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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

12 Months Ended

Feb. 02, 2025

The accompanying consolidated financial statements present the results of operations, financial position and cash flows of Core & Main and its subsidiaries, which includes the consolidated financial statements of Holdings and its consolidated subsidiary, Core & Main LP, as the legal entity that conducts the operations of the Company. Certain reclassification have been made to previously reported financial information to conform to the Company’s current period presentation. All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. The Partnership Interests not held by Core & Main are reflected as non-controlling interests in the consolidated financial statements.

Segments

The Company’s chief operating decision maker (“CODM”) is the Chief Executive Officer. The CODM manages the business as a single operating and reportable segment. The Company operates over 370 branch locations across the U.S. The nature of the products and services, suppliers, customers and distribution methods are similar across branches. The consolidated performance of the Company is utilized to determine incentive compensation for executive officers, annual merit decisions, management of national supplier relationships, allocation of resources and in evaluating acquisitions and the Company’s capital structure. Performance is most notably measured by the CODM based on net sales and net income at the consolidated level, as reported in the consolidated statement of operations. Significant expenses within net income include cost of sales and selling, general and administrative expense, which are each separately presented in the consolidated statement of operations. Other segment items within net income include depreciation and amortization expense, interest expense and income tax expense.

Fiscal Year

The Company’s fiscal year is a 52- or 53-week period ending on the Sunday nearest to January 31st. Quarters within the fiscal year include 13-week periods, unless a fiscal year includes a 53rd week, in which case the fourth quarter of the fiscal year will be a 14-week period. Fiscal 2024 included 53 weeks and fiscal 2023 and fiscal 2022 included 52 weeks. The next fiscal year ending February 1, 2026 (“fiscal 2025”) will include 52 weeks.

Estimates

Management has made a number of estimates and assumptions relating to the reporting of certain assets and liabilities, the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities, and reported amounts of revenues and expenses in preparing the elements of these financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”). Actual results could differ from these estimates.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

The Company classified all highly liquid investments with maturities of three months or less when purchased to be cash equivalents. The Company maintains cash deposits according to a banking policy that requires diversification across a variety of highly-rated financial institutions. However, this could result in concentration of cash and cash equivalents across these financial institutions in excess of Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation-insured limits.

Allowance for Credit Losses

Accounts receivable are evaluated for collectability based on numerous factors, including past transaction history with customers, their credit-worthiness, and an assessment of lien and bond rights. An allowance for credit losses is estimated as a percentage of aged receivables. This estimate is periodically adjusted when management becomes aware of a specific customer’s inability to meet its financial obligations (e.g., a bankruptcy filing) or as a result of changes in historical collection patterns.

Inventories

Inventories consist primarily of finished goods and are carried at the lower of cost or net realizable value. The cost of substantially all inventories is determined by the weighted average cost method. The carrying value of inventory includes the capitalization of inbound freight costs and is net of supplier rebates and purchase discounts for products not yet sold. The inventory reserve is based on an analysis of historical physical inventory results, a review of excess and obsolete inventories based on inventory aging and anticipated future demand.

Consideration Received from Suppliers

The Company enters into agreements with many of its suppliers providing for inventory purchase rebates (“supplier rebates”) upon achievement of specified volume purchasing levels and purchase discounts. The Company accrues the receipt of supplier rebates and purchase discounts as part of its cost of sales for products sold based on progress towards earning the supplier rebates, taking into consideration cumulative purchases of inventory to the measurement date and projected purchases through the end of the year. An estimate of supplier rebates and purchase discounts is included in the carrying value of inventory at each period end for supplier rebates to be received on products not yet sold. Supplier rebates and purchase discounts included in inventory were $54 million and $43 million at February 2, 2025 and January 28, 2024, respectively.

Property and Equipment

Property and equipment are recorded at cost and depreciated using the straight-line method based on the following estimated useful lives of the assets:


Buildings and improvements			5 - 39 years
Transportation equipment			5 - 7 years
Furniture, fixtures and equipment			3 - 10 years
Capitalized software			3 years

Property and Equipment, impairment

Property and equipment assets are assessed for recovery when a triggering event occurs. A potential impairment is first evaluated by comparing the undiscounted cash flows associated with the asset, or the asset group it is part of, to its carrying value. If the carrying value is greater than the undiscounted cash flows, the amount of potential impairment is measured by comparing the fair value of the asset, or the asset group it is part of, with its carrying value. The Company assesses the remaining useful life and the recoverability of property and equipment assets whenever events or circumstances indicate that the carrying value of an asset may not be recoverable. Judgments regarding the existence of a triggering event are based on market and operational performance. Evaluating potential impairment also requires estimates of future operating results and cash flows. There were no impairments of property and equipment assets during fiscal 2024, fiscal 2023 or fiscal 2022.

