Organization and Basis of Presentation	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2019
Organization Consolidation And Presentation Of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Organization and Basis of Presentation	1. Organization and Basis of Presentation 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 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, 2019 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full year. 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 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 results of operations. 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 12 “Derivative Financial Instruments” for the fair value of derivative financial instruments. Recently Issued Accounting Standards In June 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“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 the modified retrospective transition method. The Company is currently assessing the impact of ASU 2016-13 on its consolidated financial statements. In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-13, Disclosure Framework-Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820), which modified the disclosure requirements on fair value measurements. ASU 2018-13 is effective for annual and interim periods in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, with early adoption permitted for removed or modified disclosures. The Company is currently assessing the impact of ASU 2018-13 on its consolidated financial statements. Recently Adopted Accounting Standards In February 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued ASU 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842), which requires lessees to recognize a lease liability and a right-of-use (“ROU”) asset for all leases, including operating leases, with a term greater than twelve months in its balance sheets. In July 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-11, Targeted Improvements, which provided entities with an additional (and optional) transition method, allowing an entity to apply the new lease standard at the adoption date and to recognize a cumulative-effect adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings in the period of adoption. On January 1, 2019, the Company adopted ASC 842 using the modified retrospective method allowed under ASU 2018-11. The Company has utilized the package of practical expedients permitted under the transition guidance within ASC 842 which, among other things, allow an entity to carry forward its historical lease classifications. The adoption of ASC 842 resulted in the recognition of $66 million of ROU assets, net of $1 million deferred rent, and $67 million of lease liabilities related to leases that were previously not required to be presented in the consolidated balance sheets. See Note 13 “Leases” for additional information.

Organization and Basis of Presentation

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2019

Organization Consolidation And Presentation Of Financial Statements [Abstract]

1. Organization and Basis of Presentation

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

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, 2019 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full year.

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

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 results of operations.

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 12 “Derivative Financial Instruments” for the fair value of derivative financial instruments.

Recently Issued Accounting Standards

In June 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“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 the modified retrospective transition method. The Company is currently assessing the impact of ASU 2016-13 on its consolidated financial statements.

In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-13, Disclosure Framework-Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820), which modified the disclosure requirements on fair value measurements. ASU 2018-13 is effective for annual and interim periods in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, with early adoption permitted for removed or modified disclosures. The Company is currently assessing the impact of ASU 2018-13 on its consolidated financial statements.

Recently Adopted Accounting Standards

In February 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued ASU 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842), which requires lessees to recognize a lease liability and a right-of-use (“ROU”) asset for all leases, including operating leases, with a term greater than twelve months in its balance sheets. In July 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-11, Targeted Improvements, which provided entities with an additional (and optional) transition method, allowing an entity to apply the new lease standard at the adoption date and to recognize a cumulative-effect adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings in the period of adoption. On January 1, 2019, the Company adopted ASC 842 using the modified retrospective method allowed under ASU 2018-11. The Company has utilized the package of practical expedients permitted under the transition guidance within ASC 842 which, among other things, allow an entity to carry forward its historical lease classifications. The adoption of ASC 842 resulted in the recognition of $66 million of ROU assets, net of $1 million deferred rent, and $67 million of lease liabilities related to leases that were previously not required to be presented in the consolidated balance sheets. See Note 13 “Leases” for additional information.