Supplemental Guarantor Financial Information (Condensed Unaudited Consolidating Statements of Cash Flows) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2016	Mar. 31, 2015
Condensed Unaudited Consolidating Statements of Cash Flows [Line Items]
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities	$ 15,851	$ 118,826
Cash flows (used in) provided by investing activities:
Cash paid for acquisitions, net of cash acquired	0	(148)
Capital expenditures	(13,343)	(19,660)
Proceeds from sale of property and equipment	2,237	1,360
Payments for other investments	(1,514)	(31,959)
Net cash used in investing activities	(12,620)	(50,407)
Cash flows provided by (used in) financing activities:
Proceeds from credit facilities	335,747	439,507
Repayments of credit facilities	(320,742)	(404,776)
Repayments of other borrowings and capital lease obligations	(20,600)	(15,100)
Repurchase of common stock	0	(83,261)
Proceeds from stock-based awards, net of tax withholdings	1,817	925
Excess tax benefit from stock-based compensation	248	0
Net financing activities and advances from (to) consolidated affiliates	0	0
Net cash used in financing activities	(3,648)	(62,830)
Effect of currency translation on cash	(682)	(957)
Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents	(1,099)	4,632
Cash and cash equivalents - beginning of period	4,984	24,059
Cash and cash equivalents - end of period	3,885	28,691
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | MasTec, Inc. [Member]
Condensed Unaudited Consolidating Statements of Cash Flows [Line Items]
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities	0	(400)
Cash flows (used in) provided by investing activities:
Cash paid for acquisitions, net of cash acquired		0
Capital expenditures	0	0
Proceeds from sale of property and equipment	0	0
Payments for other investments	0	0
Net cash used in investing activities	0	0
Cash flows provided by (used in) financing activities:
Proceeds from credit facilities	0	0
Repayments of credit facilities	0	0
Repayments of other borrowings and capital lease obligations	0	0
Repurchase of common stock		(83,300)
Proceeds from stock-based awards, net of tax withholdings	2,000	1,100
Excess tax benefit from stock-based compensation	0
Net financing activities and advances from (to) consolidated affiliates	(2,000)	82,600
Net cash used in financing activities	0	400
Effect of currency translation on cash	0	0
Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents - beginning of period	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents - end of period	0	0
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Unaudited Consolidating Statements of Cash Flows [Line Items]
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities	(5,300)	175,900
Cash flows (used in) provided by investing activities:
Cash paid for acquisitions, net of cash acquired		(100)
Capital expenditures	(12,200)	(17,900)
Proceeds from sale of property and equipment	1,500	1,200
Payments for other investments	0	(32,000)
Net cash used in investing activities	(10,700)	(48,800)
Cash flows provided by (used in) financing activities:
Proceeds from credit facilities	286,800	251,000
Repayments of credit facilities	(270,500)	(224,700)
Repayments of other borrowings and capital lease obligations	(16,300)	(10,700)
Repurchase of common stock		0
Proceeds from stock-based awards, net of tax withholdings	(200)	(200)
Excess tax benefit from stock-based compensation	200
Net financing activities and advances from (to) consolidated affiliates	13,600	(135,700)
Net cash used in financing activities	13,600	(120,300)
Effect of currency translation on cash	0	0
Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents	(2,500)	6,800
Cash and cash equivalents - beginning of period	4,700	18,500
Cash and cash equivalents - end of period	2,200	25,300
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Unaudited Consolidating Statements of Cash Flows [Line Items]
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities	21,200	(56,700)
Cash flows (used in) provided by investing activities:
Cash paid for acquisitions, net of cash acquired		0
Capital expenditures	(1,100)	(1,800)
Proceeds from sale of property and equipment	700	200
Payments for other investments	(1,500)	0
Net cash used in investing activities	(1,900)	(1,600)
Cash flows provided by (used in) financing activities:
Proceeds from credit facilities	48,900	188,500
Repayments of credit facilities	(50,200)	(180,100)
Repayments of other borrowings and capital lease obligations	(4,300)	(4,400)
Repurchase of common stock		0
Proceeds from stock-based awards, net of tax withholdings	0	0
Excess tax benefit from stock-based compensation	0
Net financing activities and advances from (to) consolidated affiliates	(11,600)	53,100
Net cash used in financing activities	(17,200)	57,100
Effect of currency translation on cash	(700)	(1,000)
Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents	1,400	(2,200)
Cash and cash equivalents - beginning of period	300	5,600
Cash and cash equivalents - end of period	1,700	3,400
Eliminations [Member]
Condensed Unaudited Consolidating Statements of Cash Flows [Line Items]
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities	0	0
Cash flows (used in) provided by investing activities:
Cash paid for acquisitions, net of cash acquired		0
Capital expenditures	0	0
Proceeds from sale of property and equipment	0	0
Payments for other investments	0	0
Net cash used in investing activities	0	0
Cash flows provided by (used in) financing activities:
Proceeds from credit facilities	0	0
Repayments of credit facilities	0	0
Repayments of other borrowings and capital lease obligations	0	0
Repurchase of common stock		0
Proceeds from stock-based awards, net of tax withholdings	0	0
Excess tax benefit from stock-based compensation	0
Net financing activities and advances from (to) consolidated affiliates	0	0
Net cash used in financing activities	0	0
Effect of currency translation on cash	0	0
Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents - beginning of period	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents - end of period	$ 0	$ 0