.50%		8.50%	8.50%
Debt instrument, maturity date								Nov. 15, 2020	Nov. 15, 2020
Principal amount					$ 100,000,000.0	$ 325,000,000		$ 425,000,000
Percentage of issuance price on face value					106.50%	100.00%
Percentage of redemption price of principal amount								100.00%
Proceeds from issuance of debt					$ 104,700,000
Senior note								$ 425,000,000					$ 425,000,000
Interest at an annual rate								8.50%
First requisite repayment date								May 15, 2013
Debt instrument redemption date								Nov. 15, 2016
Senior Notes | 7% Senior Notes due 2022
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt premium								$ 1,000,000
Deferred loan costs								5,600,000	$ 5,200,000
Debt instrument interest rate			7.00%						7.00%
Debt instrument, maturity date									Aug. 15, 2022
Principal amount	$ 50,000,000.0		$ 300,000,000					350,000,000
Percentage of issuance price on face value	102.00%		100.00%
Proceeds from issuance of debt	$ 50,500,000
Senior Notes | Secured Senior Notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument interest rate						10.25%
Principal amount						$ 235,000,000
Senior Notes | Senior Subordinated Notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument interest rate						12.00%
Principal amount						$ 76,000,000
Senior Notes | Project Debt
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal amount						$ 11,000,000
Line of Credit
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total notes payable								$ 65,000,000	$ 0
Current rate								3.32%
Minimum | Senior Notes | 5 3/4% Senior Notes due 2019
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Notice period for redemption of notes (in days)								30 days
Minimum | Senior Notes | 8 1/2% Senior Notes due 2020
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Notice period for redemption of notes (in days)								30 days
Minimum | Senior Notes | 7% Senior Notes due 2022
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Notice period for redemption of notes (in days)								30 days
Maximum | Senior Notes | 5 3/4% Senior Notes due 2019
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Notice period for redemption of notes (in days)								60 days
Maximum | Senior Notes | 8 1/2% Senior Notes due 2020
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Notice period for redemption of notes (in days)								60 days
Maximum | Senior Notes | 7% Senior Notes due 2022
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Notice period for redemption of notes (in days)								60 days
California Lyon
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total notes payable								$ 80,915,000	384,000
California Lyon | Subordinated amortizing notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, gross								14,066,000	20,717,000
California Lyon | 5 3/4% Senior Notes due 2019
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, gross								148,295,000	147,766,000
California Lyon | 8 1/2% Senior Notes due 2020
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, gross								422,896,000	422,889,000
California Lyon | 7% Senior Notes due 2022
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, gross								$ 345,338,000	$ 294,791,000
California Lyon | Senior Notes | 5 3/4% Senior Notes due 2019
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Percentage of redemption price of principal amount								100.00%
Maximum redemption percentage of aggregate principal amount								35.00%
Percent redemption price								105.75%
California Lyon | Senior Notes | 8 1/2% Senior Notes due 2020
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Percentage of redemption price of principal amount								108.50%
Maximum redemption percentage of aggregate principal amount								35.00%
California Lyon | Senior Notes | 7% Senior Notes due 2022
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Percentage of redemption price of principal amount								100.00%
Maximum redemption percentage of aggregate principal amount								35.00%
Percent redemption price								107.00%
William Lyon Homes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Ownership rate								100.00%
Tangible Equity Units
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Number of tangible equity units issued (in units) | shares		1,000,000										150,000
Stated rate		6.50%
Price per unit (in USD per unit) | $ / shares		$ 100
Conversion premium		17.50%