The NDIS Registration Decision
Choosing how to approach NDIS provider registration is one of the most important early decisions you'll make. The right approach depends on your experience, budget, time availability, and comfort with regulatory processes.
This guide breaks down your three main options and helps you decide which is right for your situation.
Option 1: Complete DIY Registration
Estimated Cost: $2,000 - $5,000 (audit + insurance + basics) Your Time Investment: 100-200+ hours Best For: Experienced operators, tight budgets, those who want deep understanding
What DIY Involves
Going the DIY route means you'll handle every aspect yourself:
- Researching the NDIS Practice Standards
- Writing all your policies and procedures from scratch
- Completing the self-assessment without guidance
- Preparing your own audit evidence
- Managing the auditor relationship
- Resolving any non-conformances independently
Pros of DIY
Deep Learning: You'll understand your compliance obligations intimately. There's no substitute for doing the work yourself when it comes to truly understanding what's required.
Full Control: Every decision is yours. You're not waiting on consultants or relying on generic templates that might not fit your service model.
Lowest Direct Cost: Your main expenses are the audit fee, insurance, and perhaps some template purchases. No consulting fees to pay.
Pride of Ownership: There's genuine satisfaction in building your registration from the ground up.
Cons of DIY
Steep Learning Curve: The NDIS Practice Standards aren't written in plain English. Understanding what auditors actually want takes significant research.
High Risk of Mistakes: Common errors include selecting wrong registration groups, creating policies that don't meet standards, or providing insufficient evidence. These mistakes can add months to your timeline.
Time-Intensive: Most DIY providers significantly underestimate the time required. That 100+ hours often ends up being 200+ when you account for revisions and corrections.
No Safety Net: If you get stuck, you're on your own. A wrong turn can cost you months of wasted effort.
When DIY Makes Sense
Consider DIY if you:
- Have experience with regulatory compliance in other sectors
- Have significant time available (not running a busy practice)
- Are comfortable with detailed research and documentation
- Have a simple service model (single registration group)
- Are working with a tight budget where consulting isn't feasible
Option 2: Full Consultant Support
Estimated Cost: $5,000 - $15,000+ (plus audit and insurance) Your Time Investment: 20-40 hours Best For: Time-poor professionals, complex services, those wanting expert guidance
What Consultant Support Involves
A registration consultant typically provides:
- Initial assessment and registration group advice
- Custom policy development for your services
- Self-assessment completion or review
- Evidence preparation and organisation
- Audit preparation coaching
- Ongoing support through the process
Pros of Consultant Support
Expert Guidance: Good consultants know what auditors look for. They've seen what works and what doesn't across hundreds of registrations.
Time Savings: What takes you 150+ hours might take a consultant 30-40 hours, freeing you to focus on your business.
Reduced Risk: Professional policies and preparation significantly reduce the chance of non-conformances and delays.
Ongoing Support: Most consultants provide support if issues arise during the process.
Complex Service Expertise: For multi-group registrations or high-risk services, professional guidance is invaluable.
Cons of Consultant Support
Significant Cost: Quality consulting isn't cheap. You might pay $8,000-15,000+ for comprehensive support, plus your audit and insurance costs.
Variable Quality: The consultant market is unregulated. Some are excellent, others deliver generic templates that don't fit your needs.
Dependency Risk: If your consultant handles everything, you may not fully understand your own compliance obligations post-registration.
Still Requires Your Input: Even with a consultant, you need to be involved. They can't know your services as well as you do.
