New Accounting Standards Updates	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2011
Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements [Abstract]
Description of New Accounting Pronouncements Not yet Adopted	New Accounting Standards Updates In September 2011, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2011-08, "Intangibles-Goodwill and Other: Testing Goodwill for Impairment". This Update amends the guidance on testing goodwill for impairment. Under the revised guidance, entities testing goodwill for impairment have the option of performing a qualitative assessment before calculating the fair value of the reporting unit. If entities determine, on the basis of qualitative factors, that the fair value of the reporting unit is more likely than not less than the carrying amount, the two-step impairment test would be required. This Update does not change how goodwill is calculated or assigned to reporting units nor does it revise the requirement to test goodwill annually for impairment. This guidance will be adopted by Graybar for all interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2011. In June 2011, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2011-05, "Comprehensive Income: Presentation of Comprehensive Income". This Update eliminates the option to present the components of comprehensive income as a part of the Statement of Changes in Shareholders' Equity and requires entities to report components of comprehensive income in either (1) a continuous statement of comprehensive income or (2) two separate but consecutive statements. This Update does not change the items that are required to be reported in other comprehensive income. This guidance will be adopted by Graybar for all interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2011. The adoption of this Update will not have an impact on the Company's consolidated financial position, results of operations, or cash flows as it only requires a change in the format of the current presentation. In May 2011, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2011-04, "Fair Value Measurement: Amendments to Achieve Common Fair Value Measurement and Disclosure Requirements in U.S. GAAP and IFRS". This Update amends the guidance on fair value measurements to develop common requirements for measuring fair value and for disclosing information about fair value measurements in accordance with US GAAP and International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS"). This Update does not require additional fair value measurements and is not intended to establish valuation standards or affect valuation practices outside of financial reporting. This guidance is effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2011.

New Accounting Standards Updates

In September 2011, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2011-08, "Intangibles-Goodwill and Other: Testing Goodwill for Impairment". This Update amends the guidance on testing goodwill for impairment. Under the revised guidance, entities testing goodwill for impairment have the option of performing a qualitative assessment before calculating the fair value of the reporting unit. If entities determine, on the basis of qualitative factors, that the fair value of the reporting unit is more likely than not less than the carrying amount, the two-step impairment test would be required. This Update does not change how goodwill is calculated or assigned to reporting units nor does it revise the requirement to test goodwill annually for impairment. This guidance will be adopted by Graybar for all interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2011.

In June 2011, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2011-05, "Comprehensive Income: Presentation of Comprehensive Income". This Update eliminates the option to present the components of comprehensive income as a part of the Statement of Changes in Shareholders' Equity and requires entities to report components of comprehensive income in either (1) a continuous statement of comprehensive income or (2) two separate but consecutive statements. This Update does not change the items that are required to be reported in other comprehensive income. This guidance will be adopted by Graybar for all interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2011. The adoption of this Update will not have an impact on the Company's consolidated financial position, results of operations, or cash flows as it only requires a change in the format of the current presentation.

In May 2011, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2011-04, "Fair Value Measurement: Amendments to Achieve Common Fair Value Measurement and Disclosure Requirements in U.S. GAAP and IFRS". This Update amends the guidance on fair value measurements to develop common requirements for measuring fair value and for disclosing information about fair value measurements in accordance with US GAAP and International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS"). This Update does not require additional fair value measurements and is not intended to establish valuation standards or affect valuation practices outside of financial reporting. This guidance is effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2011.