As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 12, 1998.
                                                        Registration No. 333-

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                                  UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

                           ---------------------------

                                    FORM S-8

                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                      UNDER
                           THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

                      Integrated Electrical Services, Inc.
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

                Delaware                              76-0542208
         (State or other jurisdiction of             (I.R.S. Employer
        incorporation or organization)               Identification No.)

                             515 Post Oak Boulevard
                                    Suite 450
                              Houston, Texas 77027
          (Address, including zip code, of Principal Executive Offices)

       INTEGRATED ELECTRICAL SERVICES, INC. 401(K) RETIREMENT SAVINGS PLAN
                            (Full title of the plan)

                                John F. Wombwell
              Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary
                             515 Post Oak Boulevard
                                    Suite 450
                              Houston, Texas 77027
                                 (713) 860-1525
            (Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number,
                   including area code, of agent for service)
                           ---------------------------

                                    copy to:

                              David P. Oelman, Esq.
                              Andrew & Kurth L.L.P.
                             600 Travis, Suite 4200
                              Houston, Texas 77002
                           ---------------------------


                         CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

========================================================================================================================== Proposed Proposed Maximum Amount Maximum Aggregate Amount of to be Offering Price Offering Registration Title of Securities to be Registered registered (1)(2) Per Share (3) Price (3) Fee - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share 1,000,000 Shares $17.50 $17,500,000 $4,865 ==========================================================================================================================
(1) The number of shares of Common Stock registered hereby is subject to adjustment to prevent dilution resulting from stock splits, stock dividends or similar transactions. (2) In addition, pursuant to Rule 416(c) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), this Registration Statement also covers an indeterminate amount of plan interests to be offered or sold pursuant to the Plan. In accordance with Rule 457(h)(2), no separate fee calculations are made for plan interests. (3) Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the amount of the registration fee pursuant to Rule 457(h) under the Securities Act, based upon the average of the high and low price per share of the Registrant's Common Stock on the New York Stock Exchange as reported in the Wall Street Journal on November 5, 1998. PART I INFORMATION REQUIRED IN SECTION 10(A) PROSPECTUS The document(s) containing the information specified in Part I of Form S-8 will be sent or given to participants as specified by Rule 428(b)(1) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"). These documents and the documents incorporated herein by reference pursuant to Item 3 of Part II of this Registration Statement, taken together, constitute a prospectus that meets the requirements of Section 10(a) of the Securities Act (the "Prospectus"). PART II INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT ITEM 3. INCORPORATION OF CERTAIN DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE. Integrated Electrical Services, Inc. (the "Company") and the Integrated Electrical Services, Inc. 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan (the "Plan") incorporate herein by reference the following documents as of their respective dates as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission"): (a) The prospectus included in Post-Effective Amendment No. 1 to the registrant's Registration Statement on Form S-1 dated September 14, 1998 (No. 333-50031); (b) The Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended December 31, 1997; (c) The Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 1998; (d) The Company's Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Commission on July 14, 1998; (e) The Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 1998; (f) The Company's Current Report on Form 8-K/A filed with the Commission on September 14, 1998; (g) The Company's Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Commission on September 14, 1998; and (h) The description of the Company's common stock, par value $0.01 (the "Common Stock"), contained in the Company's Registration Statement on Form 8-A filed with the Commission on January 14, 1998, pursuant to Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"). All documents filed by the Company or the Plan pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act") subsequent to the date of this Registration Statement and prior to the termination of the offering made hereby shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference herein and to be a part hereof from the date of filing of such documents. Any statement contained herein or in a document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated herein by reference shall be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of the Registration Statement and the Prospectus