Cloud migration quotation
Quotation template for IT consultants moving servers to the cloud: server migration planning, data transfer and recovery testing. Download it as Excel or Word.
Templates by industry
- Server migration planning
- Data transfer
- Recovery testing
Preparation guide
Example workflow
Confirm scope and quantities
Example: start with "Server migration planning", confirm the required quantity and client inputs, then agree completion criteria for each item.
Review and approve the quotation
Confirm acceptance evidence for "Recovery testing", all line quantities, exclusions and quote validity with the customer, and retain the approved version.
Deliver and prepare billing
Deliver the agreed test results and configuration notes, and assign owners for outstanding items. When the agreed milestone is complete, prepare an invoice using actual quantities and approved changes.
Before a company moves its servers to a cloud provider, it wants a fixed picture of the cost, the downtime and the way back if something fails. This quotation is laid out in that order: planning the migration, moving the data and proving that systems can be restored. IT consultants and managed service providers use it to separate one-off migration work from the running charges, which the client pays to the cloud provider directly.
Fields to prepare
- Deliverables and line items
- Server migration planning, Data transfer, Recovery testing: specify the planned quantity and delivery scope for each item.
- Server migration planning
- List the servers and applications in scope by name or count, and the output of planning, such as a cut-over plan with dates.
- Data transfer
- Quote by data volume or by system, give the transfer window and say who checks that the data arrived complete.
- Recovery testing
- Describe the test, such as restoring one database from backup into the new environment, and the result that counts as a pass.
- Environment and dependencies
- Record target systems, integration counts, data volume and who supplies test access.
- Acceptance and support
- Set acceptance scenarios, the review window, support duration after handover and excluded work.
- Scope to agree
- Define server and data volumes, migration downtime, recovery-test success criteria and rollback scope.
Before sending
- Does “Server migration planning” say what is included and what quantity the price assumes?
- Would the customer read “Data transfer” the way you do, including what it leaves out?
- Can you still honour the price of “Recovery testing” on the last day the quotation is valid?
Show 3 more
- Separate third-party service charges from implementation fees.
- Agree who handles the production transition and what recovery work is included if it fails.
- Check quote validity, the customer approval method and payment milestones.
Worked example with sample figures
The figures below are invented to show how the template adds up: 3 lines in USD, with an example tax rate of 8%.
| Item | Quantity × unit price | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Server migration planning | 4 × $450.00 | $1,800.00 |
| Data transfer | 1 × $1,200.00 | $1,200.00 |
| Recovery testing | 10 × $60.00 | $600.00 |
| Subtotal | $3,600.00 | |
| Sales tax (8%) | $288.00 | |
| Total | $3,888.00 | |
Quoted net amount $3,600.00, sales tax $288.00, quoted total $3,888.00.
What the document must show
The details a quotation has to show, and why each one matters, are set out in the guide below.
The sales tax depends on where the work is supplied, so set the rate that applies to your customer before sending.
Official rate reference: US government: state and local taxes
Full requirements: How to write a quotation: format, example and checklist
Frequently asked questions
Should the cloud hosting fees be in this quotation?
Usually not. Give an estimate in the notes if the client wants one, but say that the provider bills it directly and that the amount depends on use. Your quotation then covers only your own work.
What if the data volume turns out larger than quoted?
Write the assumed volume on the data transfer line and a price for each extra unit, such as every additional 100 GB. The client then knows the cost before any surprise appears.
How do I quote work that has to happen at night or at a weekend?
Put the cut-over window on its own line with the hours and the out-of-hours rate. Clients usually accept the surcharge when they can see it was planned to keep their systems available during the working week.
How is the sales tax worked out on this quotation?
The worked example above uses an example rate of 8%: $288.00 on a net amount of $3,600.00, for a total of $3,888.00. The editor recalculates all three when you change a quantity, a price or the country.
Can I change the layout and colour?
Yes. The editor offers other layouts and a document colour for the printed page. Changing them moves no figure: the lines and totals stay as they are, and the PDF, Word and Excel files follow the layout you pick.
Read next
Reading for the Cloud migration quotation: How to write a quotation: format, example and checklist and Quotation vs invoice: differences and timing. The VAT and GST calculator adds tax to your quoted prices.