Business	12 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2011
Business [Abstract]
Business	1. BUSINESS Description of the Business Integrated Electrical Services, Inc., a Delaware corporation, was founded in June 1997 to establish a leading national provider of electrical services, focusing primarily on the communications, residential, commercial and industrial service and maintenance markets. We provide services from 53 locations serving the continental United States. The Company is organized into three business segments; Communications, Residential and Commercial & Industrial. The words “IES”, the “Company”, “we”, “our”, and “us” refer to Integrated Electrical Services, Inc. and, except as otherwise specified herein, to our wholly-owned subsidiaries. Our Communications division is a leading provider of network infrastructure products and services for data centers and other mission critical environments. Services offered include the design, installation and maintenance of network infrastructure for the financial, medical, hospitality, government, hi-tech manufacturing, educational and information technology industries. We also provide the design and installation of audio/visual, telephone, fire, wireless and intrusion alarm systems as well as design/build, service and maintenance of data network systems. We perform services across the United States from our 7 offices and our Communications headquarters located in Tempe, Arizona allowing dedicated onsite maintenance teams at our customer's sites. Our Residential division provides electrical installation services for single-family housing and multi-family apartment complexes and CATV cabling installations for residential and light commercial applications. In addition to our core electrical construction work, the Residential segment is expanding its offerings by providing services for the installation of residential solar power, smart meters, electric car charging stations and stand-by generators, both for new construction and existing residences. The division has 26 locations in Texas and the Sun-Belt, western and the Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. Our Commercial & Industrial division is one of the largest providers of electrical contracting services in the United States The division offers a broad range of electrical design, construction, renovation, engineering and maintenance services to the commercial and industrial markets. The division has 18 locations in Texas, Nebraska, Colorado, Oregon and the Mid-Atlantic region. Services include the design of electrical systems within a building or complex, procurement and installation of wiring and connection to power sources, end-use equipment and fixtures, as well as contract maintenance. We focus on projects that require special expertise, such as design-and-build projects that utilize the capabilities of our in-house experts, or projects which require specific market expertise, such as transmission and distribution and power generation facilities. We also focus on service, maintenance and certain renovation and upgrade work, which tends to be either recurring or have lower sensitivity to economic cycles, or both. We provide services for a variety of projects, including: high-rise residential and office buildings, power plants, manufacturing facilities, data centers, chemical plants, refineries, wind farms, solar facilities, municipal infrastructure and health care facilities and residential developments. Our utility services consist of overhead and underground installation and maintenance of electrical and other utilities transmission and distribution networks, installation and splicing of high-voltage transmission and distribution lines, substation construction and substation and right-of-way maintenance. Our maintenance services generally provide recurring revenues that are typically less affected by levels of construction activity. Service and maintenance revenues are derived from service calls and routine maintenance contracts, which tend to be recurring and less sensitive to short term economic fluctuations. Controlling Shareholder At September 30, 2011, Tontine Capital Partners, L.P. and its affiliates (collectively, “Tontine”), was the controlling shareholder of the Company's common stock. Accordingly, Tontine has the ability to exercise significant control of our affairs, including the election of directors and any action requiring the approval of shareholders, including the approval of any potential merger or sale of all or substantially all assets or divisions of the Company, or the Company itself. In its most recent Schedule 13D, Tontine stated that it has no current plans to make any material change in the Company's business or corporate structure. For a more complete discussion on our relationship with Tontine, please refer to Note 3 “Controlling Shareholder” in the notes to these Consolidated Financial Statements. Sale of Non-Strategic Manufacturing Facility On November 30, 2010, a subsidiary of the Company sold substantially all the assets and certain liabilities of a non-strategic manufacturing facility engaged in manufacturing and selling fabricated metal buildings housing electrical equipment, such as switchgears, motor starters and control systems, to Siemens Energy, Inc. As part of this transaction, Siemens Energy, Inc. also acquired certain real property where the fabrication facilities are located from another subsidiary of the Company. The purchase price of $10,086 was adjusted to reflect working capital variances. The transaction was completed on December 10, 2010 at which time we recognized a gain of $6,763. Sale of Non-Core Electrical Distribution Facility On February 28, 2011, Key Electrical Supply, Inc, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, sold substantially all the assets and certain liabilities of a non-core electrical distribution facility engaged in distributing wiring, lighting, electrical distribution, power control and generators for residential and commercial applications to Elliot Electric Supply, Inc. The purchase price of $6,676 was adjusted to reflect working capital