Level 2 Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2012
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Use of Estimates [Policy Text Block]	Use of Estimates The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make estimates and assumptions about future events. These estimates and the underlying assumptions affect the amounts of assets and liabilities reported, disclosures about contingent assets and liabilities, and reported amounts of revenues and expenses. Such estimates include the valuation of accounts receivable, inventories, goodwill, intangible assets, and other long-lived assets; legal contingencies; guarantee obligations; indemnifications; assumptions used in retirement benefits; and vendor and customer rebates, among others. These estimates and assumptions are based on management's best estimates and judgment. Management evaluates its estimates and assumptions on an ongoing basis using historical experience and other factors, including the current economic environment, which management believes to be reasonable under the circumstances. We adjust such estimates and assumptions when facts and circumstances dictate. As future events and their effects cannot be determined with precision, actual results could differ significantly from these estimates. Changes in these estimates resulting from continuing changes in the economic environment will be reflected in the consolidated financial statements in future periods.
Vendor Rebates and Allowances [Policy Text Block]	Rebates and allowances received from our vendors are recognized as a reduction of "Materials, labor, and other operating expenses" when the product is sold, unless the rebates and allowances are linked to a specific incremental cost to sell a vendor's product. Amounts received from vendors that are linked to specific selling and distribution expenses are recognized as a reduction of "Selling and distribution expenses" in the period the expense is incurred.
Customer Rebates and Allowances [Policy Text Block]	We also provide rebates to our customers and our customers' customers based on the volume of their purchases. We provide the rebates to increase the sell-through of our products. The rebates are recorded as a decrease in "Sales, Trade."
Leases [Policy Text Block]	For purposes of determining straight-line rent expense, the lease term is calculated from the date we first take possession of the facility, including any periods of free rent and any renewal option periods we are reasonably assured of exercising.
New and recently adopted accounting standards [Policy Text Block]	New and Recently Adopted Accounting Standards In July 2012, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2012-02, Intangibles — Goodwill and Other (Topic 350): Testing Indefinite-Lived Intangible Assets for Impairment, which gives entities the option first to assess qualitative factors to determine whether the existence of events and circumstances indicates that it is more likely than not that the indefinite-lived intangible asset is impaired. If, after assessing the totality of events and circumstances, an entity concludes that it is not more likely than not that the indefinite-lived intangible asset is impaired, then the entity is not required to take further action. However, if an entity concludes otherwise, then it is required to determine the fair value of the indefinite-lived intangible asset and perform the quantitative impairment test by comparing the fair value with the carrying amount. The amended guidance is effective for annual and interim impairment tests performed for fiscal years beginning after September 15, 2012, with early adoption permitted. We do not believe the adoption of this guidance will have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements. In September 2011, the FASB issued ASU 2011-08, Intangibles — Goodwill and Other (Topic 350): Testing Goodwill for Impairment, which gives entities testing goodwill for impairment the option of performing a qualitative assessment before calculating the fair value of a reporting unit in step 1 of the goodwill impairment test. If entities determine, on the basis of qualitative factors, that the fair value of a reporting unit is more likely than not less than the carrying amount, the two-step impairment test would be required. Otherwise, further testing would not be needed. We adopted the provisions of this guidance January 1, 2012, and it had no effect on our financial position and results of operations. In June 2011, the FASB issued ASU 2011-05, Comprehensive Income (Topic 220): Presentation of Comprehensive Income, which amends current comprehensive income guidance. This accounting update eliminates the option to present the components of other comprehensive income as part of the statement of equity, among other amendments. Instead, the company must report comprehensive income in either a single continuous statement of comprehensive income which contains two sections, net income and other comprehensive income, or in two separate but consecutive statements. On December 23, 2011, the FASB issued ASU 2011-12, Comprehensive Income (Topic 220): Deferral of the Effective Date for Amendments to the Presentation of Reclassifications of Items Out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income in Accounting Standards Update No. 2011-05, which defers the ASU 2011-05 requirement to present reclassification adjustments out of accumulated other comprehensive income by component in both the statement in which net income is presented and the statement in which other comprehensive income is presented (for both interim and annual financial statements). This requirement is being further deliberated by the FASB. We adopted this guidance retrospectively as of January 1, 2012, by adding the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss) to our consolidated financial statements. In addition, accumulated other comprehensive loss was reclassified from Series B equity units to a separate line in the Consolidated Balance Sheets.

Disclosure of accounting policy for allowances received from a vendor. The disclosure differentiates between those allowances that are recorded as a reduction in the price of the vendors' products or services (that is, the entity's inventory) and which ultimately will be recorded as a reduction in the entity's cost of sales and those that are not.

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- Definition

Disclosure of accounting policy for leasing arrangements (both lessor and lessee). This disclosure may address (1) lease classification (that is, operating versus capital), (2) how the term of a lease is determined (for example, the circumstances in which a renewal option is considered part of the lease term), (3) how rental revenue or expense is recognized for a lease that contains rent escalations, (4) an entity's accounting treatment for deferred rent, including that which arises from lease incentives, rent abatements, rent holidays, or tenant allowances (5) an entity's accounting treatment for contingent rental payments and (6) an entity's policy for reviewing, at least annually, the residual values of sales-type and direct-finance leases. The disclosure also may indicate how the entity accounts for its capital leases, leveraged leases or sale-leaseback transactions.

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Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 840

-SubTopic 20

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/subtopic&trid=2208979

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)

-Number 13

-Paragraph 6, 7-15, 17, 18, 19, 32, 34, 43-47

-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 235

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 3

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6367646&loc=d3e18780-107790

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)

-Number 34

-Paragraph 1

-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 840

-SubTopic 40

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/subtopic&trid=2209073

Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 840

-SubTopic 30

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/subtopic&trid=2209026

Reference 7: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)

-Number 98

-Paragraph 7

-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

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- Definition

Disclosure of accounting policy for cash rebates offered on sales.

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Disclosure of accounting policy for the use of estimates in the preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles.

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BOISE CASCADE HOLDINGS, L.L.C. 10-Q