Loan Portfolio and Credit Quality Loan footnote text disclosures (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Loans and Leases Receivable, Deferred Income	$ 5,900	$ 5,600
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, 90 Days Past Due and Still Accruing	0	0
Financing Receivable, Modifications, Recorded Investment	28,900	30,600
Accruing Troubled Debt Restructured Loans [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Financing Receivable, Modifications, Recorded Investment	$ 17,900	$ 18,600

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AccountsNotesAndLoansReceivableLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The amount of the outstanding recorded investment related to financing receivables that have been modified by troubled debt restructurings.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 40
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=25495931&loc=d3e18845-111554

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivableModificationsRecordedInvestment
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Recorded investment in financing receivables that are 90 days or more past due and still accruing.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 7
-Subparagraph (d)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=49124121&loc=d3e5111-111524

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestment90DaysPastDueAndStillAccruing
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of deferred interest and fee income, unamortized costs incurred to originate loans and leases, unamortized loan commitments and loan syndication fees, and premiums over or discounts from face amounts of acquired loans. Excludes amounts for loans and leases covered under loss sharing agreements.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6378556&loc=d3e10152-111534

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=49124121&loc=d3e5074-111524

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-03.7)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6876686&loc=d3e534808-122878

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 840
-SubTopic 30
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4
-Subparagraph (a)(4)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=25496975&loc=d3e45377-112738

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LoansAndLeasesReceivableDeferredIncome
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	bpfh_AccrualStatusOfTroubledDebtRestructuredLoansAxis=bpfh_AccruingTroubledDebtRestructuredLoansMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: