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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
	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	$ 1,566,831strl_CostsIncurredAndEstimatedEarningsOnUncompletedContracts	$ 1,334,322strl_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	$ 7,754us-gaap_BillingsInExcessOfCost	$ (19,892)us-gaap_BillingsInExcessOfCost

X

- Definition

Billings on uncompleted contracts

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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X

- 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

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Namespace Prefix:	strl_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
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X

- 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

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant