Supplemental Guarantor Information - Consolidating Statement of Operations (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2012		Sep. 30, 2011		Sep. 30, 2010
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Total revenue	$ 1,005,677,000		$ 742,405,000		$ 991,152,000
Home construction and land sales expenses	888,379,000		661,851,000		857,957,000
Inventory impairments and option contract abandonments	12,210,000		32,459,000		49,566,000
Gross profit	105,088,000		48,095,000		83,629,000
Commissions	43,585,000		32,711,000		43,279,000
General and administrative expenses	110,051,000		137,376,000		141,115,000
Depreciation and amortization	13,510,000		10,253,000		12,669,000
Operating loss	(62,058,000)		(132,245,000)		(113,434,000)
Equity in income (loss) of unconsolidated entities	304,000		560,000		(8,807,000)
(Loss) gain on extinguishment of debt	(45,097,000)		(2,909,000)		43,901,000
Other (loss) income, net	(69,119,000)	[1]	(62,224,000)	[1]	(69,585,000)	[1]
Loss from continuing operations before income taxes	(175,970,000)		(196,818,000)		(147,925,000)
(Benefit from) provisions for income taxes	(40,347,000)		3,366,000		(118,355,000)
Equity in loss of subsidiaries	0		0		0
Loss from continuing operations	(135,623,000)		(200,184,000)		(29,570,000)
Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax	(9,703,000)		(4,675,000)		(4,479,000)
Equity in loss of subsidiaries	0		0		0
Net loss	(145,326,000)		(204,859,000)		(34,049,000)
Beazer Homes USA, Inc.
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Total revenue	0		0		0
Home construction and land sales expenses	60,952,000		46,382,000		52,243,000
Inventory impairments and option contract abandonments	275,000		1,907,000		2,313,000
Gross profit	(61,227,000)		(48,289,000)		(54,556,000)
Commissions	0		0		0
General and administrative expenses	0		0		0
Depreciation and amortization	0		0		0
Operating loss	(61,227,000)		(48,289,000)		(54,556,000)
Equity in income (loss) of unconsolidated entities	0		0		0
(Loss) gain on extinguishment of debt	(45,097,000)		(2,909,000)		43,625,000
Other (loss) income, net	(71,474,000)		(73,440,000)		(74,215,000)
Loss from continuing operations before income taxes	(177,798,000)		(124,638,000)		(85,146,000)
(Benefit from) provisions for income taxes	(68,026,000)		(46,540,000)		(32,143,000)
Equity in loss of subsidiaries	(25,851,000)		(122,086,000)		23,433,000
Loss from continuing operations	(135,623,000)		(200,184,000)		(29,570,000)
Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax	0		0		0
Equity in loss of subsidiaries	(9,703,000)		(4,675,000)		(4,479,000)
Net loss	(145,326,000)		(204,859,000)		(34,049,000)
Guarantor Subsidiaries
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Total revenue	1,005,677,000		742,405,000		989,350,000
Home construction and land sales expenses	828,368,000		616,571,000		805,714,000
Inventory impairments and option contract abandonments	11,935,000		30,552,000		47,253,000
Gross profit	165,374,000		95,282,000		136,383,000
Commissions	43,585,000		32,711,000		43,279,000
General and administrative expenses	109,937,000		137,261,000		141,005,000
Depreciation and amortization	13,510,000		10,253,000		12,669,000
Operating loss	(1,658,000)		(84,943,000)		(60,570,000)
Equity in income (loss) of unconsolidated entities	304,000		560,000		(8,807,000)
(Loss) gain on extinguishment of debt	0		0		276,000
Other (loss) income, net	2,328,000		11,145,000		4,551,000
Loss from continuing operations before income taxes	974,000		(73,238,000)		(64,550,000)
(Benefit from) provisions for income taxes	27,380,000		49,536,000		(86,832,000)
Equity in loss of subsidiaries	0		0		0
Loss from continuing operations	(26,406,000)		(122,774,000)		22,282,000
Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax	(9,695,000)		(4,672,000)		(4,474,000)
Equity in loss of subsidiaries	0		0		0
Net loss	(36,101,000)		(127,446,000)		17,808,000
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Total revenue	941,000		1,102,000		1,802,000
Home construction and land sales expenses	0		0		0
Inventory impairments and option contract abandonments	0		0		0
Gross profit	941,000		1,102,000		1,802,000
Commissions	0		0		0
General and administrative expenses	114,000		115,000		110,000
Depreciation and amortization	0		0		0
Operating loss	827,000		987,000		1,692,000
Equity in income (loss) of unconsolidated entities	0		0		0
(Loss) gain on extinguishment of debt	0		0		0
Other (loss) income, net	27,000		71,000		79,000
Loss from continuing operations before income taxes	854,000		1,058,000		1,771,000
(Benefit from) provisions for income taxes	299,000		370,000		620,000
Equity in loss of subsidiaries	0		0		0
Loss from continuing operations	555,000		688,000		1,151,000
Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax	(8,000)		(3,000)		(5,000)
Equity in loss of subsidiaries	0		0		0
Net loss	547,000		685,000		1,146,000
Consolidating Adjustments
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Total revenue	(941,000)		(1,102,000)		0
Home construction and land sales expenses	(941,000)		(1,102,000)		0
Inventory impairments and option contract abandonments	0		0		0
Gross profit	0		0		0
Commissions	0		0		0
General and administrative expenses	0		0		0
Depreciation and amortization	0		0		0
Operating loss	0		0		0
Equity in income (loss) of unconsolidated entities	0		0		0
(Loss) gain on extinguishment of debt	0		0		0
Other (loss) income, net	0		0		0
Loss from continuing operations before income taxes	0		0		0
(Benefit from) provisions for income taxes	0		0		0
Equity in loss of subsidiaries	25,851,000		122,086,000		(23,433,000)
Loss from continuing operations	25,851,000		122,086,000		(23,433,000)
Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax			0		0
Equity in loss of subsidiaries	9,703,000		4,675,000		4,479,000
Net loss	$ 35,554,000		$ 126,761,000		$ (18,954,000)

[1] The fiscal year ended September 30, 2011, includes an $8.3 million benefit related to the cash reimbursements from our former CEO and former CFO in connection with their consent agreements with the Securities and Exchange Commission.