Start with what must be covered
Walk the property and list the points that actually matter.
- Every entrance and exit (gate, main door, back door).
- Blind spots — side passages, rear approaches, stairwells.
- Assets — till/cash, stock/store, server room, parking.
- The perimeter, for larger or commercial sites.
Rough guidance by property
These are starting points — a survey refines them to your layout.
- Flat / apartment: 2–3 (main door, balcony/parking, optional doorbell).
- Independent house: 4–8 (gate, door, parking, rear/side).
- Villa + garden: 6–10 (add perimeter and garden approaches).
- Retail shop: 4–8 (entrance, till, aisles, storeroom).
- Office: 8–16 (entry, reception, corridors, server room).
- Warehouse / factory: 16–64+ (perimeter, gate ANPR, docks, aisles, PTZ for yards).
Why more isn't always better
Extra cameras add cost, storage and more things to maintain and fail. The goal is complete coverage of what matters — the right camera, resolution and angle at each point — not the highest camera count. Good placement and the right lens often replace two badly-placed cameras with one well-aimed one.