Segments and Their Activities (Detail)	12 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2013
Janitorial
Activities	Provides a wide range of essential janitorial services for a variety of client facilities, including airports and other transportation centers, commercial office buildings, educational institutions, government buildings, health facilities, industrial buildings, retail stores, shopping centers, stadiums and arenas, and warehouses.
Facility Services
Activities	Provides onsite mechanical engineering and technical services and solutions for facilities and infrastructure systems for a variety of client facilities, including airports and other transportation centers, commercial infrastructure, corporate office buildings, data centers, educational institutions, high technology manufacturing facilities, museums, resorts, and shopping centers.
Parking
Activities	Provides parking and transportation services for clients at many facilities, including airports and other transportation centers, educational institutions, health facilities, hotels, municipalities, office buildings, retail centers, and stadiums and arenas.
Security
Activities	Provides security services for clients in a wide range of facilities, including Class "A" high rise, commercial, health, industrial, petro-chemical, residential, and retail facilities. Security services include staffing of security officers, mobile patrol services, investigative services, electronic monitoring of fire and life safety systems and access control devices, and security consulting services.
Building & Energy Solutions
Activities	Provides heating, ventilation, air-conditioning, electrical, lighting and other general maintenance and repair services. These services include preventative maintenance, retro-commissioning, installations, retrofits and upgrades, environmental services, systems start-ups, performance testing, energy audits, and bundled energy solutions for a wide variety of clients in both the private and public sectors. This segment also provides support to U.S. Government entities for specialty service solutions, such as military base operations, leadership development, education and training, energy efficiency management, medical support services, and construction management. This segment also includes our franchised operations under the Linc Network, TEGG, and CurrentSAFE brands, which provide mechanical and electrical preventive and predictive maintenance solutions. Our GreenHomes America brand provides home energy efficiency solutions. The operations of the recently acquired HHA Services, Inc. ("HHA") business, and the acquisition of certain assets and liabilities of Calvert-Jones Company, Inc. ("Calvert-Jones"), and BEST Infrared Services, Inc. ("BEST") are also included within this segment.
Other
Activities	Air Serv provides facility solutions services to clients in our aviation vertical related to passenger assistance, including wheelchair operations, aircraft cabin cleaning, janitorial services, shuttle bus operations, and access control, among others. Air Serv also includes certain assets and certain liabilities of Blackjack Promotions Limited ("Blackjack"), which was acquired on August 1, 2013.