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Line of Credit - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)
0 Months Ended
Jan. 31, 2015
Nov. 30, 2010
Oct. 31, 2014
Oct. 31, 2013
Line of Credit Facility        
Credit agreement term   5 years    
Syndicated line of credit, increased capacity $ 800,000,000us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityCurrentBorrowingCapacity      
Line of credit, maximum borrowing capacity 1,000,000,000.0us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityMaximumBorrowingCapacity      
Debt Instrument Covenant Total Leverage Ratio 3.25abm_DebtInstrumentCovenantTotalLeverageRatio      
Covenants maximum leverage ratio 3.50abm_DebtInstrumentCovenantTotalLeverageRatioMaximum      
Minimum fixed charge coverage ratio 1.50abm_DebtInstrumentCovenantFixedChargeCoverageRatioMinimum      
Consolidated net worth 570,000,000.0abm_DebtCovenantMinimumAdjustedTangibleNetWorth      
Consolidated net income earned 50.00%abm_PercentageOfConsolidatedNetIncome      
Aggregate increases in stockholders' equity 100.00%abm_PercentageOfCapitalSurplus      
Credit facility, amount outstanding, cash borrowings 362,500,000us-gaap_LineOfCredit   319,800,000us-gaap_LineOfCredit  
Line of credit, borrowing capacity currently available 323,200,000us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityRemainingBorrowingCapacity   365,300,000us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityRemainingBorrowingCapacity  
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), cumulative changes in net gain (loss) from cash flow hedges, effect gross 200,000abm_AmountRecognizedInAccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeLossfromCashFlowHedgesEffectGross   200,000abm_AmountRecognizedInAccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeLossfromCashFlowHedgesEffectGross  
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), cumulative changes in net gain (loss) from cash flow hedges, effect net of tax 100,000abm_AmountRecognizedInAccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeLossfromCashFlowHedgesEffectNetOfTax   100,000abm_AmountRecognizedInAccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeLossfromCashFlowHedgesEffectNetOfTax  
Unrealized net loss related to the interest rate swap contract (200,000)us-gaap_InterestRateCashFlowHedgeGainLossToBeReclassifiedDuringNext12MonthsNet      
Interest Rate Swap Agreements        
Line of Credit Facility        
Notional amount       155,000,000invest_DerivativeNotionalAmount
/ us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis
= abm_InterestRateSwapAgreementsMember
Standby Letters of Credit        
Line of Credit Facility        
Line of credit, maximum borrowing capacity 300,000,000.0us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityMaximumBorrowingCapacity
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_StandbyLettersOfCreditMember
     
Standby letters of credit 114,300,000us-gaap_LettersOfCreditOutstandingAmount
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_StandbyLettersOfCreditMember
  114,900,000us-gaap_LettersOfCreditOutstandingAmount
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_StandbyLettersOfCreditMember
 
Swing Line Loan        
Line of Credit Facility        
Line of credit, maximum borrowing capacity $ 50,000,000.0us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityMaximumBorrowingCapacity
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= abm_SwingLineLoanMember
     
Minimum        
Line of Credit Facility        
Percentage of commitment fee on the unused portion of the Facility 0.20%us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityUnusedCapacityCommitmentFeePercentage
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MinimumMember
     
Minimum | Interest Rate Swap Agreements        
Line of Credit Facility        
Derivative, fixed interest rate       0.44%us-gaap_DerivativeFixedInterestRate
/ us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis
= abm_InterestRateSwapAgreementsMember
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MinimumMember
Maximum        
Line of Credit Facility        
Percentage of commitment fee on the unused portion of the Facility 0.275%us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityUnusedCapacityCommitmentFeePercentage
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MaximumMember
     
Maximum | Interest Rate Swap Agreements        
Line of Credit Facility        
Derivative, fixed interest rate       0.47%us-gaap_DerivativeFixedInterestRate
/ us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis
= abm_InterestRateSwapAgreementsMember
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MaximumMember
Base Rate [Member] | Minimum        
Line of Credit Facility        
Variable rate 0.00%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentBasisSpreadOnVariableRate1
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MinimumMember
/ us-gaap_VariableRateAxis
= us-gaap_BaseRateMember
     
Base Rate [Member] | Maximum        
Line of Credit Facility        
Variable rate 0.75%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentBasisSpreadOnVariableRate1
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MaximumMember
/ us-gaap_VariableRateAxis
= us-gaap_BaseRateMember
     
Eurodollar [Member]        
Line of Credit Facility        
Variable rate 1.00%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentBasisSpreadOnVariableRate1
/ us-gaap_VariableRateAxis
= us-gaap_EurodollarMember
     
Eurodollar [Member] | Minimum        
Line of Credit Facility        
Variable rate 1.00%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentBasisSpreadOnVariableRate1
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MinimumMember
/ us-gaap_VariableRateAxis
= us-gaap_EurodollarMember
     
Eurodollar [Member] | Maximum        
Line of Credit Facility        
Variable rate 1.75%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentBasisSpreadOnVariableRate1
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MaximumMember
/ us-gaap_VariableRateAxis
= us-gaap_EurodollarMember
     
Federal Funds Rate        
Line of Credit Facility        
Variable rate 0.50%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentBasisSpreadOnVariableRate1
/ us-gaap_VariableRateAxis
= abm_FederalFundsRateMember