Security Camera Placement Guide: Best Positions for Maximum Coverage

Introduction

Even the best security camera is useless if it's pointed at the wrong spot. Proper camera placement is the single most important factor in building an effective surveillance system — more important than resolution, night vision, or any other technical spec.

This guide covers proven placement strategies for both indoor and outdoor cameras, helping you maximize coverage while minimizing blind spots and wasted storage.

The Golden Rules of Camera Placement

• Cover all entry points first — Front door, back door, garage, and ground-floor windows account for 95% of break-ins
• Height matters — Mount cameras 2.5–3 meters (8–10 feet) high for the best balance of coverage and detail
• Avoid backlight — Never point a camera directly at a light source or window with direct sunlight
• Overlap coverage — Critical areas should be covered by at least two cameras from different angles
• Consider privacy — Don't point cameras at neighbors' property or public sidewalks where prohibited by local laws

Pro tip: Before mounting anything, test camera positions by holding the camera in place and checking the live feed on your monitor. 10 minutes of testing saves hours of reinstallation.

Outdoor Camera Placement

Front Door

The #1 most important camera position. Over 34% of burglars enter through the front door. Mount the camera at second-story height (3m) angled downward, or use a video doorbell at eye level for facial identification.

Position	Height	Angle	Coverage Goal
Above front door	2.5–3m	15–30° downward	Walkway + porch area
Opposite wall/pillar	2.5–3m	Straight or slight down	Face capture at door

Back and Side Doors

22% of burglars enter through the back door. Place cameras to cover the full approach path, not just the door itself. Side gates and utility doors are often overlooked — cover them too.

Garage and Driveway

A camera covering the driveway serves double duty: security and package/vehicle monitoring. Mount high on the garage fascia or under the eaves, angled to capture license plates of approaching vehicles.

Backyard and Perimeter

Wide-angle cameras (110°+) work best for perimeter coverage. Position them at corners to maximize the area covered. Ensure adequate IR range for nighttime — the camera's night vision range should exceed the area you need to cover.

Indoor Camera Placement

Main Hallways and Stairways

Hallways are natural chokepoints — anyone moving through the house must pass through them. Place cameras at the end of long hallways looking down the corridor for the best coverage with a single camera.

Living Room / Common Areas

Mount in a corner near the ceiling for the widest possible view. Avoid placing directly above a TV or window — the backlight will ruin image quality. Corner placement at 2.5m height with a wide-angle lens can cover an entire room.

Where NOT to Place Indoor Cameras

• Bedrooms — Privacy concerns, especially with guests or rental properties
• Bathrooms — Never appropriate, potentially illegal
• Directly facing windows — IR reflection at night creates a white-out effect
• Near heat sources — Radiators and ovens can trigger false motion alerts

Height and Angle Optimization

The Ideal Mounting Height

Most security experts agree on 2.5–3 meters (8–10 feet). Here's why:

Height	Pros	Cons
Below 2m	Great facial detail	Easy to vandalize or steal
2.5–3m (ideal)	Good detail + hard to reach	May need a ladder to adjust
Above 4m	Very hard to tamper with	Poor facial detail, steep angle

Field of View Considerations

Match your camera's field of view (FOV) to the area you need to cover:

• Narrow (30–60°) — Long driveways, corridors, fence lines
• Standard (60–90°) — Doors, gates, specific entry points
• Wide (90–120°) — Rooms, patios, general area coverage
• Ultra-wide (120°+) — Large open spaces, parking areas

Lighting and Night Vision

Camera placement and lighting go hand-in-hand:

• Use existing lights — Place cameras where porch lights, street lights, or motion-activated floods already illuminate the scene
• IR range matching — Ensure your camera's IR night vision range covers the area. A camera with 20m IR range won't help if your yard is 30m deep
• Avoid IR reflection — Don't place IR cameras behind glass, near white walls within 30cm, or pointed at reflective surfaces
• East/West orientation — Cameras facing east get morning sun glare, west cameras get evening glare. North/south facing is ideal when possible

Guardian Eye tip: Use motion detection zones to exclude areas with constant lighting changes (tree shadows, passing headlights) to reduce false alerts significantly.

Common Placement Mistakes

1. Too high, too far — A camera at 5m height looking across a 20m yard produces tiny, unidentifiable figures
2. Ignoring weather exposure — Rain hitting the lens directly, or snow accumulation blocking the view. Use cameras with hoods/housings
3. Forgetting about cable runs — Beautiful camera position but impossible to run power/network cables. Plan cable routes before mounting
4. Single camera coverage — Relying on one camera for a critical area. If it fails or gets obscured, you lose all coverage
5. Visible wiring — Exposed cables can be cut. Use conduit for outdoor runs or choose wireless/PoE cameras
6. Not testing at night — A position that works perfectly during the day may be completely dark or overexposed by streetlights at night

Placement Checklist for a Typical Home

A well-secured home typically needs 4–8 cameras. Here's a priority-ordered checklist:

Priority	Location	Camera Type	Key Requirement
1	Front door	Bullet or doorbell	Facial identification
2	Back door	Bullet or dome	Night vision
3	Driveway/garage	Bullet with long range	License plate capture
4	Side gate	Compact bullet	Motion detection
5	Backyard	Wide-angle dome	Weather resistance
6	Main hallway	Indoor dome/cube	Wide angle
7	Living room	Indoor dome	Discreet design
8	Basement/utility	Any indoor	Low-light performance

Using Guardian Eye for Optimal Placement

Guardian Eye makes testing and adjusting camera positions easy:

• Live preview — Connect a camera and instantly see the feed. Walk around the target area to verify coverage before permanent mounting
• Motion zones — After placement, configure motion detection zones to focus on entry paths and ignore busy streets or swaying trees
• Multi-camera view — See all cameras simultaneously to identify coverage gaps and blind spots
• Recording schedules — Set different schedules for indoor (away-only) and outdoor (24/7) cameras
• Sensitivity tuning — Adjust motion sensitivity per camera based on its environment and placement

Conclusion

Good camera placement follows a simple principle: cover the most likely entry points first, then expand outward. Don't chase perfection — a well-placed 4-camera system beats a poorly positioned 12-camera setup every time.

Remember to test positions before permanent mounting, check coverage both day and night, and revisit your placement whenever you make changes to your property's layout or landscaping.