Controlling Shareholder	3 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2015
Controlling Shareholder [Abstract]
Controlling Shareholder	2. CONTROLLING SHAREHOLDER Tontine Capital Partners, L.P. together with its affiliates (collectively “Tontine”) was the Company’s controlling shareholder, and owned approximately 62.3% of the Company’s outstanding common stock at December 31, 2015, according to a Schedule 13D/A filed with the SEC by Tontine on December 24, 2015. 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, in 2013 Tontine delivered a request to the Company pursuant to a Registration Rights Agreement for registration of all of the shares of IES common stock held by Tontine at that time (the “Registered Shares”), and on February 21, 2013, the Company filed a shelf registration statement to register the Registered Shares. The shelf registration statement was declared effective by the SEC on June 18, 2013. As long as the shelf registration statement remains effective, 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 net operating losses (“NOLs”) for federal and state income tax purposes. On January 28, 2013, the Company implemented a tax benefit protection plan (the “NOL Rights Plan”) that is designed to deter an acquisition of the Company's stock in excess of a threshold amount that could trigger a change of ownership 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 ownership 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. A member of the Company’s Board of Directors since February, 2012, David B. Gendell has served as the Company’s non-executive Chairman of the Board since January, 2015. Mr. Gendell, who is the brother of Jeffrey Gendell, the founder and managing member of Tontine, is also an employee of Tontine.

2. CONTROLLING SHAREHOLDER

Tontine Capital Partners, L.P. together with its affiliates (collectively “Tontine”) was the Company’s controlling shareholder, and owned approximately 62.3% of the Company’s outstanding common stock at December 31, 2015, according to a Schedule 13D/A filed with the SEC by Tontine on December 24, 2015. 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, in 2013 Tontine delivered a request to the Company pursuant to a Registration Rights Agreement for registration of all of the shares of IES common stock held by Tontine at that time (the “Registered Shares”), and on February 21, 2013, the Company filed a shelf registration statement to register the Registered Shares. The shelf registration statement was declared effective by the SEC on June 18, 2013. As long as the shelf registration statement remains effective, 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 net operating losses (“NOLs”) for federal and state income tax purposes. On January 28, 2013, the Company implemented a tax benefit protection plan (the “NOL Rights Plan”) that is designed to deter an acquisition of the Company's stock in excess of a threshold amount that could trigger a change of ownership 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 ownership 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.

A member of the Company’s Board of Directors since February, 2012, David B. Gendell has served as the Company’s non-executive Chairman of the Board since January, 2015. Mr. Gendell, who is the brother of Jeffrey Gendell, the founder and managing member of Tontine, is also an employee of Tontine.