Debt - Additional Information (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Millions		12 Months Ended
Jan. 20, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Term of loan		5 years
Agreement date		Apr. 18, 2014
Aggregate loan amount		$ 750
Sub-facility for letter of credit		150
Sub-facility for swing line loans		50
Increase in aggregate principal amount		$ 250
Annual commitment fee range		75.00%
Maximum capitalization ratio		50.00%
Minimum interest coverage ratio		300.00%
Commitment fee amount remaining under amended credit facility		$ 750
Additional credit facilities		$ 250
Subsequent Event [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Base rate	0.75%
Maximum capitalization ratio	45.00%
Minimum asset coverage ratio	150.00%
Percentage increase in commitment fee	0.05%
Percentage of equity in customary security interest	65.00%
Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Annual commitment fee range		0.25%
Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Annual commitment fee range		0.35%
Federal Funds Rate [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Base rate		0.50%
London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Base rate		1.00%
Senior Unsecured Revolving Credit Facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of credit facility borrowings		$ 108

Additional credit facilities

No definition available.

Name:	dnow_AdditionalCreditFacilities
Namespace Prefix:	dnow_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Line of credit facility covenant terms minimum asset coverage ratio.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	dnow_LineOfCreditFacilityCovenantTermsMinimumAssetCoverageRatio
Namespace Prefix:	dnow_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Line of credit facility covenant terms minimum interest coverage ratio.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	dnow_LineOfCreditFacilityCovenantTermsMinimumInterestCoverageRatio
Namespace Prefix:	dnow_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Maximum debt to capitalization ratio allowable.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	dnow_MaximumDebtToCapitalizationRatioAllowable
Namespace Prefix:	dnow_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Percentage increase in commitment fee.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	dnow_PercentageIncreaseInCommitmentFee
Namespace Prefix:	dnow_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Percentage of equity in customary security interest.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	dnow_PercentageOfEquityInCustomarySecurityInterest
Namespace Prefix:	dnow_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Sub facility for letters of credit.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	dnow_SubFacilityForLettersOfCredit
Namespace Prefix:	dnow_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Sub facility for swing line loans.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	dnow_SubFacilityForSwingLineLoans
Namespace Prefix:	dnow_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Percentage points added to the reference rate to compute the variable rate on the debt instrument.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentBasisSpreadOnVariableRate1
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- 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_DebtInstrumentLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Period of time between issuance and maturity of debt instrument, in PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents the reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentTerm
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The carrying value as of the balance sheet date of the current and noncurrent portions of long-term obligations drawn from a line of credit, which is a bank's commitment to make loans up to a specific amount. Examples of items that might be included in the application of this element may consist of letters of credit, standby letters of credit, and revolving credit arrangements, under which borrowings can be made up to a maximum amount as of any point in time conditional on satisfaction of specified terms before, as of and after the date of drawdowns on the line. Includes short-term obligations that would normally be classified as current liabilities but for which (a) postbalance sheet date issuance of a long term obligation to refinance the short term obligation on a long term basis, or (b) the enterprise has entered into a financing agreement that clearly permits the enterprise to refinance the short-term obligation on a long term basis and the following conditions are met (1) the agreement does not expire within 1 year and is not cancelable by the lender except for violation of an objectively determinable provision, (2) no violation exists at the BS date, and (3) the lender has entered into the financing agreement is expected to be financially capable of honoring the agreement.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-03.16)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6876686&loc=d3e534808-122878

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.7-03.16)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879938&loc=d3e572229-122910

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Section 02
-Paragraph 19, 20, 22
-Article 5

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount of the total principal payments made during the annual reporting period.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 505
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6928386&loc=d3e21475-112644

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Section 02
-Paragraph 19, 22
-Article 5

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityAnnualPrincipalPayment
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of the fee for available but unused credit capacity under the credit facility.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.19(b),22(b))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityCommitmentFeeAmount
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of increase (decrease) of the credit facility.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 235
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.4-08.(f))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=26873400&loc=d3e23780-122690

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityIncreaseDecreaseForPeriodNet
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Date the credit facility first became available, in CCYY-MM-DD format.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityInitiationDate1
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:dateItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The fee, expressed as a percentage of the line of credit facility, for available but unused credit capacity under the credit facility.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityUnusedCapacityCommitmentFeePercentage
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_SubsequentEventTypeAxis=us-gaap_SubsequentEventMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RangeAxis=us-gaap_MinimumMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RangeAxis=us-gaap_MaximumMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_VariableRateAxis=dnow_FederalFundsRateMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_VariableRateAxis=us-gaap_LondonInterbankOfferedRateLIBORMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_CreditFacilityAxis=us-gaap_RevolvingCreditFacilityMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: