XML 69 R50.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT
v3.8.0.1

Income Taxes - Narrative (Details) - USD ($) | 3 Months Ended | 6 Months Ended | 12 Months Ended
--- | --- | --- | ---
Apr. 30, 2018 | Jan. 31, 2018 | Apr. 30, 2017 | Apr. 30, 2018 | Apr. 30, 2017 | Oct. 31, 2018
Income Taxes [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |
Net discrete tax benefit from remeasurement of deferred taxes at new rate due to Tax Act |  | $ 28,700,000 |  |  |  |
One-time transition tax on deemed repatriation of indefinitely reinvested earnings |  | $ 7,000,000 |  |  |  |
Tax deductions for energy efficient government buildings | $ 2,000,000 |  |  | $ 2,300,000 |  |
Increase (decrease) in tax credits, work opportunity tax credit | $ 1,500,000 |  |  | 1,500,000 |  |
Discrete tax benefit related to enactment of Tax Act |  |  |  | 21,700,000 |  |
Income tax benefit related to vesting of share-based compensation awards |  |  | $ 2,100,000 | $ 1,500,000 | $ 2,100,000 |
Forecast |  |  |  |  |  |
Income Taxes [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |
U.S. statutory federal rate (percent) |  |  |  |  |  | 23.30%

X
- Definition Effective Income Tax Reconciliation, Deduction Energy Efficient Government Buildings, Amount + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | abm_EffectiveIncomeTaxReconciliationDeductionEnergyEfficientGovernmentBuildingsAmount
Namespace Prefix: | abm_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Increase (Decrease) in Tax Credits, Work Opportunity Tax Credit + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | abm_IncreaseDecreaseinTaxCreditsWorkOpportunityTaxCredit
Namespace Prefix: | abm_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Amount of reasonable estimate for income tax expense (benefit) for remeasurement of deferred tax from change in tax rate pursuant to Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 for which accounting for tax effect is incomplete. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | abm_TaxCutsandJobsActof2017IncompleteAccountingChangeinTaxRateProvisionalIncomeTaxExpenseBenefit
Namespace Prefix: | abm_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Amount of reasonable estimate for income tax expense (benefit) from effect of Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 for which accounting for tax effect is incomplete. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | abm_TaxCutsandJobsActof2017IncompleteAccountingProvisionalIncomeTaxExpenseBenefit
Namespace Prefix: | abm_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Amount of reasonable estimate for income tax expense from transition tax on accumulated earnings of controlled foreign corporation deemed repatriated pursuant to Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 for which accounting for tax effect is incomplete. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | abm_TaxCutsandJobsActof2017IncompleteAccountingTransitionTaxforAccumulatedForeignEarningsProvisionalIncomeTaxExpense
Namespace Prefix: | abm_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Percentage of domestic federal statutory tax rate applicable to pretax income (loss). + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 12 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84230637&loc=d3e32687-109319 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SAB TOPIC 6.I) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=34349781&loc=d3e330036-122817 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 13 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84230637&loc=d3e32698-109319 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationAtFederalStatutoryIncomeTaxRate
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | num:percentItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition The total recognized tax benefit related to compensation cost for equity-based payment arrangements recognized in income during the period. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 718 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -Subparagraph (h)(1)(i) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=96867065&loc=d3e5070-113901 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_EmployeeServiceShareBasedCompensationTaxBenefitFromCompensationExpense
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | us-gaap_OperatingLossCarryforwardsLineItems
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_StatementScenarioAxis=us-gaap_ScenarioForecastMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |