v3.7.0.1

Note 17 - Commitments and Contingencies (Details Textual) - USD ($)	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2016	Dec. 31, 2016
Nonrefundable Cash Deposits	$ 76,900,000
Capitalized Preacquisition and Other Development and Construction Costs	31,900,000
Remaining Purchase Price of Land Purchase and Option Contracts	$ 1,058,300,000
Number of Joint Ventures the Company Holds Membership Interest In	27
Number of Active Joint Ventures	13
Number of Inactive Joint Ventures	14
Number of Joint Ventures Having Project Specific Non-recourse Debt to the Company	2
Equity Method Investment, Summarized Financial Information, Non-recourse Debt	$ 30,200,000
Outstanding Joint Venture Surety Bonds	0
Outstanding Surety Bonds	947,500,000
Surety Bonds Cost to Complete	500,300,000
Mortgage Loans in Process	$ 338,600,000
Mortgage Loans in Process, Interest Rate	3.60%
Loans Receivable Held-for-sale, Net, Not Part of Disposal Group, Mortgage	$ 154,800,000
Mortgage Loans Committed to Sell to Investors	23,400,000
Gain (Loss) on Mortgage Loan Related to Indemnification and Repurchase Allowance	100,000	$ 100,000
Mortgage Loan Repurchase Payments	0	$ 100,000
Insurance and Litigation Accruals	232,800,000		$ 233,500,000
Mortgage Loan Repurchase Reserve	3,700,000		$ 3,700,000
Mortgage Loans in Process [Member]
Mortgage Loans Expected to be Originated on a Non-presold Basis	$ 315,200,000

Capitalized preacquisition and other development and construction costs relating to land purchase and option contracts.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	caa_CapitalizedPreacquisitionAndOtherDevelopmentAndConstructionCosts
Namespace Prefix:	caa_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The amount of non-recourse debt reported by an equity method investment of the entity.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	caa_EquityMethodInvestmentSummarizedFinancialInformationNonrecourseDebt
Namespace Prefix:	caa_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Represents the amount of gain (loss) on mortgage loan related to indemnification and repurchase allowance.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	caa_GainLossOnMortgageLoanRelatedToIndemnificationAndRepurchaseAllowance
Namespace Prefix:	caa_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Accrual as of the balance sheet date for the estimate of insurance and litigation liabilities.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	caa_InsuranceAndLitigationAccruals
Namespace Prefix:	caa_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Payments related to loan indemnification or repurchase obligations.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	caa_MortgageLoanRepurchasePayments
Namespace Prefix:	caa_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Reserve for probable loan indemnification or repurchase obligations.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	caa_MortgageLoanRepurchaseReserve
Namespace Prefix:	caa_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Mortgage loans committed to sell to investors subject to the Company's funding and completion of the investors' administrative review of applicable loan documents.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	caa_MortgageLoansCommittedToSellToInvestors
Namespace Prefix:	caa_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Mortgage loans in process that were or are expected to be originated on a non-presold basis.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	caa_MortgageLoansExpectedToBeOriginatedOnANonPresoldBasis
Namespace Prefix:	caa_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Mortgage loans in process for which interest rates were committed to borrowers.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	caa_MortgageLoansInProcess
Namespace Prefix:	caa_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Weighted average interest rate of mortgage loans in process for which interest rates were committed to borrowers.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	caa_MortgageLoansInProcessInterestRate
Namespace Prefix:	caa_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Non-refundable cash deposits.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	caa_NonrefundableCashDeposits
Namespace Prefix:	caa_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Number of active joint ventures.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	caa_NumberOfActiveJointVentures
Namespace Prefix:	caa_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Number of inactive joint ventures.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	caa_NumberOfInactiveJointVentures
Namespace Prefix:	caa_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Number of Joint Ventures Having Project Specific Non-recourse Debt to the Company

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	caa_NumberOfJointVenturesHavingProjectSpecificNonrecourseDebtToTheCompany
Namespace Prefix:	caa_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Number of Joint Ventures The Company Holds Membership Interest In.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	caa_NumberOfJointVenturesTheCompanyHoldsMembershipInterestIn
Namespace Prefix:	caa_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Joint venture surety bonds outstanding subject to indemnity arrangements by the Company.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	caa_OutstandingJointVentureSuretyBonds
Namespace Prefix:	caa_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Surety bonds outstanding (exclusive of surety bonds related to joint ventures).

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	caa_OutstandingSuretyBonds
Namespace Prefix:	caa_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Remaining purchase price of land purchase and option contracts.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	caa_RemainingPurchasePriceOfLandPurchaseAndOptionContracts
Namespace Prefix:	caa_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Remaining in cost to complete in connection with surety bonds outstanding (exclusive of surety bonds related to joint ventures).

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	caa_SuretyBondsCostToComplete
Namespace Prefix:	caa_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount, after allowance for bad debt, of mortgage loan receivables held-for-sale that are not part of a disposal group. Excludes loans and leases covered under loss sharing agreements and loans classified as debt securities.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=82891408&loc=d3e4428-111522

+ Details

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

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_MortgageLoansOnRealEstateLoanTypeAxis=caa_MortgageLoansInProcessMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

CalAtlantic Group, Inc. 10-Q