Supplemental Guarantor Information (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Jan. 31, 2012	Oct. 31, 2011	Jan. 31, 2011	Oct. 31, 2010
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 575,694	$ 906,340	$ 886,599	$ 1,039,060
Marketable securities	143,729	233,572
Restricted cash	48,241	19,760
Inventory	3,655,100	3,416,723
Property, construction and office equipment, net	101,499	99,712
Receivables, prepaid expenses and other assets	98,191	105,576
Mortgage loans receivable	36,911	63,175
Customer deposits held in escrow	25,089	14,859
Investments in and advances to unconsolidated entities	193,626	126,355
Investments in non-performing loan portfolios and foreclosed real estate	96,822	69,174
Investments in and advances to consolidated entities	0	0
Total assets	4,974,902	5,055,246
Liabilities:
Loans payable	93,279	106,556
Senior notes	1,491,442	1,490,972
Mortgage company warehouse loan	31,864	57,409
Customer deposits	97,334	83,824
Accounts payable	105,311	96,817
Accrued expenses	451,414	521,051
Income taxes payable	100,276	106,066
Total liabilities	2,370,920	2,462,695
Stockholders' equity:
Common stock	1,687	1,687
Additional paid-in capital	399,743	400,382
Retained earnings	2,231,465	2,234,251
Treasury stock, at cost --2,021 shares and 2,946 shares at January 31, 2012 and October 31, 2011, respectively	(31,531)	(47,065)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(3,563)	(2,902)
Total stockholders' equity	2,597,801	2,586,353
Noncontrolling interest	6,181	6,198
Total equity	2,603,982	2,592,551
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	4,974,902	5,055,246
Toll Brothers Inc. [Member]
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0	0
Marketable securities	0	0
Restricted cash	28,307	0
Inventory	0	0
Property, construction and office equipment, net	0	0
Receivables, prepaid expenses and other assets	0	0
Mortgage loans receivable	0	0
Customer deposits held in escrow	0	0
Investments in and advances to unconsolidated entities	0	0
Investments in non-performing loan portfolios and foreclosed real estate	0	0
Investments in and advances to consolidated entities	2,671,770	2,694,419
Total assets	2,700,077	2,694,419
Liabilities:
Loans payable	0	0
Senior notes	0	0
Mortgage company warehouse loan	0	0
Customer deposits	0	0
Accounts payable	0	0
Accrued expenses	0	0
Income taxes payable	102,276	108,066
Total liabilities	102,276	108,066
Stockholders' equity:
Common stock	1,687	1,687
Additional paid-in capital	399,743	400,382
Retained earnings	2,231,465	2,234,251
Treasury stock, at cost --2,021 shares and 2,946 shares at January 31, 2012 and October 31, 2011, respectively	(31,531)	(47,065)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(3,563)	(2,902)
Total stockholders' equity	2,597,801	2,586,353
Noncontrolling interest	0	0
Total equity	2,597,801	2,586,353
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	2,700,077	2,694,419
Subsidiary Issuer [Member]
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0	0
Marketable securities	0	0
Restricted cash	0	0
Inventory	0	0
Property, construction and office equipment, net	0	0
Receivables, prepaid expenses and other assets	6,444	6,768
Mortgage loans receivable	0	0
Customer deposits held in escrow	0	0
Investments in and advances to unconsolidated entities	0	0
Investments in non-performing loan portfolios and foreclosed real estate	0	0
Investments in and advances to consolidated entities	1,513,343	1,508,550
Total assets	1,519,787	1,515,318
Liabilities:
Loans payable	0	0
Senior notes	1,491,442	1,490,972
Mortgage company warehouse loan	0	0
Customer deposits	0	0
Accounts payable	0	0
Accrued expenses	28,345	24,346
Income taxes payable	0	0
Total liabilities	1,519,787	1,515,318
Stockholders' equity:
Common stock	0	0
Additional paid-in capital	0	0
Retained earnings	0	0
Treasury stock, at cost --2,021 shares and 2,946 shares at January 31, 2012 and October 31, 2011, respectively	0	0
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	0	0
Total stockholders' equity	0	0
Noncontrolling interest	0	0
Total equity	0	0
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	1,519,787	1,515,318
