| Schedule of Earnings Per Share, Basic and Diluted [Table Text Block] |
| | | | | (in thousands, except share and per share amounts) | | December 6, 2018 through October 31, 2019 | | | Net loss attributable to Concrete Pumping Holdings, Inc. | | $ | (9,912 | ) | | Less: Undistributed earnings allocated to participating securities | | | - | | | Less: Preferred stock - cumulative dividends | | | (1,623 | ) | | Net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders (numerator for basic earnings per share) | | $ | (11,535 | ) | | Add back: Undistributed earnings allocated to participating securities | | | - | | | Less: Undistributed earnings reallocated to participating securities | | | - | | | Add back: Preferred stock - cumulative dividends | | | - | | | Numerator for diluted earnings per share | | $ | (11,535 | ) | | | | | | | | Weighted average shares (denominator): | | | | | | Weighted average shares - basic | | | 41,445,508 | | | Weighted average shares - diluted | | | 41,445,508 | | | | | | | | | Basic loss per share | | $ | (0.28 | ) | | Diluted loss per share | | $ | (0.28 | ) | | | | | | | | | November 1, 2018 through December 5, 2018 | | | Year ended October 31, 2018 | | | Net loss (numerator): | | | | | | | | | | Net (loss) income attributable to Concrete Pumping Holdings, Inc. | | $ | (22,575 | ) | | $ | 28,382 | | | Less: Preferred stock - cumulative dividends | | | (126 | ) | | | (1,428 | ) | | Less: Undistributed earnings allocated to preferred shares | | | - | | | | (6,365 | ) | | Net (loss) income available to common shareholders | | $ | (22,701 | ) | | $ | 20,589 | | | | | | | | | | | | | Weighted average shares (denominator): | | | | | | | | | | Weighted average shares - basic | | | 7,576,289 | | | | 7,576,289 | | | Dilutive effect of stock options | | | - | | | | 749,601 | | | Weighted average shares - diluted | | $ | 7,576,289 | | | $ | 8,325,890 | | | | | | | | | | | | | Antidilutive stock options | | | 932,746 | | | | - | | | | | | | | | | | | | Basic income (loss) per share | | $ | (3.00 | ) | | $ | 2.72 | | | Diluted income (loss) per share | | $ | (3.00 | ) | | $ | 2.47 | | |