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Employee Benefit Plans Employee Benefit Plans - Deferred Compensation Plans (Details) (USD $)
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
 12 Months Ended
Oct. 31, 2014
Oct. 31, 2013
Oct. 31, 2012
Deferred Compensation Arrangement with Individual, Postretirement Benefits [Line Items]      
Fair value of the assets held in the Rabbi Trust $ 5.4us-gaap_DeferredCompensationPlanAssets [1] $ 5.4us-gaap_DeferredCompensationPlanAssets [1]  
Deferred Compensation Plan      
Deferred Compensation Arrangement with Individual, Postretirement Benefits [Line Items]      
Total long-term liability of all deferred compensation plans 17.8us-gaap_DeferredCompensationLiabilityClassifiedNoncurrent
/ us-gaap_DeferredCompensationArrangementWithIndividualPostretirementBenefitsByTypeOfDeferredCompensationAxis
= abm_DeferredCompensationPlanMember		 17.0us-gaap_DeferredCompensationLiabilityClassifiedNoncurrent
/ us-gaap_DeferredCompensationArrangementWithIndividualPostretirementBenefitsByTypeOfDeferredCompensationAxis
= abm_DeferredCompensationPlanMember		  
Deferred Compensation Plan | OneSource Services Inc      
Deferred Compensation Arrangement with Individual, Postretirement Benefits [Line Items]      
Aggregate expense recognized under deferred compensation plans 0.5us-gaap_DeferredCompensationArrangementWithIndividualCompensationExpense
/ us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis
= abm_OneSourceServicesIncMember
/ us-gaap_DeferredCompensationArrangementWithIndividualPostretirementBenefitsByTypeOfDeferredCompensationAxis
= abm_DeferredCompensationPlanMember		 0.4us-gaap_DeferredCompensationArrangementWithIndividualCompensationExpense
/ us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis
= abm_OneSourceServicesIncMember
/ us-gaap_DeferredCompensationArrangementWithIndividualPostretirementBenefitsByTypeOfDeferredCompensationAxis
= abm_DeferredCompensationPlanMember		 0.4us-gaap_DeferredCompensationArrangementWithIndividualCompensationExpense
/ us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis
= abm_OneSourceServicesIncMember
/ us-gaap_DeferredCompensationArrangementWithIndividualPostretirementBenefitsByTypeOfDeferredCompensationAxis
= abm_DeferredCompensationPlanMember
Rabbi Trust      
Deferred Compensation Arrangement with Individual, Postretirement Benefits [Line Items]      
Fair value of the assets held in the Rabbi Trust $ 5.4us-gaap_DeferredCompensationPlanAssets
/ us-gaap_FairValueByAssetClassAxis
= abm_RabbiTrustMember		 [1] $ 5.4us-gaap_DeferredCompensationPlanAssets
/ us-gaap_FairValueByAssetClassAxis
= abm_RabbiTrustMember		  
[1] Represents investments held in a Rabbi trust associated with one of our deferred compensation plans, which we include in “Other assets” on the accompanying consolidated balance sheets. The fair value of the assets held in the funded deferred compensation plan is based on quoted market prices. See Note 11, “Employee Benefit Plans,” for further information.