Nature of Operations (Policies)	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2016
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Nature of Operations	Brown & Brown, Inc., a Florida corporation, and its subsidiaries (collectively, “Brown & Brown” or the “Company”) is a diversified insurance agency, wholesale brokerage, insurance programs and services organization that markets and sells to its customers, insurance products and services, primarily in the property and casualty area. Brown & Brown’s business is divided into four reportable segments: the Retail Segment provides a broad range of insurance products and services to commercial, public entity, professional and individual customers; the National Programs Segment, acting as a managing general agent (“MGA”), provides professional liability and related package products for certain professionals, a range of insurance products for individuals, flood coverage, and targeted products and services designated for specific industries, trade groups, governmental entities and market niches, all of which are delivered through nationwide networks of independent agents, and Brown & Brown retail agents; the Wholesale Brokerage Segment markets and sells excess and surplus commercial insurance, primarily through independent agents and brokers, as well as Brown & Brown Retail offices; and the Services Segment provides insurance-related services, including third-party claims administration and comprehensive medical utilization management services in both the workers’ compensation and all-lines liability arenas, as well as Medicare Set-aside services, Social Security disability and Medicare benefits advocacy services, and claims adjusting services.
Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements	Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements In November 2016, the Financial Accountings Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2016-18, “Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230)”: Restricted Cash (“ASU 2016-18”), which requires that the Statement of Cash Flows explain the changes during the period of cash and cash equivalents inclusive of amounts categorized as Restricted Cash. As such, upon adoption, the Company’s Statement of Cash Flows will show the sources and uses of cash that explain the movement in the balance of cash and cash equivalents, inclusive of restricted cash, over the period presented. ASU 2016-18 is effective for periods beginning after December 15, 2017. In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-15, "Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230)": Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments (a consensus of the Emerging Issues Task Force) ("ASU 2016-15"), which addresses eight specific cash flow issues with the objective of reducing the existing diversity in practice in how certain cash receipts and cash payments are presented and classified and applies to all entities, including both business entities and not-for-profit entities that are required to present a statement of cash flows under Topic 230. ASU 2016-15 will take effect for public companies for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2017 and early adoption is permitted. The Company has evaluated the impact of ASU 2016-15 and has determined the impact to be immaterial. The Company already presents cash paid on contingent consideration in business combination as prescribed by ASU 2016-15 and does not, at this time, engage in the other activities being addressed. In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-09, "Improvements to Employee Share Based Payment Accounting" ("ASU 2016-09"), which amends guidance issued in Accounting Standards Codification ("ASC") Topic 718, Compensation - Stock Compensation. ASU 2016-09 simplifies several aspects of the accounting for share-based payment transactions, including the income tax consequences, classification of awards as either equity or liabilities, and classification on the statement of cash flows. ASU 2016-09 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016, and interim periods within those fiscal years and early adoption is permitted. The Company has evaluated the impact of adoption of the ASU on its Consolidated Financial Statements. The principal impact will be that the tax benefit or expense from stock compensation will be presented in the income tax line of the Statement of Income rather than the current presentation as a component of equity on the Balance Sheet. Also the tax benefit or expense will be presented as activity in Cash Flow from Operating Activity rather than the current presentation as Cash Flow from Financing Activity in the Statement of Cash Flows. The Company will also continue to estimate forfeitures of stock grants as allowed by ASU 2016-09. In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-08, "Principal