Where to Place Home Security Cameras

When it comes to adding cameras to your home security system, where you decide to place them is crucial. And while security cameras are a powerful tool in your home security arsenal, they are only one part of a thorough safety strategy. And other security devices can easily connect to your smart cameras to ensure your home is defended from every direction.

Follow our placement guide below to ensure you get the best camera coverage for your property.

Start by Making a Camera Placement Diagram

Before you install any of your security cameras, you should create a full-coverage map that includes all entry points, common areas, and any other places you want to keep an eye on.

When planning your placement strategy, consider working with a professional installation technician to see where you can maximize security coverage in your home, including the best height and angles for your cameras.

Whether you choose a professional or DIY approach, make sure you consider the following before choosing your cameras:

What You Want Your Cameras to Cover

A property is safest when it is properly equipped to supervise every important angle. It’s common to place indoor cameras at all points of entry, hallways/pathways, any rooms with valuable or expensive equipment, and necessary outdoor spaces. When you create your home’s security diagram, look for any areas that you might not usually consider covering. For example, a tall bush in front of a window could be an easy place for a burglar to hide, so you may want to place a camera close to there.

Power Sources

When choosing whether you want wireless or hardwired security cameras, you should ask yourself a few questions to ensure they run efficiently. Are your indoor and outdoor security cameras going to be installed in an area where you have a local power source? Is internal power necessary? If your cameras use batteries, will you be able to easily access those cameras to change out the batteries as needed?

Camera Features

There are all sorts of cameras on the market today, each with different features. You want to choose quality cameras that display clear footage, no matter the time of day. Look for options with infrared sensors (to detect heat and motion), night vision, and high-definition video capabilities.

Indoor Security Camera Placement

While you might envision burglars using elaborate ways to access homes, many break-ins often occur through the front door. A camera right inside your front entry or living room is often your first line of defense when it comes to protection. Here are a few other areas to place your indoor security cameras:

Inside Front and Back Doors

Given that front and back doors are commonly used entry points, angle your cameras to catch anyone entering or exiting through them. Either get a camera with a 360 degree view to cover a wide area or use multiple cameras to capture a set of points someone may attempt to secretly enter, like first-floor windows.

Common Areas, Hallways, and Stairs

Your home’s pathways lead to your bedrooms, closets, and common rooms. Using cameras to monitor hallways and stairs gives you a wider range of coverage, particularly if any or all of those rooms contain valuables like jewelry, electronics, and firearms.

Basements

Ground-level windows or doors are easy entry points into your home. Protect that state-of-the-art man cave, climate-controlled wine cellar, or special storage space with indoor cameras that monitor your basement area’s windows and staircase.

Garages

Garages and sheds are treasure troves for thieves looking to make a quick buck by reselling items. Pressure washers, lawnmowers, and expensive hand tools are all appealing targets for a thief. Not only that, but a criminal can easily bust your car’s windows and make off with fancy equipment or other items you leave inside.

However, cameras in these places also come with other benefits. An indoor camera placed in a garage or shed will quickly be able to show you if you’ve unintentionally left the door ajar.

Outdoor Security Camera Placement

Sunlight, temperature, and water damage aren’t issues with indoor cameras, but you need to consider them when deciding where to place outdoor security cameras. This is another chance to work with a professional who can help you determine the best locations for cameras outside your home. You can mount a camera anywhere from a light fixture, to under a low eave, but here are some more common places you’ll want to consider:

Doors

Like indoor cameras, positioning outdoor security cameras near your front and back doors is common sense if you want to monitor people’s comings and goings—whether they’re residents, guests, or unwelcome visitors. Don’t forget to include other entries, whether it’s a rarely used side door or side gate.

Windows

First-floor windows are a common entry point for burglars due to their accessibility. Side windows just out of view of the street are especially appealing spots for someone to break in. In addition to contact sensors and glass break detectors, consider using an outdoor camera to monitor your home’s side windows. If your home has a basement, make sure to cover its ground-level windows, too.

Driveway

Thieves might choose to park their car in your driveway so they have a getaway vehicle when making off with your valuables, or they may choose to vandalize or steal parts of any vehicles parked in the driveway. According to National Insurance Crime Bureau, catalytic converter theft has more than quadrupled between 2019 and 2020. Should you have someone attempt to steal your catalytic converter, a good outdoor security camera that keeps eyes on your driveway, notify both you and them that someone is watching, and can help authorities identify the culprits.

Backyard

Mounting a wide-lens security camera on your back deck or porch can help you see anyone entering your backyard, attempting to access a shed, or approaching your back door.

Hidden vs. Visible Security Cameras

Are you thinking about monitoring the exterior of your home, but you don’t want people to know they’re on camera? Having a hidden outdoor security camera is an easy solution for that. While leaving a security camera exposed may immediately grab the attention of an unwanted guest and make them think twice about running off with your property, concealing a camera reduces the odds of someone seeing and choosing to tamper with it.

Prime hiding techniques include sticking a camera in a birdhouse, concealing it in a fake rock, or disguising it with camouflage skins to naturally blend into its outdoor environment. However, be cautious that some hiding spots can block your camera’s field of vision or possibly damage the camera itself.

Where Not to Place a Security Camera

There are areas both in and around your home that demand a degree of privacy. When placing security cameras in and outside your home, check local, state, and federal laws regarding camera usage. Many surveillance cameras lack audio because to record conversations in some states, among other restrictions. Here are a few places where you shouldn’t place home security cameras:

Bedrooms and Bathrooms

Your home should be a sanctuary, and those who reside there or are invited in expect privacy, especially in personal spaces like a bedroom or bathroom. You could risk legal action if you have a camera hidden in one of these locations and someone is unaware that it’s recording them.

Under and Near Tree Branches

Most trees are tall enough for you to see a wide range of activity around your house, so it may make perfect sense to want to install a security camera in one. However, trees have branches and leaves, which can get in the way of your camera’s field of view and make it difficult to distinguish faces and objects.

Places That Are Too High or Too Low

Cameras installed over 10 feet high do a poor job of recording faces, and cameras installed lower than eight feet could be within reach of the wrong people. Make sure each camera provides a clear visual of movement in and around your home.

Places that Violate Your Neighbors’ Privacy

Even if you have cameras recording every angle of your home, keep in mind that your neighbors deserve privacy. Your video doorbell can capture a broad-angle view of the front of your home but also may show your neighbor’s home across the street in the background. That may be unavoidable, but cameras that aim directly into a side neighbor’s house are a no-go. Be sure to also keep your cameras pointing away from your neighbors’ windows or other personal spaces.

Security Cameras with Brinks Home

If you are looking to add purchase a system with security cameras, contact Brinks Home and a Security Consultant can help you determine the best places for cameras throughout your home.