Business	12 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2014
Business [Abstract]
Description of the Business	INTEGRATED ELECTRICAL SERVICES, INC. Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (All Amounts in Thousands Except Share Amounts) 1. BUSINESS Description of the Business Integrated Electrical Services, Inc. is a holding company that owns and manages operating subsidiaries in business activities across a variety of end markets. Our operations are currently organized into four principal business segments based upon the nature of our current products and services: Communications – Nationwide provider of products and services for mission critical infrastructure, such as data centers, of large corporations. Residential – Regional provider of electrical installation services for single-family housing and multi-family apartment complexes. Commercial & Industrial – Provider of electrical design, construction, and maintenance services to the commercial and industrial markets in various regional markets and nationwide in certain areas of expertise, such as the power infrastructure market. Infrastructure Solutions - Provider of industrial and rail services, and electrical and mechanical solutions to domestic and international customers. This segment was created in connection with the September 2013 acquisition of MISCOR. 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 segment 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, high-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 11 offices, which include our Communications headquarters located in Tempe, Arizona, allowing for dedicated onsite maintenance teams at our customers’ sites. Our Residential segment 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 has expanded 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 Residential segment is made up of 23 locations, which include our Residential headquarters in Houston. These segment locations geographically cover Texas, the Sun-Belt, and the Western and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States, including Hawaii. Our Commercial & Industrial segment is one of the largest providers of electrical contracting services in the United States. The segment offers a broad range of electrical design, construction, renovation, engineering and maintenance services to the commercial and industrial markets. The Commercial & Industrial segment consists of 19 locations, which include our Commercial & Industrial headquarters in Houston, Texas. These locations geographically cover 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 commercial and industrial projects and maintenance services which generally provide recurring revenues that are typically less affected by levels of construction activity. Our Infrastructure Solutions segment provides maintenance and repair services, including electric motor repair and rebuilding for the steel, railroad, marine, petrochemical, pulp and paper, wind energy, mining, automotive and power generation industries. Infrastructure Solutions repairs and services industrial lifting magnets for the steel and scrap industries, provides locomotive maintenance, remanufacturing, and repair services to the rail industry, and manufactures and rebuilds power assemblies, engine parts, and other components for large diesel engines. Infrastructure Solutions is comprised of nine locations, headquartered in Ohio. These segment locations geographically cover Alabama, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, Maryland and California. Controlling Shareholder At September 30, 2014, 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 over our affairs, including the election of directors and most actions requiring the approval of shareholders, including the approval of any potential merger or sale of all or substantially all assets or segments of the Company, or the Company itself. For a more complete discussion on our relationship with Tontine, please refer to Note 3, “Controlling Shareholder” in the notes to our Consolidated Financial Statements.

INTEGRATED ELECTRICAL SERVICES, INC.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

(All Amounts in Thousands Except Share Amounts)

1. BUSINESS

Description of the Business

Integrated Electrical Services, Inc. is a holding company that owns and manages operating subsidiaries in business activities across a variety of end markets. Our operations are currently organized into four principal business segments based upon the nature of our current products and services:

Communications – Nationwide provider of products and services for mission critical infrastructure, such as data centers, of large corporations.
Residential – Regional provider of electrical installation services for single-family housing and multi-family apartment complexes.
Commercial & Industrial – Provider of electrical design, construction, and maintenance services to the commercial and industrial markets in various regional markets and nationwide in certain areas of expertise, such as the power infrastructure market.
Infrastructure Solutions - Provider of industrial and rail services, and electrical and mechanical solutions to domestic and international customers. This segment was created in connection with the September 2013 acquisition of MISCOR.

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 segment 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, high-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 11 offices, which include our Communications headquarters located in Tempe, Arizona, allowing for dedicated onsite maintenance teams at our customers’ sites.

Our Residential segment 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 has expanded 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 Residential segment is made up of 23 locations, which include our Residential headquarters in Houston. These segment locations geographically cover Texas, the Sun-Belt, and the Western and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States, including Hawaii.

Our Commercial & Industrial segment is one of the largest providers of electrical contracting services in the United States. The segment offers a broad range of electrical design, construction, renovation, engineering and maintenance services to the commercial and industrial markets. The Commercial & Industrial segment consists of 19 locations, which include our Commercial & Industrial headquarters in Houston, Texas. These locations geographically cover 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 commercial and industrial projects and maintenance services which generally provide recurring revenues that are typically less affected by levels of construction activity.

Our Infrastructure Solutions segment provides maintenance and repair services, including electric motor repair and rebuilding for the steel, railroad, marine, petrochemical, pulp and paper, wind energy, mining, automotive and power generation industries. Infrastructure Solutions repairs and services industrial lifting magnets for the steel and scrap industries, provides locomotive maintenance, remanufacturing, and repair services to the rail industry, and manufactures and rebuilds power assemblies, engine parts, and other components for large diesel engines. Infrastructure Solutions is comprised of nine locations, headquartered in Ohio. These segment locations geographically cover Alabama, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, Maryland and California.

Controlling Shareholder

At September 30, 2014, 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 over our affairs, including the election of directors and most actions requiring the approval of shareholders, including the approval of any potential merger or sale of all or substantially all assets or segments of the Company, or the Company itself. For a more complete discussion on our relationship with Tontine, please refer to Note 3, “Controlling Shareholder” in the notes to our Consolidated Financial Statements.