Supplemental Guarantor Financial Information (Condensed Consolidating Balance Sheets) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013		Dec. 31, 2012
Assets
Current assets	$ 1,132,902	$ 1,531,751
Property and equipment, net	558,667	623,118
Goodwill and other intangible assets, net	1,187,900	1,332,800
Investments in and advances to consolidated affiliates, net	0	0
Other long-term assets	60,738	76,272
Total assets	2,940,197	3,563,980	$ 2,923,200	[1]
Liabilities and equity
Total current liabilities	752,789	980,848
Long-term debt	945,464	1,061,159
Advances from consolidated affiliates, net		0
Other long-term liabilities	298,500	373,900
Total liabilities	1,996,806	2,415,905
Total equity	943,391	1,148,075	$ 1,021,058		$ 861,875
Total liabilities and equity	2,940,197	3,563,980
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | MasTec, Inc. [Member]
Assets
Current assets	0	0
Property and equipment, net	0	0
Goodwill and other intangible assets, net	0	0
Investments in and advances to consolidated affiliates, net	930,300	1,134,400
Other long-term assets	9,300	9,300
Total assets	939,600	1,143,700
Liabilities and equity
Total current liabilities	0	0
Long-term debt	0	0
Advances from consolidated affiliates, net		0
Other long-term liabilities	0	0
Total liabilities	0	0
Total equity	939,600	1,143,700
Total liabilities and equity	939,600	1,143,700
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Assets
Current assets	930,500	1,249,600
Property and equipment, net	448,200	472,600
Goodwill and other intangible assets, net	1,047,400	1,068,300
Investments in and advances to consolidated affiliates, net	103,700	0
Other long-term assets	34,100	28,700
Total assets	2,563,900	2,819,200
Liabilities and equity
Total current liabilities	633,200	777,400
Long-term debt	912,700	1,027,300
Advances from consolidated affiliates, net		70,700
Other long-term liabilities	275,500	239,300
Total liabilities	1,821,400	2,114,700
Total equity	742,500	704,500
Total liabilities and equity	2,563,900	2,819,200
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Assets
Current assets	202,400	282,200
Property and equipment, net	110,500	150,500
Goodwill and other intangible assets, net	140,500	264,500
Investments in and advances to consolidated affiliates, net	50,600	123,000
Other long-term assets	17,300	38,300
Total assets	521,300	858,500
Liabilities and equity
Total current liabilities	119,600	203,400
Long-term debt	32,800	33,900
Advances from consolidated affiliates, net		0
Other long-term liabilities	23,000	134,600
Total liabilities	175,400	371,900
Total equity	345,900	486,600
Total liabilities and equity	521,300	858,500
Eliminations [Member]
Assets
Current assets	0	0
Property and equipment, net	0	0
Goodwill and other intangible assets, net	0	0
Investments in and advances to consolidated affiliates, net	(1,084,600)	(1,257,400)
Other long-term assets	0	0
Total assets	(1,084,600)	(1,257,400)
Liabilities and equity
Total current liabilities	0	0
Long-term debt	0	0
Advances from consolidated affiliates, net		(70,700)
Other long-term liabilities	0	0
Total liabilities	0	(70,700)
Total equity	(1,084,600)	(1,186,700)
Total liabilities and equity	$ (1,084,600)	$ (1,257,400)

[1] Consolidated total assets were $2,923.2 million as of December 31, 2013, including assets of discontinued operations of $12.5 million.