Controlling Shareholder	6 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2018
Controlling Shareholder [Abstract]
Controlling Shareholder	2. CONTROLLING SHAREHOLDER At March 31, 2018, Tontine Capital Partners, L.P., together with its affiliates (collectively, “Tontine”), was the Company’s controlling shareholder, owning approximately 58% of the Company’s outstanding common stock according to a Form 4 filed with the SEC by Tontine on January 4, 2018. 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. While Tontine is subject to restrictions under federal securities laws on sales of its shares as an affiliate, the Company has filed a shelf registration statement to register all of the shares of IES common stock owned by Tontine at the time of registration. As long as the shelf registration statement remains effective and the Company remains eligible to use it, Tontine has the ability to resell any or all of its registered shares from time to time in one or more offerings, as described in the shelf registration statement and in any prospectus supplement filed in connection with an offering pursuant to the shelf registration statement. Should Tontine sell or otherwise dispose of all or a portion of its position in IES, a change in ownership of IES could occur. A change in ownership, as defined by Internal Revenue Code Section 382, could reduce the availability of the Company’s net operating losses (“NOLs”) for federal and state income tax purposes. On November 8, 2016, the Company implemented a new tax benefit protection plan (the “NOL Rights Plan”). The NOL Rights Plan was designed to deter an acquisition of the Company's stock in excess of a threshold amount that could trigger a change of control within the meaning of Internal Revenue Code Section 382. There can be no assurance that the NOL Rights Plan will be effective in deterring a change of ownership or protecting the NOLs. Furthermore, a change in control would trigger the change of control provisions in a number of our material agreements, including our credit facility, bonding agreements with our sureties and our severance arrangements. Jeffrey L. Gendell was appointed as a member of the Board of Directors and as non-executive Chairman of the Board in November 2016. He is the managing member and founder of Tontine, and the brother of David B. Gendell, who has served as a member of the Board of Directors since February 2012 and as Interim Director of Operations of the Company since November 2017, and who previously served as non-executive Vice Chairman of the Board from November 2016 to November 2017 and as non-executive Chairman of the Board from January 2015 to November 2016. David B. Gendell was an employee of Tontine from 2004 until December 31, 2017. The Company is party to a sublease agreement with Tontine Associates, LLC, an affiliate of Tontine, for corporate office space in Greenwich, Connecticut. The lease was renewed for a three-year term in April 2016 with an increase in the monthly rent to $8, reflecting the increase paid by Tontine Associates, LLC to its landlord and the Company’s increased use of the corporate office space. The lease has terms at market rates and payments by the Company are at a rate consistent with that paid by Tontine Associates, LLC to its landlord.

2. CONTROLLING SHAREHOLDER

At March 31, 2018, Tontine Capital Partners, L.P., together with its affiliates (collectively, “Tontine”), was the Company’s controlling shareholder, owning approximately 58% of the Company’s outstanding common stock according to a Form 4 filed with the SEC by Tontine on January 4, 2018. 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.

While Tontine is subject to restrictions under federal securities laws on sales of its shares as an affiliate, the Company has filed a shelf registration statement to register all of the shares of IES common stock owned by Tontine at the time of registration. As long as the shelf registration statement remains effective and the Company remains eligible to use it, Tontine has the ability to resell any or all of its registered shares from time to time in one or more offerings, as described in the shelf registration statement and in any prospectus supplement filed in connection with an offering pursuant to the shelf registration statement.

Should Tontine sell or otherwise dispose of all or a portion of its position in IES, a change in ownership of IES could occur. A change in ownership, as defined by Internal Revenue Code Section 382, could reduce the availability of the Company’s net operating losses (“NOLs”) for federal and state income tax purposes. On November 8, 2016, the Company implemented a new tax benefit protection plan (the “NOL Rights Plan”). The NOL Rights Plan was designed to deter an acquisition of the Company's stock in excess of a threshold amount that could trigger a change of control within the meaning of Internal Revenue Code Section 382. There can be no assurance that the NOL Rights Plan will be effective in deterring a change of ownership or protecting the NOLs. Furthermore, a change in control would trigger the change of control provisions in a number of our material agreements, including our credit facility, bonding agreements with our sureties and our severance arrangements.

Jeffrey L. Gendell was appointed as a member of the Board of Directors and as non-executive Chairman of the Board in November 2016. He is the managing member and founder of Tontine, and the brother of David B. Gendell, who has served as a member of the Board of Directors since February 2012 and as Interim Director of Operations of the Company since November 2017, and who previously served as non-executive Vice Chairman of the Board from November 2016 to November 2017 and as non-executive Chairman of the Board from January 2015 to November 2016. David B. Gendell was an employee of Tontine from 2004 until December 31, 2017.

The Company is party to a sublease agreement with Tontine Associates, LLC, an affiliate of Tontine, for corporate office space in Greenwich, Connecticut. The lease was renewed for a three-year term in April 2016 with an increase in the monthly rent to $8, reflecting the increase paid by Tontine Associates, LLC to its landlord and the Company’s increased use of the corporate office space. The lease has terms at market rates and payments by the Company are at a rate consistent with that paid by Tontine Associates, LLC to its landlord.