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Note 5 - Costs and Estimated Earnings and Billings on Uncompleted Contracts (Details) - Excess Billings Over Costs and Estimated Earnings on Uncompleted Contracts (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2014 | Dec. 31, 2013
Excess Billings Over Costs and Estimated Earnings on Uncompleted Contracts [Abstract] |  |
Costs incurred and estimated earnings on uncompleted contracts | $ 1,566,831 strl_CostsIncurredAndEstimatedEarningsOnUncompletedContracts | $ 1,334,322 strl_CostsIncurredAndEstimatedEarningsOnUncompletedContracts
Billings on uncompleted contracts | (1,559,077)strl_BillingsOnUncompletedContracts | (1,354,214)strl_BillingsOnUncompletedContracts
Excess of costs incurred and estimated earnings over billings (excess of billings over costs incurred and estimated earnings) on uncompleted contracts | $ 7,754 us-gaap_BillingsInExcessOfCost | $ (19,892)us-gaap_BillingsInExcessOfCost

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- Definition Billings on uncompleted contracts + References No definition available. + Details
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Namespace Prefix: | strl_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | instant

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- Definition Costs incurred and estimated earnings on uncompleted contracts + References No definition available. + Details
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Namespace Prefix: | strl_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | duration

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- Details
Name: | strl_ExcessBillingsOverCostsAndEstimatedEarningsOnUncompletedContractsAbstract
Namespace Prefix: | strl_
Data Type: | xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

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- Definition Liability attributable to (i) billings in excess of costs under the percentage of completion contract accounting method representing the difference between contractually invoiced amounts (billings) and revenue recognized based, for example, on costs incurred to estimated total costs at period end or (ii) contractually invoiced amounts (billings) in excess of costs incurred and accumulated under the completed contract accounting method. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 605 -SubTopic 35 -Section 45 -Paragraph 3 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6802688&loc=d3e57788-111642 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 605 -SubTopic 35 -Section 45 -Paragraph 5 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6802688&loc=d3e57807-111642 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 605 -SubTopic 35 -Section 45 -Paragraph 4 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6802688&loc=d3e57795-111642 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_BillingsInExcessOfCost
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | instant