Acquisitions

Amounts paid for acquisitions are allocated to the tangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed based on their estimated fair values at the date of acquisition. The Company then allocates the purchase price in excess of net tangible assets acquired to identifiable intangible assets. The fair value of identifiable intangible assets is based on detailed valuations. The Company allocates any excess purchase price over the fair value of the net tangible and intangible assets acquired to goodwill.

Goodwill

The Company does not amortize goodwill but does conduct an impairment test of goodwill on an annual basis or whenever events or circumstances indicate that it is “more likely than not” that the fair value of its reporting unit has dropped below its carrying value. The annual goodwill impairment assessment for fiscal 2024, fiscal 2023 and fiscal 2022 consisted of a qualitative assessment to determine whether it is “more likely than not” that the fair value of the reporting unit exceeds its carrying value. The quantitative assessment, when applicable, is comprised of comparing the carrying value of a reporting unit to its estimated fair value. The Company estimates the fair value of the reporting unit based on a detailed valuation, utilizing an income approach based on the present value of future cash flows, a market approach based on multiples of sales and profit metrics of similar public companies and a market approach based on multiples of sales and profit metrics for purchase transactions of similar companies (all of which are considered level three measurement techniques). If the carrying value of the reporting unit exceeds its fair value, the Company will recognize the excess of the carrying value over the fair value as a goodwill impairment loss.

Intangible Assets

Finite-lived intangible assets consist primarily of customer relationships which are amortized over the periods during which the Company expects to generate net sales from these customer relationships. The initial amortization life of finite-lived intangible assets primarily ranged from 10 to 15 years. Finite-lived intangible assets are assessed for impairment when a triggering event occurs. A potential impairment of finite-lived intangible assets is first evaluated by comparing the undiscounted cash flows associated with the asset, or the asset group it is part of, to its carrying value. If the carrying value is greater than the undiscounted cash flows, the amount of potential impairment is measured by comparing the fair value of the asset, or the asset group it is part of, with their carrying value. The Company assesses the remaining useful life and the recoverability of finite-lived intangible assets whenever events or circumstances indicate that the carrying value of an asset may not be recoverable. Judgments regarding the existence of a triggering event are based on market and operational performance. Evaluating potential impairment also requires estimates of future operating results and cash flows.

Internal use software is recognized separately as an intangible asset and is carried at cost less accumulated amortization. Cost may include external and internal costs directly attributable to the development, design and implementation of the computer software. Costs related to training and data conversion are expensed as incurred.

All of the Company’s intangible assets are subject to amortization.

Fair Value Measurement

The carrying amounts of cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable and accounts payable, accrued compensation and benefits and other current liabilities approximate fair value due to the short-term nature of these financial instruments. The Company’s long-term financial assets and liabilities are generally recorded at historical costs. The carrying amounts of derivative assets or liabilities (see Note 6) are recorded at fair value.

Revenue Recognition

The Company’s revenues are earned from contracts with customers. These contracts include written agreements and purchase orders as well as arrangements that are implied by customary business practices or law. The revenue contracts are primarily single performance obligations for the sale of product or performance of services for customers. Revenue is recognized when title is passed to the customer or services are provided in an amount that reflects the consideration the Company expects to be entitled to in exchange for the products and services, which is net of sales tax, customer incentives, returns and discounts. For product sales, the transfer of title generally occurs at the point of destination for products shipped by internal fleet and at the point of shipping for products shipped by third-party carriers. Revenues related to services are recognized in the period the services are performed and were approximately $29 million, $23 million and $17 million during fiscal 2024, fiscal 2023 and fiscal 2022, respectively. Estimates for expected customer incentives, returns and discounts are based on historical experience, anticipated performance and management’s judgment. Generally, the Company’s contracts do not contain significant financing as the standard sales terms are short term in nature.

Shipping and Handling Fees and Costs

The Company includes shipping and handling fees billed to customers in net sales. Shipping and handling costs associated with inbound freight are capitalized to inventories and relieved through cost of sales as inventories are sold. Shipping and handling costs associated with outbound freight are included in selling, general and administrative expenses and totaled $46 million, $43 million and $37 million during fiscal 2024, fiscal 2023 and fiscal 2022, respectively.

Income Taxes and Tax Receivable Agreements

Income Taxes

Income taxes are accounted for under the asset and liability method. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for future tax consequences attributable to temporary differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases and operating losses and tax credit carryforwards. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities from a change in tax rates is recognized in income in the period that includes the enactment date.