to the extent that a statement contained herein or in any subsequently filed document which also is, or is deemed to be, incorporated by reference herein modifies or supersedes such statement. Any such statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of the Registration Statement or the Prospectus. II- 1 ITEM 4. DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES. The information required by Item 4 is not applicable to this Registration Statement since the class of securities to be offered is registered under Section 12 of the Exchange Act. ITEM 5. INTERESTS OF NAMED EXPERTS AND COUNSEL. None ITEM 6. INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS. Subsection (a) of Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law ("DGCL") empowers a corporation to indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (other than an action by or in the right of the corporation) by reason of the fact that he is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, against expenses (including attorneys' fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by him in connection with such action, suit or proceeding if he acted in good faith and in a manner he reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe his conduct was unlawful. Subsection (b) of Section 145 empowers a corporation to indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, or suit by or in the right of the corporation to procure a judgment in its favor by reason of the fact that such person acted in any of the capacities set forth above, against expenses (including attorneys' fees) actually and reasonably incurred by him in connection with the defense or settlement of such action or suit if he acted in good faith and in a manner he reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation, except that no indemnification may be made in respect of any claim, issue or matter as to which such person shall have been made to be liable to the corporation unless and only to the extent that the Court of Chancery or the court in which such action or suit was brought shall determine upon application that, despite the adjudication of liability but in view of all the circumstances of the case, such person is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for such expenses which the Court of Chancery or such other court shall deem proper. Section 145 further provides that to the extent a director or officer of a corporation has been successful on the merits or otherwise in the defense of any action, suit or proceeding referred to in subsections (a) and (b) of Section 145 in the defense of any claim, issue or matter therein, he shall be indemnified against expenses (including attorneys' fees) actually and reasonably incurred by him in connection therewith; that indemnification provided for by Section 145 shall not be deemed exclusive of any other rights to which the indemnified party may be entitled; that indemnification provided for by Section 145 shall, unless otherwise provided when authorized or ratified, continue as to a person who has ceased to be a director, officer, employee or agent and shall inure to the benefit of such person's heirs, executors and administrators; and empowers the corporation to purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of a director or officer of the corporation against any liability asserted against him and incurred by him in any such capacity, or arising out of his status as such whether or not the corporation would have the power to indemnify him against such liabilities under Section 145. Section 102(b)(7) of theDGCL provides that a certificate of incorporation may contain a provision eliminating or limiting the personal liability of a director to the corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director provided that such provision shall not eliminate or limit the liability of a director (i) for any breach of the director's duty of loyalty to the corporation or its stockholders, (ii) for acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law, (iii) under Section 174 of the DGCL, or (iv) for any transaction from which the director derived an improper personal benefit. II- 2 Article Eighth of the Company's Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation states that: No director of the Corporation shall be personally liable to the Corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty by such director as a director; provided, however, that this Article Eighth shall not eliminate or limit the liability of a director to the extent provided by applicable law (i) for any breach of the director's duty of loyalty to the Corporation or its stockholders, (ii) for acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law, (iii) under Section 174 of the DGCL or (iv) for any transaction from which the director derived an improper personal benefit. No amendment to or repeal of this Article Eighth shall apply to, or have any effect on, the liability or alleged liability of any director of the Corporation for or with respect to any acts or omissions of such director occurring prior to such amendment or repeal. If the DGCL is amended to authorize corporate action further eliminating or limiting the personal liability of directors, then the liability of a director of the Corporation shall be eliminated or limited to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL, as so amended. In addition, Article VI of the Company's Bylaws further provides that the Company shall indemnify its officers, directors and employees to the fullest extent permitted by law. ITEM 7. EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION CLAIMED. The information required by Item 7 is not applicable to this Registration Statement. ITEM 8. EXHIBITS. Exhibit Number Description - ------ ----------- 23.1 Consent of Arthur Andersen LLP. 24.1 Power of Attorney (set forth on the signature page contained in Part II of this Registration Statement). The Registrant undertakes that