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Equity Method Investments (Details Textual) (USD $)
 0 Months Ended 12 Months Ended
Feb. 27, 2014
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2012
Oct. 31, 2013
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]          
Payments to acquire equity method investments $ 515,000,000us-gaap_PaymentsToAcquireEquityMethodInvestments        
Long-term debt   2,209,000,000us-gaap_LongTermDebt 2,355,000,000us-gaap_LongTermDebt    
Equity method investments   735,000,000us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestments 73,000,000us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestments    
Gain on deconsolidation of subsidiaries and consolidated joint ventures   27,000,000us-gaap_DeconsolidationGainOrLossAmount 0us-gaap_DeconsolidationGainOrLossAmount 0us-gaap_DeconsolidationGainOrLossAmount  
Gain (loss) on revaluation of retained investment on deconsolidation   11,000,000us-gaap_DeconsolidationRevaluationOfRetainedInvestmentGainOrLossAmount      
Weighted average discount rate   11.00%us-gaap_FairValueInputsDiscountRate      
Weighted average long-term growth rate   2.00%us-gaap_FairValueInputsLongTermRevenueGrowthRate      
Present value of contingent liability for contingent consideration for equity method investment   23,000,000usg_EquityMethodInvestmentContingentLiabilityContingentConsiderationFirstPerformancePeriodFairValue      
Changes in AOCI - foreign currency translation   (68,000,000)us-gaap_OtherComprehensiveIncomeForeignCurrencyTransactionAndTranslationGainLossArisingDuringPeriodNetOfTax (17,000,000)us-gaap_OtherComprehensiveIncomeForeignCurrencyTransactionAndTranslationGainLossArisingDuringPeriodNetOfTax 22,000,000us-gaap_OtherComprehensiveIncomeForeignCurrencyTransactionAndTranslationGainLossArisingDuringPeriodNetOfTax  
Income from equity method investments   35,000,000us-gaap_IncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments 1,000,000us-gaap_IncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments 0us-gaap_IncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments  
5.875% senior notes due 2021          
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]          
Long-term debt   350,000,000us-gaap_LongTermDebt
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= usg_FivePointEightSevenFivePercentSeniorNotesDueTwoThousandTwentyOneMember		 350,000,000us-gaap_LongTermDebt
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= usg_FivePointEightSevenFivePercentSeniorNotesDueTwoThousandTwentyOneMember		   350,000,000us-gaap_LongTermDebt
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= usg_FivePointEightSevenFivePercentSeniorNotesDueTwoThousandTwentyOneMember
Interest rate of convertible senior notes   5.875%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= usg_FivePointEightSevenFivePercentSeniorNotesDueTwoThousandTwentyOneMember		 5.875%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= usg_FivePointEightSevenFivePercentSeniorNotesDueTwoThousandTwentyOneMember		    
Base purchase price          
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]          
Payments to acquire equity method investments 500,000,000us-gaap_PaymentsToAcquireEquityMethodInvestments
/ usg_PaymentstoAcquireEquityMethodInvestmentsComponentAxis
= usg_BasepurchasepriceMember		        
Adjustments to purchase price          
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]          
Payments to acquire equity method investments 15,000,000us-gaap_PaymentsToAcquireEquityMethodInvestments
/ usg_PaymentstoAcquireEquityMethodInvestmentsComponentAxis
= usg_AdjustmentstopurchasepriceMember		        
USG Boral Building Products          
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]          
Ownership percentage interest   50.00%us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentOwnershipPercentage
/ us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis
= usg_USGBoralBuildingProductsMember		      
Range of outcomes in contingent consideration arrangements, value, high 75,000,000usg_EquityMethodInvestmentContingentConsiderationArrangementsRangeofOutcomesValueHigh
/ us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis
= usg_USGBoralBuildingProductsMember		        
Contingent consideration for first performance period 25,000,000usg_EquityMethodInvestmentContingentConsiderationArrangementsFirstPerformancePeriodRangeofOutcomesValueHigh
/ us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis
= usg_USGBoralBuildingProductsMember		        
First performance period for contingent consideration 3 years        
Contingent consideration for second performance period 50,000,000usg_EquityMethodInvestmentContingentConsiderationArrangementsSecondPerformancePeriodRangeofOutcomesValueHigh
/ us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis
= usg_USGBoralBuildingProductsMember		        
Second performance period for contingent consideration 5 years        
Equity method investments 676,000,000us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestments
/ us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis
= usg_USGBoralBuildingProductsMember		 689,000,000us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestments
/ us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis
= usg_USGBoralBuildingProductsMember		      
Changes in AOCI - foreign currency translation   (34,000,000)us-gaap_OtherComprehensiveIncomeForeignCurrencyTransactionAndTranslationGainLossArisingDuringPeriodNetOfTax
/ us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis
= usg_USGBoralBuildingProductsMember		      
Income from equity method investments   33,000,000us-gaap_IncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments
/ us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis
= usg_USGBoralBuildingProductsMember		      
USG Boral Building Products | Boral Limited          
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]          
Ownership percentage by joint venture partner 50.00%usg_EquityMethodInvestmentOwnershipPercentagebyJointVenturePartner
/ us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionsByRelatedPartyAxis
= us-gaap_CoVenturerMember
/ us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis
= usg_USGBoralBuildingProductsMember		        
Other equity method investments          
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]          
Equity method investments   46,000,000us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestments
/ us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis
= us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentsMember		 73,000,000us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestments
/ us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis
= us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentsMember		    
Income from equity method investments   $ 2,000,000us-gaap_IncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments
/ us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis
= us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentsMember		 $ 1,000,000us-gaap_IncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments
/ us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis
= us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentsMember		 $ 0us-gaap_IncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments
/ us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis
= us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentsMember