Consolidated Statements of Changes in Stockholders' Equity - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Total	Common Stock	Additional Paid-in Capital	Retained Earnings	Total Green Brick Partners, Inc. Stockholders’ Equity	Noncontrolling Interests
Balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2013		11,108,500
Balance at Dec. 31, 2013	$ 198,819	$ 111	$ 155,985	$ 33,014	$ 189,110	$ 9,709
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Share-based compensation	40		40		40
Common stock issued in private and public offering (in shares)		14,000,000
Common stock issued in private and public offering	70,000	$ 140	69,860		70,000
Issuance of common stock for reverse recapitalization (in shares)		6,237,584
Issuance of common stock for reverse recapitalization	(124,197)	$ (62)	(124,259)		(124,197)
Contributions	787					787
Distributions	(24,914)			(13,121)	(13,121)	(11,793)
Out-of-period equity adjustment	0
Net income	61,062			50,026	50,026	11,036
Balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2014		31,346,084
Balance at Dec. 31, 2014	181,597	$ 313	101,626	69,919	171,858	9,739
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Share-based compensation	383		383		383
Common stock issued in private and public offering		$ 0
Issuance of common stock under 2014 Equity Plan (in shares)		42,342
Issuance of common stock under 2014 Equity Plan	0
Amortization of deferred share-based compensation	91		91		91
Issuance of common stock in connection with secondary offering, net of issuance costs (in shares)		17,444,897
Issuance of common stock in connection with secondary offering, net of issuance costs	169,942	$ 175	169,767		169,942
Contributions	87					87
Distributions	(7,723)					(7,723)
Out-of-period equity adjustment	1,933			1,933	1,933
Net income	$ 25,545			15,325	15,325	10,220
Balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2015	48,833,323	48,833,323
Balance at Dec. 31, 2015	$ 371,855	$ 488	271,867	87,177	359,532	12,323
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Share-based compensation	361		361		361
Issuance of common stock under 2014 Equity Plan (in shares)		122,586
Issuance of common stock under 2014 Equity Plan	649	$ 2	647		649
Amortization of deferred share-based compensation	274		274		274
Contributions	2,928					2,928
Distributions	(9,755)					(9,755)
Out-of-period equity adjustment	0
Net income	$ 35,173			23,756	23,756	11,417
Balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2016	48,955,909	48,955,909
Balance at Dec. 31, 2016	$ 401,485	$ 490	$ 273,149	$ 110,933	$ 384,572	$ 16,913