Business	6 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2016
Business [Abstract]
Description of the Business	1. BUSINESS AND ACCOUNTING POLICIES 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 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 technology infrastructure products and services to large corporations and independent businesses. 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 electrical and mechanical solutions to domestic and international customers. 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. Seasonality and Quarterly Fluctuations Results of operations from our Residential construction segment are seasonal, depending on weather trends, with typically higher revenues generated during spring and summer and lower revenues generated during fall and winter, with an impact from precipitation in the warmer months. The Communications, Commercial & Industrial, and Infrastructure Solutions segments of our business are less subject to seasonal trends, as work in these segments generally is performed inside structures protected from the weather, although weather can still impact these businesses, especially in the early stages of projects. Our service and maintenance business is generally not affected by seasonality. Our volume of business may be adversely affected by declines in construction projects resulting from adverse regional or national economic conditions. In particular, a prolonged period of low oil prices and subsequent slowdown in the economy could have a negative impact on demand for housing in regions such as Texas, which is a key market for us. Quarterly results may also be materially affected by the timing of new construction projects. Results for our Infrastructure Solutions segment may be affected by the timing of outages at our customers’ facilities. Accordingly, operating results for any fiscal period are not necessarily indicative of results that may be achieved for any subsequent fiscal period. Basis of Financial Statement Preparation The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of IES and its wholly-owned subsidiaries, and have been prepared in accordance with the instructions to interim financial reporting as prescribed by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). The results for the interim periods are not necessarily indicative of results for the entire year. These interim financial statements do not include all disclosures required by U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”), and should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto filed with the SEC in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2015. In the opinion of management, the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements contained in this report include all known accruals and adjustments necessary for a fair presentation of the financial position, results of operations, and cash flows for the periods reported herein. Any such adjustments are of a normal recurring nature. Use of Estimates The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires the use of estimates and assumptions by management in determining the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, disclosures of contingent liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Estimates are primarily used in our revenue recognition of construction in progress, fair value assumptions in analyzing goodwill, investments, intangible assets and long-lived asset impairments and adjustments, allowance for doubtful accounts receivable, stock-based compensation, reserves for legal matters, assumptions regarding estimated costs to exit certain segments, realizability of deferred tax assets, unrecognized tax benefits and self-insured claims liabilities and related reserves. Recent Accounting Pronouncements In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (“ASU 2014-09”), a comprehensive new revenue recognition standard which will supersede previous existing revenue recognition guidance. The standard creates a five-step model for revenue recognition that requires companies to exercise judgment when considering contract terms and relevant facts and circumstances. The standard also requires expanded disclosures surrounding revenue recognition. The effective date will be the first quarter of our fiscal year ended September 30, 2019. The standard allows for either full retrospective or modified retrospective adoption. We are currently evaluating the impact of the adoption of this standard on our consolidated financial statements. We have not yet selected a transition method or determined the effect ASU 2014-09 will have on our ongoing financial reporting. In April 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-03, Interest-Imputation Of Interest: Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Issuance Costs (“ASU 2015-03”), which requires that debt issuance costs be presented as a direct deduction from the carrying amount of the related debt liability, consistent with the presentation of debt discounts. In August 2015, the FASB issued an update (ASU 2015-15) which allows an entity to present the cost of securing a revolving line of credit as an asset, regardless of whether a balance is outstanding. The standard is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2015 on a retrospective basis. The adoption of this update is not expected to have a material impact on our results of operations, financial position or cash flows. In September 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-16, Business Combinations (Topic 805), Simplifying the Accounting for Measurement-Period Adjustments (“ASU 2015-16”), which eliminates the requirement that an acquirer in a business combination account for measurement-period adjustments retrospectively. Instead, an acquirer will recognize a measurement-period adjustment during the period in which it determines the amount of the adjustment, including the effect on earnings of any amounts it would have recorded in previous periods if the accounting had been completed at the acquisition date. The update is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2015 on a retrospective basis. The adoption of this update is not expected to have a material impact on our results of operations, financial position or cash flows. In November 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-17, Balance Sheet Classification of Deferred Taxes, which clarifies that in a classified statement of financial position, an entity shall classify deferred tax liabilities and assets as noncurrent amounts. The new standard will become effective for our fiscal year beginning October 1, 2017. The company adopted this presentation during the period ended December 31, 2015. Prior periods have not been retrospectively adjusted. In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, Leases ("ASU 2016-02"). Under ASU 2016-02, lessees will need to recognize a right-of-use asset and a lease liability for all of their leases, other than those that meet the definition of a short-term lease. For income statement purposes, leases must be classified as either operating or finance. Operating leases will result in straight-line expense, similar to current operating leases, while finance leases will result in a front-loaded expense pattern, similar to current capital leases. ASU 2016-02 becomes effective for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2020. We are currently evaluating whether to early adopt the standard and what impact it will have on our consolidated financial statements. In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-09, Compensation - Stock Compensation ("ASU 2016-09"). ASU 2016-09 eliminates additional paid in capital pools and requires excess tax benefits and tax deficiencies to be recorded in the income statement when the awards vest or are settled. The accounting for an employee's use of shares to satisfy the employer's statutory income tax withholding obligation and the accounting for forfeitures is also changing. ASU 2016-09 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, with early adoption permitted. We expect to early adopt ASU 2016-09. The adoption of this update is not expected to have a material impact on our results of operations, financial position or cash flows.

