Supplemental Financial Information (Consolidating Balance Sheets) (Details) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	May 24, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009	Dec. 31, 2008
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 54,117,000	$ 60,866,000		$ 23,596,000	$ 11,308,000
Accounts receivable, net	90,595,000	70,371,000
Inventories	109,270,000	77,848,000
Other current assets	14,872,000	20,229,000
Assets of discontinued operations		13,063,000
Total current assets	268,854,000	242,377,000
Property, plant, and equipment, net	151,974,000	145,783,000
Goodwill	348,326,000	298,346,000		365,653,000
Acquired intangibles	95,265,000	66,301,000
Other assets	7,636,000	16,766,000
Equity method investment		1,345,000	1,500,000
Assets of discontinued operations		39,972,000
Total assets	872,055,000	810,890,000
Accounts payable	67,320,000	56,775,000
Accrued expenses	60,687,000	36,785,000
Current maturities of long-term debt	417,000	408,000
Liabilities of discontinued operations		6,150,000
Total current liabilities	128,424,000	100,118,000
Long-term debt	206,746,000	206,789,000
Deferred income taxes	55,801,000	37,119,000
Other non-current liabilities	21,148,000	23,221,000
Liabilities of discontinued operations		2,790,000
Shareholders' equity	459,936,000	440,853,000
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity	872,055,000	810,890,000
Gibraltar Industries, Inc. [Member]
Intercompany balances	16,762,000	17,194,000
Other current assets	6,339,000	6,592,000
Total current assets	23,101,000	23,786,000
Other assets	2,890,000	3,613,000
Investment in subsidiaries	637,628,000	616,787,000
Total assets	663,619,000	644,186,000
Accrued expenses	1,360,000	1,360,000
Total current liabilities	1,360,000	1,360,000
Long-term debt	202,323,000	201,973,000
Shareholders' equity	459,936,000	440,853,000
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity	663,619,000	644,186,000
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Cash and cash equivalents	34,691,000	46,349,000		10,105,000	1,781,000
Accounts receivable, net	77,395,000	57,268,000
Intercompany balances	4,811,000	5,657,000
Inventories	101,637,000	71,355,000
Other current assets	7,676,000	12,750,000
Assets of discontinued operations		10,501,000
Total current assets	226,210,000	203,880,000
Property, plant, and equipment, net	140,343,000	132,355,000
Goodwill	320,771,000	270,245,000
Acquired intangibles	86,160,000	55,827,000
Other assets	4,745,000	13,152,000
Equity method investment		1,345,000
Assets of discontinued operations		34,503,000
Investment in subsidiaries	52,173,000	55,172,000
Total assets	830,402,000	766,479,000
Accounts payable	59,600,000	48,739,000
Accrued expenses	55,670,000	33,053,000
Current maturities of long-term debt	417,000	408,000
Liabilities of discontinued operations		4,576,000
Total current liabilities	115,687,000	86,776,000
Long-term debt	4,423,000	4,816,000
Deferred income taxes	52,065,000	35,176,000
Other non-current liabilities	20,599,000	22,763,000
Liabilities of discontinued operations		161,000
Shareholders' equity	637,628,000	616,787,000
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity	830,402,000	766,479,000
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Cash and cash equivalents	19,426,000	14,517,000		13,491,000	9,527,000
Accounts receivable, net	13,200,000	13,103,000
Intercompany balances	(21,573,000)	(22,851,000)
Inventories	7,633,000	6,493,000
Other current assets	857,000	887,000
Assets of discontinued operations		2,562,000
Total current assets	19,543,000	14,711,000
Property, plant, and equipment, net	11,631,000	13,428,000
Goodwill	27,555,000	28,101,000
Acquired intangibles	9,105,000	10,474,000
Other assets	1,000	1,000
Assets of discontinued operations		5,469,000
Total assets	67,835,000	72,184,000
Accounts payable	7,720,000	8,036,000
Accrued expenses	3,657,000	2,372,000
Liabilities of discontinued operations		1,574,000
Total current liabilities	11,377,000	11,982,000
Deferred income taxes	3,736,000	1,943,000
Other non-current liabilities	549,000	458,000
Liabilities of discontinued operations		2,629,000
Shareholders' equity	52,173,000	55,172,000
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity	67,835,000	72,184,000
Eliminations [Member]
Cash and cash equivalents
Investment in subsidiaries	(689,801,000)	(671,959,000)
Total assets	(689,801,000)	(671,959,000)
Shareholders' equity	(689,801,000)	(671,959,000)
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity	$ (689,801,000)	$ (671,959,000)