it will submit or has submitted the Plan and any amendment thereto to the Internal Revenue Service ("IRS") in a timely manner, and has made or will make all changes required by the IRS in order to qualify the Plan. ITEM 9. UNDERTAKINGS (a) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes: (1) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement: (i) To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act; (ii) To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than a 20 percent change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the "Calculation of Registration Fee" table in the effective registration statement; II- 3 (iii) To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such information in the registration statement: Provided, however, that paragraphs (1)(i) and (1)(ii) do not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in periodic reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by the registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act that are incorporated by reference in the registration statement. (2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof. (3) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering. (b) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each filing of the registrant's annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan's annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act) that is incorporated by reference in this registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof. (c) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the provisions described in Item 6 of this Registration Statement, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue. II- 4 SIGNATURES The Registrant. Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Houston, State of Texas, on the 11th day of November, 1998. INTEGRATED ELECTRICAL SERVICES, INC. By: /s/ JIM P. WISE --------------------------- Jim P. Wise President and Chief Executive Officer POWER OF ATTORNEY KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that each of the undersigned officers and directors of Integrated Electrical Services, Inc. (the "Company"), hereby constitutes and appoints Jim P. Wise and John F. Wombwell, or either of them (with full power to each of them to act alone), his true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent, with full power of substitution, for him and on his behalf and in his name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign, execute and file this Registration Statement under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and any or all amendments (including, without limitation, post-effective amendments), with all exhibits and any and all documents required to be filed with respect thereto, with the Securities and Exchange Commission or any regulatory authority, granting unto such attorneys-in-fact and agents, and each of them, full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in and about the premises in order to effectuate the same, as fully to all intents and purposes as he himself might or could do, if personally present, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents, or any of them, or their substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done. Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities indicated on the 11th day of November, 1998.
Signature Title --------- ----- /s/ JIM P. WISE President, Chief Executive Officer and Director - --------------------------- (Principal Executive Officer and Jim P. Wise Principal Financial Officer) /s/ DONALD PAUL HODEL Director - --------------------------- Donald Paul Hodel /s/ JERRY MILLS Chief Operating Officer - Commercial and Industrial - --------------------------- and Director Jerry Mills /s/ BEN L. MUELLER Chief Operating Officer - Residential - --------------------------- and Director Ben L. Mueller
II- 5 /s/ RICHARD MUTH Director - --------------------------- Richard Muth /s/ JON POLLOCK Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors - --------------------------- Jon Pollock /s/ ALAN R. SIELBECK Director - --------------------------- Alan R. Sielbeck /s/ C. BYRON SNYDER Chairman of the Board of Directors - --------------------------- C. Byron Snyder /s/ ROBERT STALVEY Director - --------------------------- Robert Stalvey /s/ RICHARD L. TUCKER Director - --------------------------- Richard L. Tucker /s/ BOB WEIK Director - --------------------------- Bob Weik /s/ J. PAUL WITHROW Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer - --------------------------- (Principal Accounting Officer) J. Paul Withrow
II- 6 SIGNATURES The Plan. Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the Plan Administrator has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Houston, State of Texas, on the 11th day of November, 1998. Plan Administrator: INTEGRATED ELECTRICAL SERVICES, INC. By: /s/ JIM P. WISE ------------------------------- Jim P. Wise President and Chief Executive Officer II- 7 Index to Exhibits Exhibit Number Description - ------ ----------- 23.1 Consent of Arthur Andersen LLP. 24.1 Power of Attorney (set forth on the signature page contained in Part II of this Registration Statement). II- 8

                                                                Exhibit 23.1





                       CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTANTS


           As  independent  public   accountants,   we  hereby  consent  to  the
incorporation  by  reference in this  Registration  Statement on Form S-8 of our
report dated  September  11, 1998 on the  consolidated  financial  statements of
Integrated Electrical Services, Inc. and subsidiaries included in the prospectus
included in  Post-Effective  Amendment No. 1 to Integrated  Electrical  Services
Inc.'s  Registration  Statement  on Form  S-1  dated  September  14,  1998  (No.
333-50031)  and to all  references  to our Firm  included  in this  Registration
Statement.


ARTHUR ANDERSEN LLP
Houston, Texas
November 10, 1998