Supplemental Guarantor Information (Level 4 CF) (Details 3) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2016	Oct. 31, 2015	Oct. 31, 2014
Cash flow (used in) provided by operating activities:
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	$ 148,771	$ 60,182	$ 313,200
Cash flow from investing activities:
Purchase of property and equipment - net	(28,426)	(9,447)	(15,074)
Purchase of marketable securities			0
Sale and redemption of marketable securities	10,000	2,000	40,242
Payments to Acquire Equity Method Investments	(69,655)	(123,940)	(113,029)
Return of investments in unconsolidated entities	47,806	39,766	73,845
Investment in foreclosed real estate and distressed loans	(1,133)	(2,624)	(2,089)
Return of investments in foreclosed real estate and distressed loans	49,619	37,625	53,130
Net increase in cash from purchase of joint venture interest		3,848
Acquisition of a business, net of cash acquired			(1,489,116)
Proceeds from Dividends Received	0		0
Investments paid intercompany	0
Intercompany investing activites (to) from consolidated entities	0	0	0
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	8,211	(52,772)	(1,452,091)
Cash flow from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of senior notes		350,000	600,000
Debt issuance costs for senior notes	(35)	(3,175)	(4,739)
Proceeds from loans payable	2,443,496	1,954,432	2,229,371
Debt issuance costs for loans payable	(4,868)		(3,063)
Principal Payments of Loans Payable	(2,497,585)	(1,659,458)	(1,767,115)
Repayments of senior notes		(300,000)	(267,960)
Proceeds from Issuance of Common Stock			220,365
Proceeds from stock-based benefit plans	6,986	39,514	28,364
Excess tax benefits from stock-based compensation	2,114	1,628	7,593
Purchase of treasury stock	(392,772)	(56,888)	(90,754)
Receipts (payments) related to noncontrolling interest, net	404	(785)	172
Payments of Dividends	0		0
Investment received intercompany	0
Intercompany financing advances (to) from consolidated entities	0	0	0
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	(442,260)	325,268	952,234
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	(285,278)	332,678	(186,657)
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period	918,993	586,315	772,972
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	633,715	918,993	586,315
Toll Brothers Inc. [Member]
Cash flow (used in) provided by operating activities:
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	60,465	45,366	137,023
Cash flow from investing activities:
Purchase of property and equipment - net
Purchase of marketable securities
Sale and redemption of marketable securities
Payments to Acquire Equity Method Investments
Return of investments in unconsolidated entities
Investment in foreclosed real estate and distressed loans
Return of investments in foreclosed real estate and distressed loans
Net increase in cash from purchase of joint venture interest
Acquisition of a business, net of cash acquired
Proceeds from Dividends Received
Investments paid intercompany
Intercompany investing activites (to) from consolidated entities	323,207	(29,620)	(302,591)
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	323,207	(29,620)	(302,591)
Cash flow from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of senior notes
Debt issuance costs for senior notes
Proceeds from loans payable
Debt issuance costs for loans payable
Principal Payments of Loans Payable
Repayments of senior notes
Proceeds from Issuance of Common Stock			220,365
Proceeds from stock-based benefit plans	6,986	39,514	28,364
Excess tax benefits from stock-based compensation	2,114	1,628	7,593
Purchase of treasury stock	(392,772)	(56,888)	(90,754)
Receipts (payments) related to noncontrolling interest, net
Payments of Dividends
Investment received intercompany
Intercompany financing advances (to) from consolidated entities
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	(383,672)	(15,746)	165,568
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period	0	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	0	0	0
Subsidiary Issuer [Member]
Cash flow (used in) provided by operating activities:
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	14,768	2,156	15,644
Cash flow from investing activities:
Purchase of property and equipment - net
Purchase of marketable securities
Sale and redemption of marketable securities
Payments to Acquire Equity Method Investments
Return of investments in unconsolidated entities
Investment in foreclosed real estate and distressed loans
Return of investments in foreclosed real estate and distressed loans
Net increase in cash from purchase of joint venture interest
Acquisition of a business, net of cash acquired
Proceeds from Dividends Received
Investments paid intercompany
Intercompany investing activites (to) from consolidated entities	(14,733)	(48,981)	(342,945)
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	(14,733)	(48,981)	(342,945)
Cash flow from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of senior notes		350,000	600,000
Debt issuance costs for senior notes	(35)	(3,175)	(4,739)
Proceeds from loans payable
Debt issuance costs for loans payable
Principal Payments of Loans Payable
Repayments of senior notes		(300,000)	(267,960)
Proceeds from Issuance of Common Stock
Proceeds from stock-based benefit plans
Excess tax benefits from stock-based compensation
Purchase of treasury stock
Receipts (payments) related to noncontrolling interest, net
Payments of Dividends
Investment received intercompany
Intercompany financing advances (to) from consolidated entities
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	(35)	46,825	327,301
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period	0	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	0	0	0