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	441,916	775,300	777,903	930,387
Marketable securities	143,729	233,572
Restricted cash	18,434	19,084
Inventory	3,496,927	2,911,211
Property, construction and office equipment, net	98,408	77,001
Receivables, prepaid expenses and other assets	75,622	74,980
Mortgage loans receivable	0	0
Customer deposits held in escrow	23,309	10,682
Investments in and advances to unconsolidated entities	77,473	86,481
Investments in non-performing loan portfolios and foreclosed real estate	0	0
Investments in and advances to consolidated entities	(943,024)	(727,258)
Total assets	3,432,794	3,461,053
Liabilities:
Loans payable	92,079	61,994
Senior notes	0	0
Mortgage company warehouse loan	0	0
Customer deposits	93,356	71,388
Accounts payable	103,491	96,645
Accrued expenses	306,994	320,021
Income taxes payable	0	0
Total liabilities	595,920	550,048
Stockholders' equity:
Common stock	3,054	3,054
Additional paid-in capital	1,366	1,366
Retained earnings	2,836,017	2,909,487
Treasury stock, at cost --2,021 shares and 2,946 shares at January 31, 2012 and October 31, 2011, respectively	0	0
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(3,563)	(2,902)
Total stockholders' equity	2,836,874	2,911,005
Noncontrolling interest	0	0
Total equity	2,836,874	2,911,005
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	3,432,794	3,461,053
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	133,778	131,040	108,696	108,673
Marketable securities	0	0
Restricted cash	1,500	676
Inventory	158,173	505,512
Property, construction and office equipment, net	3,091	22,711
Receivables, prepaid expenses and other assets	17,827	26,067
Mortgage loans receivable	36,911	63,175
Customer deposits held in escrow	1,780	4,177
Investments in and advances to unconsolidated entities	116,153	39,874
Investments in non-performing loan portfolios and foreclosed real estate	96,822	69,174
Investments in and advances to consolidated entities	(236,201)	(467,395)
Total assets	329,834	395,011
Liabilities:
Loans payable	1,200	44,562
Senior notes	0	0
Mortgage company warehouse loan	31,864	57,409
Customer deposits	3,978	12,436
Accounts payable	1,820	172
Accrued expenses	117,857	178,965
Income taxes payable	(2,000)	(2,000)
Total liabilities	154,719	291,544
Stockholders' equity:
Common stock	2,003	2,003
Additional paid-in capital	2,734	2,734
Retained earnings	164,197	92,532
Treasury stock, at cost --2,021 shares and 2,946 shares at January 31, 2012 and October 31, 2011, respectively	0	0
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	0	0
Total stockholders' equity	168,934	97,269
Noncontrolling interest	6,181	6,198
Total equity	175,115	103,467
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	329,834	395,011
Eliminations [Member]
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0	0
Marketable securities	0	0
Restricted cash	0	0
Inventory	0	0
Property, construction and office equipment, net	0	0
Receivables, prepaid expenses and other assets	(1,702)	(2,239)
Mortgage loans receivable	0	0
Customer deposits held in escrow	0	0
Investments in and advances to unconsolidated entities	0	0
Investments in non-performing loan portfolios and foreclosed real estate	0	0
Investments in and advances to consolidated entities	(3,005,888)	(3,008,316)
Total assets	(3,007,590)	(3,010,555)
Liabilities:
Loans payable	0	0
Senior notes	0	0
Mortgage company warehouse loan	0	0
Customer deposits	0	0
Accounts payable	0	0
Accrued expenses	(1,782)	(2,281)
Income taxes payable	0	0
Total liabilities	(1,782)	(2,281)
Stockholders' equity:
Common stock	(5,057)	(5,057)
Additional paid-in capital	(4,100)	(4,100)
Retained earnings	(3,000,214)	(3,002,019)
Treasury stock, at cost --2,021 shares and 2,946 shares at January 31, 2012 and October 31, 2011, respectively	0	0
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	3,563	2,902
Total stockholders' equity	(3,005,808)	(3,008,274)
Noncontrolling interest	0	0
Total equity	(3,005,808)	(3,008,274)
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	$ (3,007,590)	$ (3,010,555)