DETAIL OF SELECTED BALANCE SHEET ACCOUNTS - Cost and Estimated Earnings on Uncompleted Contracts (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Mar. 31, 2018	Sep. 30, 2017
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Costs incurred on uncompleted contracts	$ 988,433	$ 987,164
Estimated earnings	313,031	316,970
Total	1,301,464	1,304,134
Less: Billings to date	(1,286,178)	(1,278,746)
Net underbilled position	15,286	25,388
Included in the accompanying balance sheets under the following captions:
Costs and estimated earnings in excess of billings on uncompleted contracts	44,008	51,554
Billings in excess of costs and estimated earnings on uncompleted contracts	(28,722)	(26,166)
Net underbilled position	$ 15,286	$ 25,388

Costs incurred on uncompleted contracts.

No definition available.

Name:	powl_CostsIncurredOnUncompletedContracts
Namespace Prefix:	powl_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Estimated earnings.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	powl_EstimatedEarnings
Namespace Prefix:	powl_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amounts due for billed services rendered or to be rendered, actions taken or to be taken, or a promise to refrain from taking certain actions in accordance with the terms of a legally binding agreement between the Company and, at a minimum, one other party. An example would be amounts billed to customers under contracts or programs but not paid as of the balance sheet date.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_BilledContractReceivables
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Liability attributable to (i) billings in excess of costs under the percentage of completion contract accounting method representing the difference between contractually invoiced amounts (billings) and revenue recognized based, for example, on costs incurred to estimated total costs at period end or (ii) contractually invoiced amounts (billings) in excess of costs incurred and accumulated under the completed contract accounting method that are expected to be realized within one year or one operating cycle, whichever is longer, from the reporting date.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 605
-SubTopic 35
-Section 45
-Paragraph 3
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=68068069&loc=d3e57788-111642

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 605
-SubTopic 35
-Section 45
-Paragraph 5
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=68068069&loc=d3e57807-111642

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 605
-SubTopic 35
-Section 45
-Paragraph 4
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=68068069&loc=d3e57795-111642

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_BillingsInExcessOfCostCurrent
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ContractReceivablesAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of receivable reflecting the cost incurred on uncompleted contracts in excess of related billings which is expected to be collected within one year or the normal operating cycle, if longer.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 605
-SubTopic 35
-Section 45
-Paragraph 4
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=68068069&loc=d3e57795-111642

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.3(c)(3))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 605
-SubTopic 35
-Section 45
-Paragraph 5
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=68068069&loc=d3e57807-111642

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_CostsInExcessOfBillingsOnUncompletedContractsOrProgramsExpectedToBeCollectedWithinOneYear
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_OrganizationConsolidationAndPresentationOfFinancialStatementsAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount to be collected within one year of the balance sheet date (or one operating cycle, if longer) from customers in accordance with the contractual provisions of long-term contracts or programs including amounts billed and unbilled as of the balance sheet date.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ReceivablesLongTermContractsOrPrograms
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Unbilled amounts due for services rendered or to be rendered, actions taken or to be taken, or a promise to refrain from taking certain actions in accordance with the terms of a legally binding agreement between the entity and, at a minimum, one other party. An example would be amounts associated with contracts or programs where the recognized revenue for performance thereunder exceeds the amounts billed under the terms thereof as of the date of the balance sheet.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.3(c)(3))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 912
-SubTopic 310
-Section 45
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=68054760&loc=d3e55302-109406

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_UnbilledContractsReceivable
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant