Acquisitions	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2015
Business Combinations [Abstract]
Acquisitions	Acquisitions On August 17, 2015, the Company's wholly-owned subsidiary, National Meter and Automation, Inc. (“National Meter”), acquired the assets of United Utilities, Inc. 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 consideration for the United Utilities assets was $3.3 million, which included $0.4 million in cash and settlement of $2.9 million of pre-existing Company receivables. The Company's allocation of the purchase price at December 31, 2015 included $0.8 million of receivables, $0.4 million of inventory, $0.1 million of property, plant and equipment, $1.7 million of intangibles and $0.3 million of goodwill. 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 December 31, 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 December 31, 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 Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada and southern Wyoming. National Meter has become a regional distribution center for Badger Meter. In addition to its primary product line of water meters and meter 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 Company receivables. The Consolidated Balance Sheets at December 31, 2014 included $2.5 million of deferred payments, of which $2.0 million was payable in late 2015 and early 2016 and was recorded in payables, and $0.5 million which 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 inventory, $2.8 million of property, plant and equipment, $9.8 million of intangibles, $3.0 million of goodwill, and $0.1 million of current liabilities. As of December 31, 2014, 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 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 for estimating the fair value of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed at September 30, 2015 with a small change from the preliminary December 31, 2014 estimate. There was approximately $0.4 million of transaction costs related to the acquisition that were included in selling, engineering and administration for 2014 in the Company’s Consolidated Statements of Operations. 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.

Acquisitions

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2015

On August 17, 2015, the Company's wholly-owned subsidiary, National Meter and Automation, Inc. (“National Meter”), acquired the assets of United Utilities, Inc. 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 consideration for the United Utilities assets was $3.3 million, which included $0.4 million in cash and settlement of $2.9 million of pre-existing Company receivables. The Company's allocation of the purchase price at December 31, 2015 included $0.8 million of receivables, $0.4 million of inventory, $0.1 million of property, plant and equipment, $1.7 million of intangibles and $0.3 million of goodwill. 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 December 31, 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 December 31, 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 Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada and southern Wyoming. National Meter has become a regional distribution center for Badger Meter. In addition to its primary product line of water meters and meter 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 Company receivables. The Consolidated Balance Sheets at December 31, 2014 included $2.5 million of deferred payments, of which $2.0 million was payable in late 2015 and early 2016 and was recorded in payables, and $0.5 million which 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 inventory, $2.8 million of property, plant and equipment, $9.8 million of intangibles, $3.0 million of goodwill, and $0.1 million of current liabilities. As of December 31, 2014, 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 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 for estimating the fair value of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed at September 30, 2015 with a small change from the preliminary December 31, 2014 estimate. There was approximately $0.4 million of transaction costs related to the acquisition that were included in selling, engineering and administration for 2014 in the Company’s Consolidated Statements of Operations.

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.