Debt - Additional Information (Detail) - USD ($)		12 Months Ended
	Oct. 18, 2013	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014		Sep. 05, 2014	Oct. 22, 2013	Jun. 26, 2012	Mar. 25, 2008
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt		$ 2,658,200,000	$ 2,309,200,000
Financing costs paid		(2,000,000)	0	$ (3,400,000)
Book value of fixed rate debt		1,647,500,000
Book value of variable rate debt		1,010,700,000
Long-term debt, fair value		1,717,600,000
Annual Principal Maturities for Debt [Abstract]
2017		25,800,000
2018		175,800,000
2019		25,800,000
2020		630,300,000
2021		303,200,000
2022 and thereafter		1,500,000,000
Interest payments		88,300,000	85,500,000
Interest payments and redemption premium payments paid for debt obligations				77,000,000
Amortization of net (loss) gain on treasury lock		(5,700,000)	(5,700,000)	(5,700,000)
Amortization of financing costs		1,900,000	1,800,000	3,300,000
Write-off of deferred financing costs		91,800,000	85,500,000	88,400,000	[1]
Boise Inc.
Annual Principal Maturities for Debt [Abstract]
Amortization of financing costs				1,500,000
Line of Credit
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Credit facility borrowing capacity	$ 350,000,000.0
Unused borrowing capacity		324,900,000
Five-Year and Seven-Year Term Loans, due October 2018 and 2020, respectively | Unsecured Debt
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt, face amount	1,650,000,000
Repayment of debt				$ 591,500,000
Five-Year Term Loan, due August 2021 | Unsecured Debt
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt, face amount	$ 385,000,000
Debt, term	5 years
Long-term Debt, Gross		380,200,000
Long-term debt		$ 380,200,000	$ 0
Stated interest rate		2.02%	0.00%
Repayment of debt		$ 4,800,000
Credit facility, expiration date		Aug. 21, 2021
Five-Year Term Loan, due October 2018 | Unsecured Debt
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Applicable margin		0.00%	1.375%
Long-term debt		$ 0	$ 25,000,000
Stated interest rate		0.00%	1.80%
Repayments of Debt			$ 40,000,000
Repayment of debt		$ 25,000,000
Credit facility, expiration date		Oct. 18, 2018
Seven-Year Term Loan, due October 2020 | Unsecured Debt
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt, face amount	$ 650,000,000.0
Applicable margin		1.625%	1.625%
Long-term debt		$ 630,500,000	$ 637,000,000
Stated interest rate		2.40%	2.05%
Repayments of Debt			$ 6,500,000
Repayment of debt		$ 6,500,000
6.50% Senior Notes due March 2018 | Senior Notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt, face amount									$ 150,000,000.0
Long-term debt		$ 150,000,000	$ 150,000,000
Stated interest rate		6.50%	6.50%						6.50%
3.90% Senior Notes, due June 2022 | Senior Notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt, face amount								$ 400,000,000.0
Long-term debt		$ 399,800,000	$ 399,700,000
Stated interest rate		3.90%	3.90%					3.90%
4.50% Senior Notes, due November 2023 | Senior Notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt, face amount							$ 700,000,000.0
Long-term debt		$ 698,600,000	$ 698,500,000
Stated interest rate		4.50%	4.50%				4.50%
3.65% Senior Notes, due September 2024 | Senior Notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt, face amount						$ 400,000,000.0
Long-term debt		$ 399,100,000	$ 399,000,000
Stated interest rate		3.65%	3.65%			3.65%
Letter of Credit | Line of Credit
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Outstanding letters of credit		$ 25,100,000
Write-Off of Deferred Financing Costs
Annual Principal Maturities for Debt [Abstract]
Write-off of deferred financing costs			$ 1,500,000
London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) | Five-Year Term Loan, due August 2021 | Unsecured Debt
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Applicable margin	1.25%	1.25%
Annual Principal Maturities for Debt [Abstract]
Reference Interest Rate		0.77%
London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) | Five-Year Term Loan, due October 2018 | Unsecured Debt
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Applicable margin			1.375%
Annual Principal Maturities for Debt [Abstract]
Reference Interest Rate		0.00%	0.42%
London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) | Seven-Year Term Loan, due October 2020 | Unsecured Debt
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Applicable margin	1.625%
Annual Principal Maturities for Debt [Abstract]
Reference Interest Rate		0.77%	0.42%

[1] Includes $1.5 million of expense related to the write-off of deferred financing costs in connection with the debt refinancing discussed in Note 9, Debt.