Organization and Basis of Presentation (Policies)	3 Months Ended
Organization and Basis of Presentation (Policies)	Mar. 31, 2017
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Nature of Operations	Nature of Operations NOW Inc. (“NOW” or the “Company”) is a holding company headquartered in Houston, Texas that was incorporated in Delaware on November 22, 2013. NOW operates primarily under the DistributionNOW and Wilson Export brands. NOW is a global distributor of energy products as well as products for industrial applications through its locations in the U.S., Canada and internationally which are geographically positioned to serve the energy and industrial markets in over 80 countries. NOW’s energy product offerings are used in the oil and gas industry including upstream drilling and completion, exploration and production, midstream infrastructure development and downstream petroleum refining – as well as in other industries, such as chemical processing, power generation and industrial manufacturing operations. The industrial distribution portion of NOW’s business targets a diverse range of manufacturing and other facilities across numerous industries and end markets. NOW also provides supply chain management to drilling contractors, E&P operators, midstream operators, downstream energy and industrial manufacturing companies. NOW’s supplier network consists of thousands of vendors in approximately 40 countries.
Basis of Presentation	Basis of Presentation All significant intercompany transactions and accounts have been eliminated. The unaudited consolidated financial information included in this report has been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”) for interim financial information and Article 10 of SEC Regulation S-X. The principles for interim financial information do not require the inclusion of all the information and footnotes required by generally accepted accounting principles for complete financial statements. Therefore, these financial statements should be read in conjunction with the financial statements included in the Company’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K. In the opinion of the Company’s management, the consolidated financial statements include all adjustments, all of which are of a normal recurring nature, necessary for a fair presentation of the results for the interim periods. The results of operations for the three months ended March 31, 2017 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full year.
Use of Estimates	Use of Estimates The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect reported and contingent amounts of assets and liabilities as of the date of the financial statements and reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
Reclassification	Reclassification Certain amounts in the prior periods presented have been reclassified to conform to the current period financial statement presentation. These reclassifications have no effect on previously reported operating loss, loss before income taxes or net loss.
Fair Value of Financial Instruments	Fair Value of Financial Instruments The carrying amounts of cash and cash equivalents, receivables and payables approximated fair value because of the relatively short maturity of these instruments. Cash equivalents include only those investments having a maturity date of three months or less at the time of purchase. See Note 11 “Derivative Financial Instruments” for the fair value of derivative financial instruments.
Recently Issued Accounting Standards	Recently Issued Accounting Standards In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606). ASU 2014-09 affects any entity using GAAP that either enters into contracts with customers to transfer goods or services or enters into contracts for the transfer of nonfinancial assets unless those contracts are within the scope of other standards (e.g., insurance contracts or lease contracts). This ASU will supersede the revenue recognition requirements in Revenue Recognition (Topic 605), and most industry-specific guidance. The ASU provides two transition methods: (i) retrospectively to each prior reporting period presented or (ii) retrospectively with the cumulative effect of initially applying this ASU recognized at the date of initial application. In August 2015, the FASB proposed the effective date to be the annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017, and interim periods therein. In May 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-12, Narrow-Scope Improvements and Practical Expedients (Topic 606), which clarifies implementation guidance on assessing collectability, presentation of sales tax, noncash consideration and completed contracts and contract modifications at transition. The Company continues to review key contracts with customers and determine the impact on processes, systems and controls. In addition, the implementation team is also responsible for identifying and implementing changes to business processes, systems and controls, if any, to support recognition and disclosure under the new standard. The Company plans to adopt Topic 606 in the first quarter of fiscal year 2018 pursuant to the aforementioned adoption method (ii). While the Company is currently assessing the impact of the new standard, the revenue is primarily generated from the sale of finished product to customers. Those sales predominantly contain a single delivery element and revenue is recognized at a single point in time when ownership, risks and rewards transfer. These are largely unimpacted by the new standard. Based on the Company’s preliminary assessment, which is subject to change, the Company does not expect this new guidance to have a material impact on the consolidated financial statements. The Company expects to expand its revenue recognition disclosures to address the quantitative and qualitative requirements in the standard. In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842). ASU 2016-02 requires lessees to recognize a lease liability and a right-to-use