The Company recognizes deferred tax assets to the extent that it believes that these assets are more likely than not to be realized. In making such a determination, the Company considers all available positive and negative evidence, including future reversals of existing taxable temporary differences, projected future taxable income, tax-planning strategies and results of recent operations. If it is determined that the Company is not able to realize deferred tax assets in the future, a valuation allowance would be established, which would impact the provision for income taxes.

Uncertain tax positions are recorded on the basis of a two-step process in which (1) it is determined if a tax position is more-likely-than-not of being sustained on the technical merits of the position and (2) for those tax positions that meet the more-likely-than-not recognition threshold, the Company recognizes the largest amount of tax benefit that is more than 50% likely to be realized upon ultimate settlement with the related tax authority. The Company records interest and penalties related to uncertain tax positions in the provision for income taxes in the audited Consolidated Statements of Operations.

Tax Receivable Agreements

In connection with the initial public offering and other related transactions, Core & Main entered into a tax receivable agreement with the Former Limited Partners (as defined below) (the “Former Limited Partners Tax Receivable Agreement”) and a tax receivable agreement with the Continuing Limited Partners (as defined below) (the “Continuing Limited Partners Tax Receivable Agreement”) (collectively, the “Tax Receivable Agreements”). Core & Main has generated, and expects to generate additional, tax attributes associated with future exchanges of Partnership Interests by Continuing Limited Partners, that will reduce amounts that it would otherwise pay in the future to various tax authorities.

The “Former Limited Partners” are defined as CD&R Fund X Advisor Waterworks B, L.P., CD&R Fund X Waterworks B1, L.P., CD&R Fund X-A Waterworks B, L.P. and the other Original Limited Partners (as defined below) that transferred all or a portion of their Partnership Interests (including those held indirectly through CD&R WW Advisor, LLC and CD&R WW Holdings, LLC) for shares of Class A common stock in connection with the initial public offering and other related transactions, and represent entities that transferred all of their Partnership Interests (including Partnership Interests held indirectly through certain “blocker” corporations) for shares of Class A common stock in connection with the consummation of certain reorganization transactions.

The “Original Limited Partners” are defined as CD&R Waterworks Holdings, LLC (“CD&R Waterworks Holdings”), the Former Limited Partners and Core & Main Management Feeder, LLC (“Management Feeder”) and represent the direct and indirect owners of Holdings prior to the initial public offering and other related transactions.

The “Continuing Limited Partners” are defined as CD&R Waterworks Holdings and Management Feeder, and represent the Original Limited Partners that continued to own Partnership Interests after the reorganization transactions and that are entitled to exchange their Partnership Interests, together with the retirement of a corresponding number of shares of Class B common stock for shares of Class A common stock.

The Former Limited Partners Tax Receivable Agreement provides for the payment by Core & Main to certain Former Limited Partners, or their permitted transferees, of 85% of the tax benefits, if any, that Core & Main realizes, or in some circumstances is deemed to realize, as a result of (i) certain tax attributes of the Partnership Interests Core & Main holds in respect of such Former Limited Partners’ interest in Core & Main, including such attributes which resulted from such Former Limited Partners’ prior acquisition of ownership interests in Holdings and Core & Main’s allocable share of existing tax basis acquired in connection with the initial public offering attributable to the Former Limited Partners and (ii) certain other tax benefits.

The Continuing Limited Partners Tax Receivable Agreement provides for the payment by Core & Main to the Continuing Limited Partners, or their permitted transferees, of 85% of the benefits, if any, that Core & Main realizes, or in some circumstances is deemed to realize, as a result of (i) increases in tax basis or other similar tax benefits as a result of exchanges of Partnership Interests for cash or shares of Class A common stock pursuant to the Exchange Agreement, dated as of July 22, 2021 (the “Exchange Agreement”), by and among Core & Main, Holdings, CD&R Waterworks Holdings and Management Feeder, (ii) Core & Main’s allocable share of existing tax basis acquired in connection with the initial public offering attributable to the Continuing Limited Partners and in connection with exchanges of Partnership Interests for cash or shares of Class A common stock pursuant to the Exchange Agreement and (iii) Core & Main’s utilization of certain other tax benefits related to Core & Main’s entering into the Continuing Limited Partners Tax Receivable Agreement, including tax benefits attributable to payments under the Continuing Limited Partners Tax Receivable Agreement. Core & Main expects to obtain an increase in its share of the tax basis in the net assets of Holdings as Partnership Interests are exchanged by Continuing Limited Partners. Core & Main intends to treat any exchanges of Partnership Interests as direct purchases of Partnership Interests for U.S. federal income tax purposes. These increases in tax basis may reduce the amounts that it would otherwise pay in the future to various tax authorities.