Versus Agent Considerations (Reporting Revenue Gross Versus Net)" ("ASU 2016-08") to clarify certain aspects of the principal-versus-agent guidance included in the new revenue standard ASU 2014-09 "Revenue from Contracts with Customers" ("ASU 2014-09"). The FASB issued the ASU in response to concerns identified by stakeholders, including those related to (1) determining the appropriate unit of account under the revenue standard’s principal-versus-agent guidance and (2) applying the indicators of whether an entity is a principal or an agent in accordance with the revenue standard’s control principle. ASU 2016-08 is effective contemporaneous with ASU 2014-09 beginning January 1, 2018. The impact of ASU 2016-08 is currently being evaluated along with ASU 2014-09. At this point in our evaluation the potential impact would be limited to the claims administering activities within our Services Segment and therefore not material to the Company. In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, “Leases (Topic 842)” (“ASU 2016-02”), which provides guidance for accounting for leases. Under ASU 2016-02, the Company will be required to recognize the assets and liabilities for the rights and obligations created by leased assets. ASU 2016-02 will take effect for public companies for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2018. The Company continues to evaluate the impact of this pronouncement with the principal impact being that the present value of the remaining lease payments be presented as a liability on the Balance Sheet as well as an asset of similar value representing the “Right of Use” for those leased properties. As detailed in Note 13, the undiscounted contractual cash payments remaining on leased properties is $213 million as of December 31, 2016. In November 2015, FASB issued ASU No. 2015-17, “Income Taxes (Topic 740) - Balance Sheet Classification of Deferred Taxes” (“ASU 2015-17”), which simplifies the presentation of deferred income taxes by requiring deferred tax assets and liabilities be classified as a single non-current item on the balance sheet. ASU 2015-17 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016 with early adoption permitted as of the beginning of any interim or annual reporting period. The Company plans to adopt ASU 2015-17 in the first quarter of 2017. This is not expected to have a material impact on our Consolidated Financial Statements other than reclassifying current deferred tax assets and liabilities to non-current in the balance sheet. In May 2014, FASB issued ASU No. 2014-09, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers” (“ASU 2014-09”), which provides guidance for revenue recognition. ASU 2014-09 affects any entity that either enters into contracts with customers to transfer goods or services or enters into contracts for the transfer of non-financial assets, and supersedes the revenue recognition requirements in Topic 605, “Revenue Recognition,” and most industry-specific guidance. The standard’s core principle is that a company will recognize revenue when it transfers promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which a company expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. In doing so, companies will need to use more judgment and make more estimates than under the current guidance. Specifically in situations where multiple performance obligations exist within the contract, the use of estimates is required to allocate the transaction price to each separate performance obligation. Historically 70% or more of the Company’s revenue is in the form of commissions paid by insurance carriers. Commission are earned upon the effective date of bound coverage and no significant performance obligation remains in those arrangements after coverage is bound. The Company is currently evaluating the approximately 30% of revenue earned in the form of fees against the requirements of this pronouncement. Fees are predominantly in our National Programs and Services Segments, and to a lesser extent in the large accounts business within our Retail Segment. At the conclusion of this evaluation it may be determined that fee revenue from certain agreements will be recognized in earlier periods under the new guidance in comparison to our current accounting policies and others will be recognized in later periods. Based upon the work completed to date, management does not expect the overall impact to be significant. ASU 2014-09 is effective for the Company beginning January 1, 2018, after FASB voted to delay the effective date by one year. At that time, the Company may adopt the new standard under the full retrospective approach or the modified retrospective approach. We do not anticipate a material change in our internal control framework necessitated by the adoption of ASU 2014-09.

