Earnings Per Share (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2019	Sep. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2019	Mar. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Sep. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2018	Mar. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Earnings Per Share, Basic, by Common Class, Including Two Class Method [Line Items]
Net income	$ 18,024	$ 79,525	$ 131,390	$ 32,637	$ 16,811	$ 69,261	$ 117,049	$ 31,339	$ 261,575	$ 234,461	$ 191,339
Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interest									0	0	294
Net income attributable to Pool Corporation									$ 261,575	$ 234,461	$ 191,633
Weighted average shares outstanding [Abstract]
Basic (in shares)									39,833	40,311	40,838
Effect of dilutive securities [Abstract]
Stock options and employee stock purchase plan (in shares)									1,032	1,382	1,611
Diluted (in shares)									40,865	41,693	42,449
Basic (in dollars per share)	$ 0.45	$ 1.99	$ 3.30	$ 0.83	$ 0.42	$ 1.71	$ 2.89	$ 0.78	$ 6.57	$ 5.82	$ 4.69
Diluted (in dollars per share)	$ 0.44	$ 1.95	$ 3.22	$ 0.80	$ 0.41	$ 1.66	$ 2.80	$ 0.75	$ 6.40	$ 5.62	$ 4.51
Anti-dilutive stock options whose exercise prices were higher than the common stock's average market price during the period (in shares)									0	0	108