Acquisitions	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2015
Business Combinations [Abstract]
Acquisitions	Acquisitions On August 17, 2015, the Company's wholly-owned subsidiary, National Meter & Automation (“National Meter”), acquired the assets of United Utilities, Inc. (“United Utilities”) of Smyrna, Tennessee, which was one of the Company's distributors serving Tennessee and Georgia. National Meter will do business in those and additional areas as United Utilities. The total purchase price was $3.3 million, which included assets of $0.8 million of receivables, $0.4 million of inventory, $0.1 million of fixed assets, and $2.0 million of intangibles and goodwill, offset by $2.9 million of pre-existing receivables. The intangible assets acquired are primarily customer relationships with an estimated average useful life of 12 years. The preliminary allocation of the purchase price to the assets acquired was based upon the estimated fair values at the date of acquisition. As of September 30, 2015, the Company had not completed its analysis for estimating the fair value of the assets acquired. The United Utilities acquisition was accounted for under the purchase method, and accordingly, the results of operations were included in the Company's financial statements from the date of acquisition. The acquisition did not have a material impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements or the notes thereto at September 30, 2015. On October 1, 2014, the Company acquired 100% of the outstanding common stock of National Meter and Automation, Inc. of Centennial, Colorado. The purchase was estimated to add approximately $15 million of incremental annual revenues to Badger Meter, after eliminating what would be intercompany sales. National Meter was a major distributor of Badger Meter products for the municipal water utility market, serving customers in Colorado, California, Nevada, Arizona and southern Wyoming. National Meter has become a regional distribution center for Badger Meter in the same areas. In addition to its primary product line of water meters and metering reading systems, National Meter provides services including meter testing, leak detection, water audits, and meter and meter reading system installation. The total purchase consideration for National Meter was $22.9 million, which included $20.3 million in cash, a small working capital adjustment and settlement of pre-existing receivables. The Consolidated Balance Sheets at December 31, 2014 included $2.5 million of deferred payments, of which $2.0 million is payable in late 2015 and early 2016 and was recorded in payables, and $0.5 million is payable in early 2017 and was recorded in other long-term liabilities. The Company’s allocation of the purchase price as of December 31, 2014 included $3.9 million of receivables, $4.5 million of inventories, $2.8 million of property, plant and equipment, $9.8 million of intangibles, and $3.0 million of goodwill, offset by $0.1 million of current liabilities. The intangible assets acquired are primarily customer relationships with an estimated average useful life of 12 years. The preliminary allocation of the purchase price to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed was based upon the estimated fair values at the date of acquisition. The Company finalized the valuation at September 30, 2015 with no changes. The National Meter acquisition was accounted for under the purchase method, and accordingly, the results of operations were included in the Company’s financial statements from the date of acquisition. The acquisition did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements or the notes thereto for 2014.

Acquisitions

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2015

On August 17, 2015, the Company's wholly-owned subsidiary, National Meter & Automation (“National Meter”), acquired the assets of United Utilities, Inc. (“United Utilities”) of Smyrna, Tennessee, which was one of the Company's distributors serving Tennessee and Georgia. National Meter will do business in those and additional areas as United Utilities. The total purchase price was $3.3 million, which included assets of $0.8 million of receivables, $0.4 million of inventory, $0.1 million of fixed assets, and $2.0 million of intangibles and goodwill, offset by $2.9 million of pre-existing receivables. The intangible assets acquired are primarily customer relationships with an estimated average useful life of 12 years. The preliminary allocation of the purchase price to the assets acquired was based upon the estimated fair values at the date of acquisition. As of September 30, 2015, the Company had not completed its analysis for estimating the fair value of the assets acquired.

The United Utilities acquisition was accounted for under the purchase method, and accordingly, the results of operations were included in the Company's financial statements from the date of acquisition. The acquisition did not have a material impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements or the notes thereto at September 30, 2015.

On October 1, 2014, the Company acquired 100% of the outstanding common stock of National Meter and Automation, Inc. of Centennial, Colorado. The purchase was estimated to add approximately $15 million of incremental annual revenues to Badger Meter, after eliminating what would be intercompany sales. National Meter was a major distributor of Badger Meter products for the municipal water utility market, serving customers in Colorado, California, Nevada, Arizona and southern Wyoming. National Meter has become a regional distribution center for Badger Meter in the same areas. In addition to its primary product line of water meters and metering reading systems, National Meter provides services including meter testing, leak detection, water audits, and meter and meter reading system installation.

The total purchase consideration for National Meter was $22.9 million, which included $20.3 million in cash, a small working capital adjustment and settlement of pre-existing receivables. The Consolidated Balance Sheets at December 31, 2014 included $2.5 million of deferred payments, of which $2.0 million is payable in late 2015 and early 2016 and was recorded in payables, and $0.5 million is payable in early 2017 and was recorded in other long-term liabilities. The Company’s allocation of the purchase price as of December 31, 2014 included $3.9 million of receivables, $4.5 million of inventories, $2.8 million of property, plant and equipment, $9.8 million of intangibles, and $3.0 million of goodwill, offset by $0.1 million of current liabilities. The intangible assets acquired are primarily customer relationships with an estimated average useful life of 12 years. The preliminary allocation of the purchase price to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed was based upon the estimated fair values at the date of acquisition. The Company finalized the valuation at September 30, 2015 with no changes.

The National Meter acquisition was accounted for under the purchase method, and accordingly, the results of operations were included in the Company’s financial statements from the date of acquisition. The acquisition did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements or the notes thereto for 2014.