Business

6 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2016

1. BUSINESS AND ACCOUNTING POLICIES

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 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 technology infrastructure products and services to large corporations and independent businesses.
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 electrical and mechanical solutions to domestic and international customers.

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.

Seasonality and Quarterly Fluctuations

Results of operations from our Residential construction segment are seasonal, depending on weather trends, with typically higher revenues generated during spring and summer and lower revenues generated during fall and winter, with an impact from precipitation in the warmer months. The Communications, Commercial & Industrial, and Infrastructure Solutions segments of our business are less subject to seasonal trends, as work in these segments generally is performed inside structures protected from the weather, although weather can still impact these businesses, especially in the early stages of projects. Our service and maintenance business is generally not affected by seasonality. Our volume of business may be adversely affected by declines in construction projects resulting from adverse regional or national economic conditions. In particular, a prolonged period of low oil prices and subsequent slowdown in the economy could have a negative impact on demand for housing in regions such as Texas, which is a key market for us. Quarterly results may also be materially affected by the timing of new construction projects. Results for our Infrastructure Solutions segment may be affected by the timing of outages at our customers’ facilities. Accordingly, operating results for any fiscal period are not necessarily indicative of results that may be achieved for any subsequent fiscal period.

Basis of Financial Statement Preparation

The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of IES and its wholly-owned subsidiaries, and have been prepared in accordance with the instructions to interim financial reporting as prescribed by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). The results for the interim periods are not necessarily indicative of results for the entire year. These interim financial statements do not include all disclosures required by U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”), and should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto filed with the SEC in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2015. In the opinion of management, the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements contained in this report include all known accruals and adjustments necessary for a fair presentation of the financial position, results of operations, and cash flows for the periods reported herein. Any such adjustments are of a normal recurring nature.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires the use of estimates and assumptions by management in determining the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, disclosures of contingent liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Estimates are primarily used in our revenue recognition of construction in progress, fair value assumptions in analyzing goodwill, investments, intangible assets and long-lived asset impairments and adjustments, allowance for doubtful accounts receivable, stock-based compensation, reserves for legal matters, assumptions regarding estimated costs to exit certain segments, realizability of deferred tax assets, unrecognized tax benefits and self-insured claims liabilities and related reserves.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (“ASU 2014-09”), a comprehensive new revenue recognition standard which will supersede previous existing revenue recognition guidance. The standard creates a five-step model for revenue recognition that requires companies to exercise judgment when considering contract terms and relevant facts and circumstances. The standard also requires expanded disclosures surrounding revenue recognition. The effective date will be the first quarter of our fiscal year ended September 30, 2019. The standard allows for either full retrospective or modified retrospective adoption. We are currently evaluating the impact of the adoption of this standard on our consolidated financial statements. We have not yet selected a transition method or determined the effect ASU 2014-09 will have on our ongoing financial reporting.

In April 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-03, Interest-Imputation Of Interest: Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Issuance Costs (“ASU 2015-03”), which requires that debt issuance costs be presented as a direct deduction from the carrying amount of the related debt liability, consistent with the presentation of debt discounts. In August 2015, the FASB issued an update (ASU 2015-15) which allows an entity to present the cost of securing a revolving line of credit as an asset, regardless of whether a balance is outstanding. The standard is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2015 on a retrospective basis. The adoption of this update is not expected to have a material impact on our results of operations, financial position or cash flows.

In September 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-16, Business Combinations (Topic 805), Simplifying the Accounting for Measurement-Period Adjustments (“ASU 2015-16”), which eliminates the requirement that an acquirer in a business combination account for measurement-period adjustments retrospectively. Instead, an acquirer will recognize a measurement-period adjustment during the period in which it determines the amount of the adjustment, including the effect on earnings of any amounts it would have recorded in previous periods if the accounting had been completed at the acquisition date. The update is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2015 on a retrospective basis. The adoption of this update is not expected to have a material impact on our results of operations, financial position or cash flows.

In November 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-17, Balance Sheet Classification of Deferred Taxes, which clarifies that in a classified statement of financial position, an entity shall classify deferred tax liabilities and assets as noncurrent amounts. The new standard will become effective for our fiscal year beginning October 1, 2017. The company adopted this presentation during the period ended December 31, 2015. Prior periods have not been retrospectively adjusted.

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, Leases ("ASU 2016-02"). Under ASU 2016-02, lessees will need to recognize a right-of-use asset and a lease liability for all of their leases, other than those that meet the definition of a short-term lease. For income statement purposes, leases must be classified as either operating or finance. Operating leases will result in straight-line expense, similar to current operating leases, while finance leases will result in a front-loaded expense pattern, similar to current capital leases. ASU 2016-02 becomes effective for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2020. We are currently evaluating whether to early adopt the standard and what impact it will have on our consolidated financial statements.

In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-09, Compensation - Stock Compensation ("ASU 2016-09"). ASU 2016-09 eliminates additional paid in capital pools and requires excess tax benefits and tax deficiencies to be recorded in the income statement when the awards vest or are settled. The accounting for an employee's use of shares to satisfy the employer's statutory income tax withholding obligation and the accounting for forfeitures is also changing. ASU 2016-09 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, with early adoption permitted. We expect to early adopt ASU 2016-09. The adoption of this update is not expected to have a material impact on our results of operations, financial position or cash flows.