Note 17 - Supplemental Guarantor Information - Supplemental Condensed Consolidating Statements of Operations (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020	Mar. 31, 2019
Revenues:
Revenue	$ 132,033	$ 118,848
Cost of Sales:
Cost of Sales	120,366	105,837
Gross Margin:
Gross margin	11,667	13,011
Selling and marketing expenses	(7,466)	(8,679)
General and administrative expenses	(6,023)	(7,391)
Equity in net income (loss) of unconsolidated joint ventures	(1,937)	184
Equity in net income (loss) of subsidiaries	0	0
Interest expense	(718)	0
Project abandonment costs	(14,036)	(5)
Gain (Loss) on Extinguishment of Debt, Total	(123)	417
Other income (expense), net	223	(188)
Pretax loss	(18,413)	(2,651)
Benefit for income taxes	9,937	664
Net loss	(8,476)	(1,987)
Net loss attributable to non-controlling interest in subsidiary	0	0
Net loss attributable to The New Home Company Inc.	(8,476)	(1,987)
Equity in net loss of subsidiaries	0	0
Project abandonment costs		(5)
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Revenues:
Revenue	0	0
Cost of Sales:
Cost of Sales	0	0
Gross Margin:
Gross margin	0	0
Selling and marketing expenses	0	0
General and administrative expenses	0	0
Equity in net income (loss) of unconsolidated joint ventures	0	0
Equity in net income (loss) of subsidiaries	10,530	1,712
Interest expense	0
Project abandonment costs	0
Gain (Loss) on Extinguishment of Debt, Total	0	0
Other income (expense), net	0	0
Pretax loss	10,530	1,712
Benefit for income taxes	0	0
Net loss	10,530	1,712
Net loss attributable to non-controlling interest in subsidiary	0	0
Net loss attributable to The New Home Company Inc.	10,530	1,712
Equity in net loss of subsidiaries	10,530	1,712
Project abandonment costs		0
Parent Company [Member]
Revenues:
Revenue	0	0
Cost of Sales:
Cost of Sales	0	0
Gross Margin:
Gross margin	0	0
Selling and marketing expenses	0	0
General and administrative expenses	221	(566)
Equity in net income (loss) of unconsolidated joint ventures	0	0
Equity in net income (loss) of subsidiaries	(10,530)	(1,712)
Interest expense	0
Project abandonment costs	0
Gain (Loss) on Extinguishment of Debt, Total	(123)	417
Other income (expense), net	193	(62)
Pretax loss	(10,239)	(1,923)
Benefit for income taxes	1,763	(64)
Net loss	(8,476)	(1,987)
Net loss attributable to non-controlling interest in subsidiary	0	0
Net loss attributable to The New Home Company Inc.	(8,476)	(1,987)
Equity in net loss of subsidiaries	(10,530)	(1,712)
Project abandonment costs		0
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Revenues:
Revenue	132,033	118,848
Cost of Sales:
Cost of Sales	120,366	105,837
Gross Margin:
Gross margin	11,667	13,011
Selling and marketing expenses	(7,466)	(8,679)
General and administrative expenses	(6,244)	(6,825)
Equity in net income (loss) of unconsolidated joint ventures	(1,937)	184
Equity in net income (loss) of subsidiaries	0	0
Interest expense	(718)
Project abandonment costs	(14,036)
Gain (Loss) on Extinguishment of Debt, Total	0	0
Other income (expense), net	30	(126)
Pretax loss	(18,704)	(2,440)
Benefit for income taxes	8,174	728
Net loss	(10,530)	(1,712)
Net loss attributable to non-controlling interest in subsidiary	0	0
Net loss attributable to The New Home Company Inc.	(10,530)	(1,712)
Equity in net loss of subsidiaries	0	0
Project abandonment costs		(5)
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Revenues:
Revenue	0	0
Cost of Sales:
Cost of Sales	0	0
Gross Margin:
Gross margin	0	0
Selling and marketing expenses	0	0
General and administrative expenses	0	0
Equity in net income (loss) of unconsolidated joint ventures	0	0
Equity in net income (loss) of subsidiaries	0	0
Interest expense	0
Project abandonment costs	0
Gain (Loss) on Extinguishment of Debt, Total	0	0
Other income (expense), net	0	0
Pretax loss	0	0
Benefit for income taxes	0	0
Net loss	0	0
Net loss attributable to non-controlling interest in subsidiary	0	0
Net loss attributable to The New Home Company Inc.	0	0
Equity in net loss of subsidiaries	0	0
Project abandonment costs		0
Home Building [Member]
Revenues:
Revenue	95,659	99,186
Cost of Sales:
Cost of Sales	84,722	86,569
Gross Margin:
Gross margin	10,937	12,617
Pretax loss	(19,143)	(3,045)
Home Building [Member] | Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Revenues:
Revenue	0	0
Cost of Sales:
Cost of Sales	0	0
Gross Margin:
Gross margin	0	0
Home Building [Member] | Parent Company [Member]
Revenues:
Revenue	0	0
Cost of Sales:
Cost of Sales	0	0
Gross Margin:
Gross margin	0	0
Home Building [Member] | Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Revenues:
Revenue	95,659	99,186
Cost of Sales:
Cost of Sales	84,722	86,569
Gross Margin:
Gross margin	10,937	12,617
Home Building [Member] | Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Revenues:
Revenue	0	0
Cost of Sales:
Cost of Sales	0	0
Gross Margin:
Gross margin	0	0
Land [Member]
Revenues:
Revenue	147	0
Cost of Sales:
Cost of Sales	147	0
Gross Margin:
Gross margin	0	0
Land [Member] | Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Revenues:
Revenue	0
Cost of Sales:
Cost of Sales	0
Gross Margin:
Gross margin	0
Land [Member] | Parent Company [Member]
Revenues:
Revenue	0
Cost of Sales:
Cost of Sales	0
Gross Margin:
Gross margin	0
Land [Member] | Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Revenues:
Revenue	147
Cost of Sales:
Cost of Sales	147
Gross Margin:
Gross margin	0
Land [Member] | Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Revenues:
Revenue	0
Cost of Sales:
Cost of Sales	0
Gross Margin:
Gross margin	0
Construction [Member]
Revenues:
Revenue	36,227	19,662
Cost of Sales:
Cost of Sales	35,497	19,268
Gross Margin:
Gross margin	730	394
Pretax loss	730	394
Construction [Member] | Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Revenues:
Revenue	0	0
Cost of Sales:
Cost of Sales	0	0
Gross Margin:
Gross margin	0	0
Construction [Member] | Parent Company [Member]
Revenues:
Revenue	0	0
Cost of Sales:
Cost of Sales	0	0
Gross Margin:
Gross margin	0	0
Construction [Member] | Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Revenues:
Revenue	36,227	19,662
Cost of Sales:
Cost of Sales	35,497	19,268
Gross Margin:
Gross margin	730	394
Construction [Member] | Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Revenues:
Revenue	0	0
Cost of Sales:
Cost of Sales	0	0
Gross Margin:
Gross margin	$ 0	$ 0