Choosing a Good Consultant
Look for:
- Specific NDIS registration experience (not just general compliance)
- References from providers in similar service areas
- Clear scope of work and deliverables
- Transparent pricing (beware of scope creep)
- Willingness to teach, not just deliver
Red flags:
- Guarantees of approval (no one can guarantee this)
- Unusually low prices (quality costs money)
- Generic, one-size-fits-all approaches
- No verifiable track record
When Consultants Make Sense
Consider consultant support if you:
- Are time-poor and running a busy practice
- Are pursuing complex or high-risk registration groups
- Have budget available for professional services
- Want to minimise risk and delays
- Prefer expert guidance over self-research
Option 3: Guided Platform (Like NDIS Ready)
Estimated Cost: $500 - $2,000 (plus audit and insurance) Your Time Investment: 40-60 hours Best For: Self-directed learners, moderate budgets, those wanting structure with flexibility
What Platform Support Involves
A registration platform typically provides:
- Step-by-step guidance through the process
- Policy templates mapped to Practice Standards
- Self-assessment tools and checklists
- Evidence organisation systems
- Educational content and tutorials
- Community or support channels
Pros of Platform Support
Cost-Effective: You get structured guidance and templates at a fraction of consultant costs.
Self-Paced Learning: Work through the process on your own schedule, revisiting sections as needed.
Templates + Customisation: Start with professionally developed templates, then customise to your services.
Educational Value: You learn as you go, building understanding you'll need post-registration.
Ongoing Access: Unlike one-off consulting, platforms typically provide ongoing access to updates and resources.
Cons of Platform Support
Still Requires Your Effort: This isn't a done-for-you service. You need to engage with the material and do the work.
Less Personalisation: While templates are customisable, you may need to adapt them more than with custom consultant policies.
Self-Directed: You need motivation to work through the process independently.
Variable Platform Quality: Not all registration platforms are created equal. Some offer genuine value, others are glorified template libraries.
Choosing a Good Platform
Look for:
- Content created by people with actual NDIS registration experience
- Regular updates reflecting regulatory changes
- Clear mapping to Practice Standards
- Support options when you get stuck
- Realistic promises about what's involved
When Platforms Make Sense
Consider platform support if you:
- Want structured guidance but prefer to do the work yourself
- Have moderate time available (can't do full DIY, don't want to pay consultant prices)
- Are a self-directed learner comfortable with online tools
- Want to truly understand your compliance obligations
- Are looking for cost-effective but quality support
Making Your Decision
Quick Decision Framework
Choose DIY if: You have 150+ hours available, regulatory compliance experience, and a tight budget.
Choose a Consultant if: You're time-poor, pursuing complex services, and have budget for professional support.
Choose a Platform if: You want structured guidance, moderate time investment, and cost-effective quality support.
Hybrid Approaches
Many providers combine approaches:
- DIY + Platform: Use a platform for templates and guidance, but don't pay for consulting
- Platform + Consultant Review: Use a platform for most work, hire a consultant to review before audit
- Consultant for Policies + DIY for Rest: Have professionals develop policies, handle the rest yourself
The Real Question
The most important factor is often this: How much is your time worth?
If saving $5,000-10,000 on consulting costs you 150 hours, that's effectively paying yourself $33-67/hour for registration work. For many providers, that math makes DIY attractive.
But if those 150 hours would be better spent seeing clients at $150/hour, consultant support makes financial sense even at premium prices.
Summary Comparison Table
| Factor | DIY | Consultant | Platform |
|---|---|---|---|
| Direct Cost | $2,000-5,000 | $7,000-20,000+ | $2,500-7,000 |
| Your Time | 100-200+ hrs | 20-40 hrs | 40-60 hrs |
| Learning | Deep | Limited | Moderate |
| Risk Level | Higher | Lower | Moderate |
| Customisation | Full (from scratch) | Full (professional) | Template-based |
| Support | None | Expert | Structured |
| Best For | Experienced, budget-conscious | Time-poor, complex services | Self-directed learners |
Next Steps
Whatever path you choose, start by understanding the full scope of what's involved. Registration isn't something to rush into - it's a significant investment of time and money regardless of your approach.
If you're leaning toward the platform approach, NDIS Ready provides exactly the kind of structured, step-by-step guidance that helps self-directed providers succeed without consultant costs.