variances. The loss on this transaction was immaterial. Description of the Business Integrated Electrical Services, Inc., a Delaware corporation, was founded in June 1997 to establish a leading national provider of electrical services, focusing primarily on the communications, residential, commercial and industrial service and maintenance markets. We provide services from 53 locations serving the continental United States. The Company is organized into three business segments; Communications, Residential and Commercial & Industrial. The words “IES”, the “Company”, “we”, “our”, and “us” refer to Integrated Electrical Services, Inc. and, except as otherwise specified herein, to our wholly-owned subsidiaries. Our Communications division is a leading provider of network infrastructure products and services for data centers and other mission critical environments. Services offered include the design, installation and maintenance of network infrastructure for the financial, medical, hospitality, government, hi-tech manufacturing, educational and information technology industries. We also provide the design and installation of audio/visual, telephone, fire, wireless and intrusion alarm systems as well as design/build, service and maintenance of data network systems. We perform services across the United States from our 7 offices and our Communications headquarters located in Tempe, Arizona allowing dedicated onsite maintenance teams at our customer's sites. Our Residential division provides electrical installation services for single-family housing and multi-family apartment complexes and CATV cabling installations for residential and light commercial applications. In addition to our core electrical construction work, the Residential segment is expanding its offerings by providing services for the installation of residential solar power, smart meters, electric car charging stations and stand-by generators, both for new construction and existing residences. The division has 26 locations in Texas and the Sun-Belt, western and the Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. Our Commercial & Industrial division is one of the largest providers of electrical contracting services in the United States The division offers a broad range of electrical design, construction, renovation, engineering and maintenance services to the commercial and industrial markets. The division has 18 locations in Texas, Nebraska, Colorado, Oregon and the Mid-Atlantic region. Services include the design of electrical systems within a building or complex, procurement and installation of wiring and connection to power sources, end-use equipment and fixtures, as well as contract maintenance. We focus on projects that require special expertise, such as design-and-build projects that utilize the capabilities of our in-house experts, or projects which require specific market expertise, such as transmission and distribution and power generation facilities. We also focus on service, maintenance and certain renovation and upgrade work, which tends to be either recurring or have lower sensitivity to economic cycles, or both. We provide services for a variety of projects, including: high-rise residential and office buildings, power plants, manufacturing facilities, data centers, chemical plants, refineries, wind farms, solar facilities, municipal infrastructure and health care facilities and residential developments. Our utility services consist of overhead and underground installation and maintenance of electrical and other utilities transmission and distribution networks, installation and splicing of high-voltage transmission and distribution lines, substation construction and substation and right-of-way maintenance. Our maintenance services generally provide recurring revenues that are typically less affected by levels of construction activity. Service and maintenance revenues are derived from service calls and routine maintenance contracts, which tend to be recurring and less sensitive to short term economic fluctuations. Controlling Shareholder At September 30, 2011, Tontine Capital Partners, L.P. and its affiliates (collectively, “Tontine”), was the controlling shareholder of the Company's common stock. Accordingly, Tontine has the ability to exercise significant control of our affairs, including the election of directors and any action requiring the approval of shareholders, including the approval of any potential merger or sale of all or substantially all assets or divisions of the Company, or the Company itself. In its most recent Schedule 13D, Tontine stated that it has no current plans to make any material change in the Company's business or corporate structure. For a more complete discussion on our relationship with Tontine, please refer to Note 3 “Controlling Shareholder” in the notes to these Consolidated Financial Statements. Sale of Non-Strategic Manufacturing Facility On November 30, 2010, a subsidiary of the Company sold substantially all the assets and certain liabilities of a non-strategic manufacturing facility engaged in manufacturing and selling fabricated metal buildings housing electrical equipment, such as switchgears, motor starters and control systems, to Siemens Energy, Inc. As part of this transaction, Siemens Energy, Inc. also acquired certain real property where the fabrication facilities are located from another subsidiary of the Company. The purchase price of $10,086 was adjusted to reflect working capital variances. The transaction was completed on December 10, 2010 at which time we recognized a gain of $6,763. Sale of Non-Core Electrical Distribution Facility On February 28, 2011, Key Electrical Supply, Inc, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, sold substantially all the assets and certain liabilities of a non-core electrical distribution facility engaged in distributing wiring, lighting, electrical distribution, power control and generators for residential and commercial applications to Elliot Electric Supply, Inc. The purchase price of $6,676 was adjusted to reflect working capital variances. The loss on this transaction was immaterial.

