Segments - Net Sales by Main Product Lines (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
Jan. 31, 2019	Jan. 31, 2018	Jan. 31, 2019	Jan. 31, 2018
Revenue from external customers
Total net sales	$ 723,902	$ 585,508	$ 2,335,883	$ 1,875,669
Wallboard
Revenue from external customers
Total net sales	297,358	256,413	949,781	829,568
Ceilings
Revenue from external customers
Total net sales	105,219	90,360	339,450	291,716
Steel framing
Revenue from external customers
Total net sales	117,432	96,744	382,304	304,598
Other products
Revenue from external customers
Total net sales	$ 203,893	$ 141,991	$ 664,348	$ 449,787

Amount, excluding tax collected from customer, of revenue from satisfaction of performance obligation by transferring promised good or service to customer. Tax collected from customer is tax assessed by governmental authority that is both imposed on and concurrent with specific revenue-producing transaction, including, but not limited to, sales, use, value added and excise.

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 606
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109196051&loc=SL49130543-203045

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 606
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109196051&loc=SL49130539-203045

Reference 3: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 606
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 5
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109196051&loc=SL49130545-203045

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Period Type:	duration