Total Equity Total Equity - Changes in Equity (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2018	Mar. 31, 2017
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Beginning equity	$ 1,647.9	$ 1,603.2
Total comprehensive income	71.9	77.4
Stock-based compensation	5.1	4.2
ASC 606 adoption to retained earnings	0.6	0.0
Repurchase/surrender of shares of common stock	(6.1)	(55.9)
Issuance of shares related to directors’ deferred compensation, net	0.1	0.1
Dividends to noncontrolling interest	(1.1)	(1.4)
Aclara noncontrolling interest	2.4	0.0
Cash dividends declared	(42.3)	(38.8)
Ending equity	1,678.5	1,588.8
Hubbell Shareholders’ Equity
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Beginning equity	1,634.2	1,592.8
Total comprehensive income	70.4	76.3
Stock-based compensation	5.1	4.2
ASC 606 adoption to retained earnings	0.6
Repurchase/surrender of shares of common stock	(6.1)	(55.9)
Issuance of shares related to directors’ deferred compensation, net	0.1	0.1
Cash dividends declared	(42.3)	(38.8)
Ending equity	1,662.0	1,578.7
Noncontrolling interest
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Beginning equity	13.7	10.4
Total comprehensive income	1.5	1.1
Dividends to noncontrolling interest	(1.1)	(1.4)
Aclara noncontrolling interest	2.4
Ending equity	$ 16.5	$ 10.1

Acquisition and Surrender of Common Shares

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Amount of increase to additional paid-in capital (APIC) from recognition of equity-based compensation for stock options.

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Amount after tax of increase (decrease) in equity from transactions and other events and circumstances from net income and other comprehensive income. Excludes changes in equity resulting from investments by owners and distributions to owners.

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Amount after tax of increase (decrease) to equity or (increase) decrease to net assets, resulting from the cumulative effect adjustment of a new accounting principle applied in the period of adoption.

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Amount of paid and unpaid common stock dividends declared with the form of settlement in cash, stock and payment-in-kind (PIK).

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A roll forward is a reconciliation of a concept from the beginning of a period to the end of a period.

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Decrease in noncontrolling interest balance from payment of dividends or other distributions by the non-wholly owned subsidiary or partially owned entity, included in the consolidation of the parent entity, to the noncontrolling interest holders.

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Amount of increase in noncontrolling interest from a business combination.

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The amount by which stockholders' equity was increased by the transaction in which equity securities were issued to pay for goods or nonemployee services.

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Amount of stockholders' equity (deficit), net of receivables from officers, directors, owners, and affiliates of the entity, attributable to both the parent and noncontrolling interests. Amount excludes temporary equity. Alternate caption for the concept is permanent equity.

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