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Cash flow (used in) provided by operating activities:
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	105,709	100,487	279,724
Cash flow from investing activities:
Purchase of property and equipment - net	(27,835)	(10,181)	(13,161)
Purchase of marketable securities
Sale and redemption of marketable securities		2,000	40,242
Payments to Acquire Equity Method Investments	(2,637)	(4,552)	(16,683)
Return of investments in unconsolidated entities	32,857	23,213	63,581
Investment in foreclosed real estate and distressed loans
Return of investments in foreclosed real estate and distressed loans
Net increase in cash from purchase of joint venture interest		3,848
Acquisition of a business, net of cash acquired			(1,489,116)
Proceeds from Dividends Received	5,000		15,000
Investments paid intercompany	(5,000)
Intercompany investing activites (to) from consolidated entities
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	2,385	14,328	(1,400,137)
Cash flow from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of senior notes
Debt issuance costs for senior notes
Proceeds from loans payable	550,000	400,000	1,156,300
Debt issuance costs for loans payable	(4,868)		(3,063)
Principal Payments of Loans Payable	(714,089)	(113,745)	(704,320)
Repayments of senior notes
Proceeds from Issuance of Common Stock
Proceeds from stock-based benefit plans
Excess tax benefits from stock-based compensation
Purchase of treasury stock
Receipts (payments) related to noncontrolling interest, net
Payments of Dividends
Investment received intercompany
Intercompany financing advances (to) from consolidated entities	(139,296)	(73,185)	457,108
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	(308,253)	213,070	906,025
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	(200,159)	327,885	(214,388)
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period	783,599	455,714	670,102
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	583,440	783,599	455,714
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Cash flow (used in) provided by operating activities:
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	(12,330)	(78,246)	(102,540)
Cash flow from investing activities:
Purchase of property and equipment - net	(591)	734	(1,913)
Purchase of marketable securities
Sale and redemption of marketable securities	10,000
Payments to Acquire Equity Method Investments	(67,018)	(119,388)	(96,346)
Return of investments in unconsolidated entities	14,949	16,553	10,264
Investment in foreclosed real estate and distressed loans	(1,133)	(2,624)	(2,089)
Return of investments in foreclosed real estate and distressed loans	49,619	37,625	53,130
Net increase in cash from purchase of joint venture interest
Acquisition of a business, net of cash acquired
Proceeds from Dividends Received
Investments paid intercompany
Intercompany investing activites (to) from consolidated entities
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	5,826	(67,100)	(36,954)
Cash flow from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of senior notes
Debt issuance costs for senior notes
Proceeds from loans payable	1,893,496	1,554,432	1,073,071
Debt issuance costs for loans payable
Principal Payments of Loans Payable	(1,783,496)	(1,545,713)	(1,062,795)
Repayments of senior notes
Proceeds from Issuance of Common Stock
Proceeds from stock-based benefit plans
Excess tax benefits from stock-based compensation
Purchase of treasury stock
Receipts (payments) related to noncontrolling interest, net	404	(785)	172
Payments of Dividends	(5,000)		(15,000)
Investment received intercompany	5,000
Intercompany financing advances (to) from consolidated entities	(189,019)	142,205	171,777
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	(78,615)	150,139	167,225
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	(85,119)	4,793	27,731
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period	135,394	130,601	102,870
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	50,275	135,394	130,601
Eliminations [Member]
Cash flow (used in) provided by operating activities:
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	(19,841)	(9,581)	(16,651)
Cash flow from investing activities:
Purchase of property and equipment - net
Purchase of marketable securities
Sale and redemption of marketable securities
Payments to Acquire Equity Method Investments
Return of investments in unconsolidated entities
Investment in foreclosed real estate and distressed loans
Return of investments in foreclosed real estate and distressed loans
Net increase in cash from purchase of joint venture interest
Acquisition of a business, net of cash acquired
Proceeds from Dividends Received	(5,000)		(15,000)
Investments paid intercompany	5,000
Intercompany investing activites (to) from consolidated entities	(308,474)	78,601	645,536
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	(308,474)	78,601	630,536
Cash flow from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of senior notes
Debt issuance costs for senior notes
Proceeds from loans payable
Debt issuance costs for loans payable
Principal Payments of Loans Payable
Repayments of senior notes
Proceeds from Issuance of Common Stock
Proceeds from stock-based benefit plans
Excess tax benefits from stock-based compensation
Purchase of treasury stock
Receipts (payments) related to noncontrolling interest, net
Payments of Dividends	5,000		15,000
Investment received intercompany	(5,000)
Intercompany financing advances (to) from consolidated entities	328,315	(69,020)	(628,885)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	328,315	(69,020)	(613,885)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period	0	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0