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements

In November 2016, the Financial Accountings Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2016-18, “Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230)”: Restricted Cash (“ASU 2016-18”), which requires that the Statement of Cash Flows explain the changes during the period of cash and cash equivalents inclusive of amounts categorized as Restricted Cash. As such, upon adoption, the Company’s Statement of Cash Flows will show the sources and uses of cash that explain the movement in the balance of cash and cash equivalents, inclusive of restricted cash, over the period presented. ASU 2016-18 is effective for periods beginning after December 15, 2017.

In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-15, "Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230)": Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments (a consensus of the Emerging Issues Task Force) ("ASU 2016-15"), which addresses eight specific cash flow issues with the objective of reducing the existing diversity in practice in how certain cash receipts and cash payments are presented and classified and applies to all entities, including both business entities and not-for-profit entities that are required to present a statement of cash flows under Topic 230. ASU 2016-15 will take effect for public companies for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2017 and early adoption is permitted. The Company has evaluated the impact of ASU 2016-15 and has determined the impact to be immaterial. The Company already presents cash paid on contingent consideration in business combination as prescribed by ASU 2016-15 and does not, at this time, engage in the other activities being addressed.

In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-09, "Improvements to Employee Share Based Payment Accounting" ("ASU 2016-09"), which amends guidance issued in Accounting Standards Codification ("ASC") Topic 718, Compensation - Stock Compensation. ASU 2016-09 simplifies several aspects of the accounting for share-based payment transactions, including the income tax consequences, classification of awards as either equity or liabilities, and classification on the statement of cash flows. ASU 2016-09 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016, and interim periods within those fiscal years and early adoption is permitted. The Company has evaluated the impact of adoption of the ASU on its Consolidated Financial Statements. The principal impact will be that the tax benefit or expense from stock compensation will be presented in the income tax line of the Statement of Income rather than the current presentation as a component of equity on the Balance Sheet. Also the tax benefit or expense will be presented as activity in Cash Flow from Operating Activity rather than the current presentation as Cash Flow from Financing Activity in the Statement of Cash Flows. The Company will also continue to estimate forfeitures of stock grants as allowed by ASU 2016-09.

In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-08, "Principal Versus Agent Considerations (Reporting Revenue Gross Versus Net)" ("ASU 2016-08") to clarify certain aspects of the principal-versus-agent guidance included in the new revenue standard ASU 2014-09 "Revenue from Contracts with Customers" ("ASU 2014-09"). The FASB issued the ASU in response to concerns identified by stakeholders, including those related to (1) determining the appropriate unit of account under the revenue standard’s principal-versus-agent guidance and (2) applying the indicators of whether an entity is a principal or an agent in accordance with the revenue standard’s control principle. ASU 2016-08 is effective contemporaneous with ASU 2014-09 beginning January 1, 2018. The impact of ASU 2016-08 is currently being evaluated along with ASU 2014-09. At this point in our evaluation the potential impact would be limited to the claims administering activities within our Services Segment and therefore not material to the Company.

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, “Leases (Topic 842)” (“ASU 2016-02”), which provides guidance for accounting for leases. Under ASU 2016-02, the Company will be required to recognize the assets and liabilities for the rights and obligations created by leased assets. ASU 2016-02 will take effect for public companies for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2018. The Company continues to evaluate the impact of this pronouncement with the principal impact being that the present value of the remaining lease payments be presented as a liability on the Balance Sheet as well as an asset of similar value representing the “Right of Use” for those leased properties. As detailed in Note 13, the undiscounted contractual cash payments remaining on leased properties is $213 million as of December 31, 2016.

In November 2015, FASB issued ASU No. 2015-17, “Income Taxes (Topic 740) - Balance Sheet Classification of Deferred Taxes” (“ASU 2015-17”), which simplifies the presentation of deferred income taxes by requiring deferred tax assets and liabilities be classified as a single non-current item on the balance sheet. ASU 2015-17 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016 with early adoption permitted as of the beginning of any interim or annual reporting period. The Company plans to adopt ASU 2015-17 in the first quarter of 2017. This is not expected to have a material impact on our Consolidated Financial Statements other than reclassifying current deferred tax assets and liabilities to non-current in the balance sheet.

In May 2014, FASB issued ASU No. 2014-09, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers” (“ASU 2014-09”), which provides guidance for revenue recognition. ASU 2014-09 affects any entity that either enters into contracts with customers to transfer goods or services or enters into contracts for the transfer of non-financial assets, and supersedes the revenue recognition requirements in Topic 605, “Revenue Recognition,” and most industry-specific guidance. The standard’s core principle is that a company will recognize revenue when it transfers promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which a company expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. In doing so, companies will need to use more judgment and make more estimates than under the current guidance. Specifically in situations where multiple performance obligations exist within the contract, the use of estimates is required to allocate the transaction price to each separate performance obligation. Historically 70% or more of the Company’s revenue is in the form of commissions paid by insurance carriers. Commission are earned upon the effective date of bound coverage and no significant performance obligation remains in those arrangements after coverage is bound. The Company is currently evaluating the approximately 30% of revenue earned in the form of fees against the requirements of this pronouncement. Fees are predominantly in our National Programs and Services Segments, and to a lesser extent in the large accounts business within our Retail Segment. At the conclusion of this evaluation it may be determined that fee revenue from certain agreements will be recognized in earlier periods under the new guidance in comparison to our current accounting policies and others will be recognized in later periods. Based upon the work completed to date, management does not expect the overall impact to be significant.

ASU 2014-09 is effective for the Company beginning January 1, 2018, after FASB voted to delay the effective date by one year. At that time, the Company may adopt the new standard under the full retrospective approach or the modified retrospective approach.

We do not anticipate a material change in our internal control framework necessitated by the adoption of ASU 2014-09.