Business

12 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2011

1. BUSINESS

Description of the Business

Integrated Electrical Services, Inc., a Delaware corporation, was founded in June 1997 to establish a leading national provider of electrical services, focusing primarily on the communications, residential, commercial and industrial service and maintenance markets. We provide services from 53 locations serving the continental United States. The Company is organized into three business segments; Communications, Residential and Commercial & Industrial. The words “IES”, the “Company”, “we”, “our”, and “us” refer to Integrated Electrical Services, Inc. and, except as otherwise specified herein, to our wholly-owned subsidiaries.

Our Communications division is a leading provider of network infrastructure products and services for data centers and other mission critical environments. Services offered include the design, installation and maintenance of network infrastructure for the financial, medical, hospitality, government, hi-tech manufacturing, educational and information technology industries. We also provide the design and installation of audio/visual, telephone, fire, wireless and intrusion alarm systems as well as design/build, service and maintenance of data network systems. We perform services across the United States from our 7 offices and our Communications headquarters located in Tempe, Arizona allowing dedicated onsite maintenance teams at our customer's sites.

Our Residential division provides electrical installation services for single-family housing and multi-family apartment complexes and CATV cabling installations for residential and light commercial applications. In addition to our core electrical construction work, the Residential segment is expanding its offerings by providing services for the installation of residential solar power, smart meters, electric car charging stations and stand-by generators, both for new construction and existing residences. The division has 26 locations in Texas and the Sun-Belt, western and the Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States.

Our Commercial & Industrial division is one of the largest providers of electrical contracting services in the United States The division offers a broad range of electrical design, construction, renovation, engineering and maintenance services to the commercial and industrial markets. The division has 18 locations in Texas, Nebraska, Colorado, Oregon and the Mid-Atlantic region. Services include the design of electrical systems within a building or complex, procurement and installation of wiring and connection to power sources, end-use equipment and fixtures, as well as contract maintenance. We focus on projects that require special expertise, such as design-and-build projects that utilize the capabilities of our in-house experts, or projects which require specific market expertise, such as transmission and distribution and power generation facilities. We also focus on service, maintenance and certain renovation and upgrade work, which tends to be either recurring or have lower sensitivity to economic cycles, or both. We provide services for a variety of projects, including: high-rise residential and office buildings, power plants, manufacturing facilities, data centers, chemical plants, refineries, wind farms, solar facilities, municipal infrastructure and health care facilities and residential developments. Our utility services consist of overhead and underground installation and maintenance of electrical and other utilities transmission and distribution networks, installation and splicing of high-voltage transmission and distribution lines, substation construction and substation and right-of-way maintenance. Our maintenance services generally provide recurring revenues that are typically less affected by levels of construction activity. Service and maintenance revenues are derived from service calls and routine maintenance contracts, which tend to be recurring and less sensitive to short term economic fluctuations.

Controlling Shareholder

At September 30, 2011, Tontine Capital Partners, L.P. and its affiliates (collectively, “Tontine”), was the controlling shareholder of the Company's common stock. Accordingly, Tontine has the ability to exercise significant control of our affairs, including the election of directors and any action requiring the approval of shareholders, including the approval of any potential merger or sale of all or substantially all assets or divisions of the Company, or the Company itself. In its most recent Schedule 13D, Tontine stated that it has no current plans to make any material change in the Company's business or corporate structure. For a more complete discussion on our relationship with Tontine, please refer to Note 3 “Controlling Shareholder” in the notes to these Consolidated Financial Statements.

Sale of Non-Strategic Manufacturing Facility

On November 30, 2010, a subsidiary of the Company sold substantially all the assets and certain liabilities of a non-strategic manufacturing facility engaged in manufacturing and selling fabricated metal buildings housing electrical equipment, such as switchgears, motor starters and control systems, to Siemens Energy, Inc. As part of this transaction, Siemens Energy, Inc. also acquired certain real property where the fabrication facilities are located from another subsidiary of the Company. The purchase price of $10,086 was adjusted to reflect working capital variances. The transaction was completed on December 10, 2010 at which time we recognized a gain of $6,763.

Sale of Non-Core Electrical Distribution Facility

On February 28, 2011, Key Electrical Supply, Inc, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, sold substantially all the assets and certain liabilities of a non-core electrical distribution facility engaged in distributing wiring, lighting, electrical distribution, power control and generators for residential and commercial applications to Elliot Electric Supply, Inc. The purchase price of $6,676 was adjusted to reflect working capital variances. The loss on this transaction was immaterial.

Description of the Business

Controlling Shareholder

Sale of Non-Strategic Manufacturing Facility

Sale of Non-Core Electrical Distribution Facility