Buying Guides · actualizado 2026-10-16

Where Should You Place Your Security Cameras? A Room-by-Room Guide

Buying a good security camera is only half the job. Where you put it decides whether you get a clear, usable recording or a blurry clip of someone’s hood. Here is a practical placement guide based on what actually shows up in footage.

1. The front door comes first

Around a third of break-ins happen straight through the main entrance, and it is also where parcels disappear. Mount the camera 2.2–2.5 metres high, slightly to the side so it films faces, not the tops of heads. If your doorway is deep or shaded, choose a camera with good dynamic range so a bright background does not turn visitors into silhouettes.

2. Driveway and gate

A camera that sees the vehicle, the number plate and the person stepping out gives you three pieces of evidence in one clip. Film along the driving direction, not across it — plates are readable when the car moves towards or away from the lens.

3. Back and side entrances

Rear doors, terrace doors and basement windows are the quiet routes. These spots are usually darker, so infrared range or a spotlight camera matters more here than at the front.

4. The garden as an early-warning zone

A wide-angle camera overlooking the yard detects movement before anyone reaches the house. Combined with person detection, it can trigger a light or siren while the visitor is still at the fence — often that alone ends the visit.

5. Indoors: hallway and staircase

If someone gets in, they almost always pass through the hallway or stairs. One indoor camera covering these choke points records everyone who moves between floors or rooms, without filming bedrooms or other private spaces.

Mistakes we see most often

Pointing at the sun. A lens facing sunrise or sunset gives glare instead of faces. Angle it slightly downward or north/south where possible.

Filming through glass. At night the infrared light reflects off the window and the camera sees only its own glow. Outdoor areas need outdoor cameras.

Mounting too high. Above 3 metres you record hairstyles, not faces. Height gives coverage, not identification.

Forgetting the neighbours. In the EU your cameras should film your own property. Use privacy zones to mask the neighbour’s garden or the public street — it keeps the recordings lawful and usable.

Quick checklist

Front door, driveway, back entrance, garden overview, hallway indoors — five cameras cover a typical home completely. Start with the front door if you are building the system step by step, and check each camera’s actual night-time image after installation: the view at 2 a.m. is the one that matters.

Need help choosing? Browse our security camera range or ask us for a placement recommendation for your home.