Except to the extent that any benefits are deemed realized, Core & Main will receive the full benefit in tax savings from relevant taxing authorities and provide payment of 85% of the amount of any tax benefits to the Former Limited Partners or the Continuing Limited Partners, as applicable, or their permitted transferees. Core & Main expects to benefit from the remaining 15% of any cash tax savings, except to the extent of any deemed realizations. For the Tax Receivable Agreements, Core & Main assesses the tax attributes to determine if it is more likely than not that the benefit of any deferred tax assets will be realized. Following that assessment, Core & Main recognizes a liability under the applicable Tax Receivable Agreements, reflecting approximately 85% of the expected future realization of such tax benefits. Amounts payable under the Tax Receivable Agreements are contingent upon, among other things, (i) generation of sufficient future taxable income during the term of the applicable Tax Receivable Agreements and (ii) future changes in tax laws.

Upon an exchange transaction that increases the tax attributes available to Core & Main, an increase to deferred tax assets or reduction to deferred tax liabilities is recorded with a corresponding increase to equity. The recognition of the liability under the Tax Receivable Agreement is recorded with a corresponding reduction to equity. Both of these transactions impact equity as they are transactions with shareholders.

Concentration of Credit Risk

The majority of the Company’s revenues are credit sales which are made primarily to customers whose ability to pay is dependent, in part, upon the economic strength of the construction industry in the areas where they operate and availability of municipal funding. Concentration of credit risk with respect to trade accounts receivable is limited by the large number of customers comprising the Company’s customer base. The Company performs ongoing credit evaluations of its customers.

Leases

The Company determines if an arrangement is or contains a lease at inception. Obligations under operating leases are included in the Balance Sheets in both current and non-current operating lease liabilities, while the corresponding rights to use the leased assets are presented as operating lease right-of-use (“ROU”) assets. Operating lease ROU assets and operating lease liabilities are recognized based on the present value of the remaining lease payments. As the rate implicit in the lease is not readily determinable, the Company uses its incremental borrowing rate, which is based on information available at the commencement date of the relevant lease, in determining the present value of future payments. The lease term includes an option to extend the lease when it is reasonably certain that the Company will exercise that option. Payment obligations related to real estate taxes, insurance and other lease components are excluded from the measurement of operating lease ROU assets and lease liabilities. The Company’s lease agreements generally do not contain any material residual value guarantees or material restrictive covenants. The Company recognizes expense within selling, general and administrative expense associated with the accretion of operating lease liabilities and amortization of ROU assets in an amount calculated to result in straight-line expense over the lease terms.

Equity-Based Compensation

The Company recognizes the cost of employee services received in exchange for awards of equity instruments based on the grant date fair value of those awards. That cost is recognized over the requisite service period (generally the vesting period), which is the period during which an employee is required to provide service in exchange for the award.

Basic and Diluted Earnings per Share

The accounting policy for basic and diluted earnings per share is described in Note 12.

Non-controlling Interests

The accounting policy for non-controlling interests is described in Note 11.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

Segment Reporting - In November 2023, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2023-07, “Segment Reporting (Topic 280): Improvements to Reportable Segment Disclosures” (“ASU 2023-07”). The new guidance expands reportable segment disclosure requirements primarily through enhanced disclosures about significant segment expenses. ASU 2023-07 requires disclosure of (i) significant segment expenses that are regularly provided to the segment’s CODM and included within the segment measure of profit or loss, (ii) an amount and description of its composition for other segment items to reconcile to segment profit or loss, and (iii) the title and position of the Company’s CODM. The ASU does not change how a public entity identifies its operating segments, aggregates them, or applies the quantitative thresholds to determine its reportable segments. ASU 2023-07 is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2023, and interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2024, with early adoption permitted. The adoption of ASU 2023-07, as of February 2, 2025, resulted in additional disclosures, but did not have a material impact on the consolidated financial statements.

Income Tax Disclosures - In December 2023, the FASB issued ASU No. 2023-09, “Income Taxes (Topic 740): Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures” (“ASU 2023-09”). The new guidance requires, on an annual basis, disclosure of specific categories in the rate reconciliation and disclosure of income taxes paid disaggregated by jurisdiction. ASU 2023-09 is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2024. The adoption of ASU 2023-09 is expected to result in additional disclosures, but not have a material impact on the consolidated financial statements.

Disaggregation of Income Statement Expenses - In November 2024, the FASB issued ASU No. 2024-03, “Disaggregation of Income Statement Expenses” (“ASU 2024-03”). The new guidance requires additional disclosure related to the disaggregation of income statement expense categories. ASU 2024-03 is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2026 and interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2027, with early adoption permitted. The adoption of ASU 2024-03 is expected to result in additional disclosures and the Company is currently evaluating the effect this standard will have on the consolidated financial statements.