diff --git a/vertica/datadog_checks/vertica/config_models/__init__.py b/vertica/datadog_checks/vertica/config_models/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..ba42dbdc7ffb0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/vertica/datadog_checks/vertica/config_models/__init__.py
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+# (C) Datadog, Inc. 2021-present
+# All rights reserved
+# Licensed under a 3-clause BSD style license (see LICENSE)
+from .instance import InstanceConfig
+from .shared import SharedConfig
+
+
+class ConfigMixin:
+    _config_model_instance: InstanceConfig
+    _config_model_shared: SharedConfig
+
+    @property
+    def config(self) -> InstanceConfig:
+        return self._config_model_instance
+
+    @property
+    def shared_config(self) -> SharedConfig:
+        return self._config_model_shared
diff --git a/vertica/datadog_checks/vertica/config_models/defaults.py b/vertica/datadog_checks/vertica/config_models/defaults.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..3057588e784a9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/vertica/datadog_checks/vertica/config_models/defaults.py
@@ -0,0 +1,88 @@
+# (C) Datadog, Inc. 2021-present
+# All rights reserved
+# Licensed under a 3-clause BSD style license (see LICENSE)
+from datadog_checks.base.utils.models.fields import get_default_field_value
+
+
+def shared_global_custom_queries(field, value):
+    return get_default_field_value(field, value)
+
+
+def shared_service(field, value):
+    return get_default_field_value(field, value)
+
+
+def instance_backup_servers(field, value):
+    return get_default_field_value(field, value)
+
+
+def instance_client_lib_log_level(field, value):
+    return get_default_field_value(field, value)
+
+
+def instance_connection_load_balance(field, value):
+    return False
+
+
+def instance_custom_queries(field, value):
+    return get_default_field_value(field, value)
+
+
+def instance_empty_default_hostname(field, value):
+    return False
+
+
+def instance_metric_groups(field, value):
+    return get_default_field_value(field, value)
+
+
+def instance_min_collection_interval(field, value):
+    return 15
+
+
+def instance_password(field, value):
+    return get_default_field_value(field, value)
+
+
+def instance_service(field, value):
+    return get_default_field_value(field, value)
+
+
+def instance_tags(field, value):
+    return get_default_field_value(field, value)
+
+
+def instance_timeout(field, value):
+    return 10
+
+
+def instance_tls_ca_cert(field, value):
+    return get_default_field_value(field, value)
+
+
+def instance_tls_cert(field, value):
+    return get_default_field_value(field, value)
+
+
+def instance_tls_private_key(field, value):
+    return get_default_field_value(field, value)
+
+
+def instance_tls_private_key_password(field, value):
+    return get_default_field_value(field, value)
+
+
+def instance_tls_validate_hostname(field, value):
+    return True
+
+
+def instance_tls_verify(field, value):
+    return True
+
+
+def instance_use_global_custom_queries(field, value):
+    return 'true'
+
+
+def instance_use_tls(field, value):
+    return False
diff --git a/vertica/datadog_checks/vertica/config_models/instance.py b/vertica/datadog_checks/vertica/config_models/instance.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..6eb68784aa0d0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/vertica/datadog_checks/vertica/config_models/instance.py
@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+# (C) Datadog, Inc. 2021-present
+# All rights reserved
+# Licensed under a 3-clause BSD style license (see LICENSE)
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+from typing import Any, Mapping, Optional, Sequence
+
+from pydantic import BaseModel, root_validator, validator
+
+from datadog_checks.base.utils.functions import identity
+from datadog_checks.base.utils.models import validation
+
+from . import defaults, validators
+
+
+class CustomQuery(BaseModel):
+    class Config:
+        allow_mutation = False
+
+    columns: Optional[Sequence[Mapping[str, Any]]]
+    query: Optional[str]
+    tags: Optional[Sequence[str]]
+
+
+class InstanceConfig(BaseModel):
+    class Config:
+        allow_mutation = False
+
+    backup_servers: Optional[Sequence[Mapping[str, Any]]]
+    client_lib_log_level: Optional[str]
+    connection_load_balance: Optional[bool]
+    custom_queries: Optional[Sequence[CustomQuery]]
+    db: str
+    empty_default_hostname: Optional[bool]
+    metric_groups: Optional[Sequence[str]]
+    min_collection_interval: Optional[float]
+    password: Optional[str]
+    port: int
+    server: str
+    service: Optional[str]
+    tags: Optional[Sequence[str]]
+    timeout: Optional[int]
+    tls_ca_cert: Optional[str]
+    tls_cert: Optional[str]
+    tls_private_key: Optional[str]
+    tls_private_key_password: Optional[str]
+    tls_validate_hostname: Optional[bool]
+    tls_verify: Optional[bool]
+    use_global_custom_queries: Optional[str]
+    use_tls: Optional[bool]
+    username: str
+
+    @root_validator(pre=True)
+    def _initial_validation(cls, values):
+        return validation.core.initialize_config(getattr(validators, 'initialize_instance', identity)(values))
+
+    @validator('*', pre=True, always=True)
+    def _ensure_defaults(cls, v, field):
+        if v is not None or field.required:
+            return v
+
+        return getattr(defaults, f'instance_{field.name}')(field, v)
+
+    @validator('*')
+    def _run_validations(cls, v, field):
+        if not v:
+            return v
+
+        return getattr(validators, f'instance_{field.name}', identity)(v, field=field)
+
+    @root_validator(pre=False)
+    def _final_validation(cls, values):
+        return validation.core.finalize_config(getattr(validators, 'finalize_instance', identity)(values))
diff --git a/vertica/datadog_checks/vertica/config_models/shared.py b/vertica/datadog_checks/vertica/config_models/shared.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..51042fb421a54
--- /dev/null
+++ b/vertica/datadog_checks/vertica/config_models/shared.py
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+# (C) Datadog, Inc. 2021-present
+# All rights reserved
+# Licensed under a 3-clause BSD style license (see LICENSE)
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+from typing import Any, Mapping, Optional, Sequence
+
+from pydantic import BaseModel, root_validator, validator
+
+from datadog_checks.base.utils.functions import identity
+from datadog_checks.base.utils.models import validation
+
+from . import defaults, validators
+
+
+class SharedConfig(BaseModel):
+    class Config:
+        allow_mutation = False
+
+    global_custom_queries: Optional[Sequence[Mapping[str, Any]]]
+    service: Optional[str]
+
+    @root_validator(pre=True)
+    def _initial_validation(cls, values):
+        return validation.core.initialize_config(getattr(validators, 'initialize_shared', identity)(values))
+
+    @validator('*', pre=True, always=True)
+    def _ensure_defaults(cls, v, field):
+        if v is not None or field.required:
+            return v
+
+        return getattr(defaults, f'shared_{field.name}')(field, v)
+
+    @validator('*')
+    def _run_validations(cls, v, field):
+        if not v:
+            return v
+
+        return getattr(validators, f'shared_{field.name}', identity)(v, field=field)
+
+    @root_validator(pre=False)
+    def _final_validation(cls, values):
+        return validation.core.finalize_config(getattr(validators, 'finalize_shared', identity)(values))
diff --git a/vertica/datadog_checks/vertica/config_models/validators.py b/vertica/datadog_checks/vertica/config_models/validators.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..9d0b0155542cb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/vertica/datadog_checks/vertica/config_models/validators.py
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+# (C) Datadog, Inc. 2021-present
+# All rights reserved
+# Licensed under a 3-clause BSD style license (see LICENSE)