Employee Benefit Plans	9 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2012
Employee Benefit Plans [Abstract]
401(k) Plan	401(k) Plan In November 1998, we established the Integrated Electrical Services, Inc. 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan (the “401(k) Plan”). All full-time IES employees are eligible to participate on the first day of the month subsequent to completing thirty days of service and attaining age twenty-one. Participants become vested in our matching contributions following three years of service. On February 13, 2009, we suspended Company matching cash contributions to employee's contributions due to the significant impact of the economic recession on the Company's financial performance. We made no contributions to the 401(k) plan for the nine months ended June 30, 2012 and 2011, respectively. Executive Deferred Compensation Plan Under the Executive Deferred Compensation Plan certain employees are permitted to defer a portion (up to 75%) of their base salary and/or bonus for a plan year. The Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors may, in its sole discretion, credit one or more participants with an employer deferral (contribution) in such amount as the Committee may choose (each, an “Employer Contribution”). The Employer Contribution, if any, may be a fixed dollar amount, a fixed percentage of the participant's compensation, base salary, or bonus, or a “matching” amount with respect to all or part of the participant's elective deferrals for such plan year, and/or any combination of the foregoing as the Committee may choose. On February 13, 2009, we suspended Company matching cash contributions to employee's contributions due to the significant impact of the economic recession on the Company's financial performance. We made no contributions to the Executive Deferred Compensation Plan for the nine months ended June 30, 2012 and 2011 respectively.

Employee Benefit Plans

9 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2012

In November 1998, we established the Integrated Electrical Services, Inc. 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan (the “401(k) Plan”). All full-time IES employees are eligible to participate on the first day of the month subsequent to completing thirty days of service and attaining age twenty-one. Participants become vested in our matching contributions following three years of service.

On February 13, 2009, we suspended Company matching cash contributions to employee's contributions due to the significant impact of the economic recession on the Company's financial performance. We made no contributions to the 401(k) plan for the nine months ended June 30, 2012 and 2011, respectively.

Executive Deferred Compensation Plan

Under the Executive Deferred Compensation Plan certain employees are permitted to defer a portion (up to 75%) of their base salary and/or bonus for a plan year. The Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors may, in its sole discretion, credit one or more participants with an employer deferral (contribution) in such amount as the Committee may choose (each, an “Employer Contribution”). The Employer Contribution, if any, may be a fixed dollar amount, a fixed percentage of the participant's compensation, base salary, or bonus, or a “matching” amount with respect to all or part of the participant's elective deferrals for such plan year, and/or any combination of the foregoing as the Committee may choose.

On February 13, 2009, we suspended Company matching cash contributions to employee's contributions due to the significant impact of the economic recession on the Company's financial performance. We made no contributions to the Executive Deferred Compensation Plan for the nine months ended June 30, 2012 and 2011 respectively.