Security cameras have become affordable enough that most homes can have multiple cameras covering their property. But where should you put them? More cameras isn't always better if they're pointing at the wrong things.

Let's talk about strategic camera placement that maximizes your coverage without wasting money on redundant views.

Before You Place Cameras: What Are You Protecting Against?

Different concerns require different coverage:

Package Theft

If porch pirates are your main worry:

  • Front door/porch coverage is priority one
  • View should include where packages are left
  • Consider a doorbell camera plus a wider-angle camera

Break-ins

Most burglars enter through:

  • Front door (34%)
  • First-floor windows (23%)
  • Back door (22%)
  • Garage (9%)

Your camera placement should prioritize these entry points.

Vandalism

Random vandalism targets:

  • Cars in driveways
  • Front yards and landscaping
  • Mailboxes
  • Garage doors

General Monitoring

Want to see who comes and goes?

  • Driveway to see vehicles
  • Front walkway for visitors
  • Side gates if you have them

Priority Camera Locations

1. Front Door

This is the single most important camera location:

  • What to capture: Anyone approaching or at your door, package deliveries, anyone tampering with the lock
  • Camera type: Video doorbell (Ring, Nest, etc.) or dedicated camera
  • Height: 4-5 feet (doorbell) or 8-10 feet (overhead camera)
  • Angle: Capture faces, not just the tops of heads

A video doorbell handles this well, but consider a second camera mounted higher for a wider view of your porch and front yard.

2. Back Door

The second most common entry point for burglars:

  • What to capture: Anyone approaching from the backyard
  • Camera type: Outdoor bullet or dome camera
  • Considerations: May need night vision if backyard is dark

3. Driveway/Garage

Captures vehicles and anyone approaching from the street:

  • What to capture: Cars, people walking up, garage door activity
  • Camera type: Wide-angle outdoor camera
  • Placement: High on garage or house, angled down toward driveway
  • Bonus: Can help with insurance claims for car damage

4. Side Gates

If you have fenced yards with gates:

  • What to capture: Anyone entering through gates
  • Camera type: Smaller bullet camera
  • Placement: Above or beside the gate

5. Backyard

Especially important if you have:

  • Expensive outdoor equipment
  • A pool (safety and liability)
  • Detached structures (sheds, workshops)
  • Multiple access points

Indoor Camera Locations

Indoor cameras are more controversial (privacy concerns), but useful for:

Main Entry Points from Inside

Cameras facing front and back doors from inside catch anyone who enters:

  • Captures better facial footage than exterior cameras
  • Works in all lighting conditions
  • Shows what intruders do once inside

Living Room/Main Area

Some people feel more comfortable monitoring common areas:

  • Peace of mind when away
  • Check on pets
  • Verify house is okay during vacations

Not Recommended: Bedrooms and Bathrooms

For obvious privacy reasons, avoid cameras in private spaces. Even for security purposes, it's not worth the privacy trade-off.

Camera Placement Best Practices

Height Matters

  • Too low: Cameras can be easily reached and disabled
  • Too high: May not capture faces clearly
  • Sweet spot: 8-10 feet for outdoor cameras, out of easy reach but not so high you only see the tops of heads

Angle for Faces

The goal is to identify people. This means:

  • Cameras should be angled to capture faces, not looking straight down
  • Consider where the sun will be — backlighting makes faces unrecognizable
  • Test placement with someone walking through the frame

Cover Entry Points, Not Just Perimeters

A camera showing someone walking across your yard is less useful than one showing them at your door. Prioritize:

  • Doors
  • Windows (first floor)
  • Gates
  • Garage entry

Overlapping Coverage

Where possible, have cameras cover each other:

  • If someone disables one camera, another captures them doing it
  • Reduces blind spots
  • Provides multiple angles of the same event

Consider Night Performance

Many security events happen at night:

  • Ensure cameras have good night vision
  • Check for existing lights that help (porch lights, street lights)
  • Consider adding motion-activated lights
  • Test night footage before finalizing placement

Mind the Blind Spots

Walk your property and identify:

  • Areas no camera can see
  • Paths someone could take to avoid cameras
  • Places to hide near entry points

Not every blind spot needs a camera, but you should know they exist.

Camera Types for Different Locations

Doorbell Cameras

Best for front doors:

  • Ring, Nest, Arlo, Eufy
  • Combines camera with doorbell function
  • Good for package and visitor monitoring
  • Limited field of view

Bullet Cameras

Visible deterrent, good for outdoor use:

  • Obvious "camera" appearance deters some intruders
  • Weather-resistant
  • Easy to aim at specific areas
  • Wall or soffit mounted

Dome Cameras

Less obtrusive, harder to tell where they're pointing:

  • Tamper-resistant design
  • Good for covered areas (porches, carports)
  • Wide-angle options available
  • Professional appearance

PTZ Cameras (Pan-Tilt-Zoom)

For large areas:

  • Can be remotely controlled to look around
  • Good for driveways and yards
  • More expensive
  • Overkill for most residential uses

Indoor Cameras

For inside the home:

  • Ring Indoor, Nest Cam, Wyze
  • Often smaller and less obtrusive
  • May include features like two-way audio
  • Privacy shutters on some models

Power Considerations

Battery-Powered

  • Easy installation anywhere
  • No wires to run
  • Must remember to charge (1-6 months depending on activity)
  • May miss events if battery dies

Wired Power

  • Continuous operation
  • No battery concerns
  • Requires outlet or hardwiring nearby
  • More complex installation

PoE (Power over Ethernet)

  • Single cable provides power and data
  • Most reliable option
  • Requires Ethernet run to each camera
  • Best video quality

At Finally Fixed Home Services, we install battery-powered and PoE cameras. For PoE installations, we run the Ethernet cable cleanly through your walls and set up the necessary network equipment.

Recording and Storage

Cameras need somewhere to store footage:

Cloud Storage

  • Subscription required (usually $3-$10/month per camera)
  • Accessible from anywhere
  • Footage safe even if camera is stolen
  • Relies on internet connection

Local Storage (SD Card or NVR)

  • No monthly fees
  • Footage stored on-site (SD card or Network Video Recorder)
  • If equipment is stolen, footage goes with it
  • NVR systems can handle many cameras

Hybrid

Many systems offer both:

  • Record locally as backup
  • Upload important clips to cloud
  • Best of both worlds

Legal and Privacy Considerations

Your Property

You can generally record your own property without restriction.

Neighbors' Property

Avoid pointing cameras at neighbors' windows or yards. Focus on your property.

Audio Recording

Colorado is a one-party consent state for audio, but it's best practice to not record audio in areas where people have a reasonable expectation of privacy.

Public Areas

Recording public sidewalks and streets is generally legal, though pointing cameras at specific neighboring properties can cause disputes.

What We Offer

At Finally Fixed Home Services, we help with camera installation:

  • Site assessment — We'll walk your property and recommend placements
  • Camera mounting — Secure installation on any surface
  • PoE cable runs — Clean Ethernet installations for wired cameras
  • Camera setup — App configuration, account setup, recording settings
  • Testing — We verify coverage and image quality

We install Ring, Nest, Arlo, Eufy, and most other popular brands, as well as professional PoE camera systems.

The Bottom Line

A few well-placed cameras beat many poorly placed ones. Focus on:

  1. Front door (doorbell camera + optional overview camera)
  2. Back door
  3. Driveway
  4. Side gates or other entry points

This covers most homes with 3-5 cameras. Add more only where you have specific coverage gaps.

Contact us or call/text 720-933-3501 to discuss your security camera installation.

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