<?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>
<FilingSummary>
  <Version>3.23.1</Version>
  <ProcessingTime/>
  <ReportFormat>html</ReportFormat>
  <ContextCount>1</ContextCount>
  <ElementCount>23</ElementCount>
  <EntityCount>1</EntityCount>
  <FootnotesReported>false</FootnotesReported>
  <SegmentCount>0</SegmentCount>
  <ScenarioCount>0</ScenarioCount>
  <TuplesReported>false</TuplesReported>
  <UnitCount>0</UnitCount>
  <MyReports>
    <Report instance="mli-20230425.htm">
      <IsDefault>false</IsDefault>
      <HasEmbeddedReports>false</HasEmbeddedReports>
      <HtmlFileName>R1.htm</HtmlFileName>
      <LongName>0000001 - Document - Cover</LongName>
      <ReportType>Sheet</ReportType>
      <Role>http://www.muellerindustries.com/role/Cover</Role>
      <ShortName>Cover</ShortName>
      <MenuCategory>Cover</MenuCategory>
      <Position>1</Position>
    </Report>
    <Report>
      <IsDefault>false</IsDefault>
      <HasEmbeddedReports>false</HasEmbeddedReports>
      <LongName>All Reports</LongName>
      <ReportType>Book</ReportType>
      <ShortName>All Reports</ShortName>
    </Report>
  </MyReports>
  <InputFiles>
    <File doctype="8-K" original="mli-20230425.htm">mli-20230425.htm</File>
    <File>exhibit991q12023earningsre.htm</File>
    <File>mli-20230425.xsd</File>
    <File>mli-20230425_lab.xml</File>
    <File>mli-20230425_pre.xml</File>
  </InputFiles>
  <SupplementalFiles>
    <File>mli-20230425_g1.jpg</File>
  </SupplementalFiles>
  <BaseTaxonomies>
    <BaseTaxonomy items="23">http://xbrl.sec.gov/dei/2023</BaseTaxonomy>
  </BaseTaxonomies>
  <HasPresentationLinkbase>true</HasPresentationLinkbase>
  <HasCalculationLinkbase>false</HasCalculationLinkbase>
</FilingSummary>