asset for all leases, including operating leases, with a term greater than twelve months on its balance sheet. ASU 2016-02 is effective for annual and interim periods in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, with early adoption permitted, and requires a modified retrospective transition method. The Company is currently assessing the impact of ASU 2016-02 on its consolidated financial statements. The Company expects that most of its operating lease commitments will be subject to the new standard and recognized as operating lease liabilities and right-of-use assets upon the adoption of ASU 2016-02, which will increase the total assets and total liabilities that are reported relative to such amounts prior to adoption. In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13, Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments (Topic 326), which replaces the incurred loss impairment methodology in current GAAP with a methodology that reflects expected credit losses and requires consideration of a broader range of reasonable and supportable information to determine credit loss estimates. ASU 2016-13 requires entities to measure all expected credit losses for financial assets held at the reporting date based on historical experience, current conditions and reasonable and supportable forecasts. Entities will now use forward-looking information to better form their credit loss estimates. ASU 2016-13 is effective for annual and interim periods in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, with early adoption permitted as of December 15, 2018, and requires modified retrospective transition method. The Company is currently assessing the impact of ASU 2016-13 on its consolidated financial statements. In March 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-07, Improving the Presentation of Net Periodic Pension Cost and Net Periodic Postretirement Benefit Cost (Topic 715). ASU 2017-07 requires employers to report the service cost component in the same line item or items as other compensation costs arising from services rendered by the pertinent employees during the period. The other components of net benefit costs are required to be presented separately from the service cost on the income statement. This standard only allows the service cost component to be eligible for capitalization when applicable. ASU 2017-07 is effective for annual and interim periods in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017. The Company is currently assessing the impact of ASU 2017-07 on its consolidated financial statements.
Recently Adopted Accounting Standards	Recently Adopted Accounting Standards In July 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-11, Simplifying the Measurement of Inventory (Topic 330). Under ASU 2015-11, inventory will be measured at the “lower of cost and net realizable value.” ASU 2015-11 defines net realizable value as the “estimated selling prices in the ordinary course of business, less reasonably predictable costs of completion, disposal, and transportation.” ASU 2015-11 is effective for annual and interim periods in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016. The Company adopted this standard as of January 1, 2017, with no material impact on its consolidated financial statements. In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-09, Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting (Topic 718), which simplifies the accounting for income taxes, forfeitures and statutory tax withholding requirements, as well as classification in the statement of cash flows. ASU 2016-09 is effective for annual and interim periods in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016, with early adoption permitted. The Company early adopted this standard as of December 31, 2016, with no impact to its consolidated financial statements. In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-15, Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments (Topic 230), to provide guidance on specific cash inflows and outflows. ASU 2016-15 is effective for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2017, with early adoption permitted and requires retrospective application of these amendments unless not practicable, in which case amendments would be applied prospectively as of the earliest date practicable. The Company early adopted this standard as of December 31, 2016, with no impact to its consolidated financial statements. In October 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-16, Intra-Entity Asset Transfers of Assets Other than Inventory (Topic 740), to recognize the income tax consequences of intra-entity transfers of an asset other than inventory when the transfer occurs. ASU 2016-16 is effective for annual and interim periods in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017 with early adoption permitted in the first interim period of fiscal year 2017. Upon adoption, any deferred charge established upon the intra-company transfer would be recorded as a cumulative-effect adjustment to retained earnings. The Company early adopted this standard in the first quarter of fiscal year 2017 and reversed a deferred charge of $1 million previously recorded in prepaid and other current assets in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets. However, due to the Company’s full valuation allowance in the U.S., the deferred charge recorded as a cumulative-effect adjustment to accumulated deficit netted to zero. In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-04, Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment (Topic 350), which eliminates Step 2 from the goodwill impairment test. ASU 2017-04 is effective for annual and interim periods in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019. Early adoption is permitted for interim or annual goodwill impairment tests performed after January 1, 2017 and should be applied prospectively. The Company early adopted this standard as of January 1, 2017, for use in its goodwill impairment testing.