There is no single right number of security cameras. The right count depends on what you need the footage to show, how big the property is, and how many ways people can get in. A small home might be well covered with three or four cameras, while a warehouse or multi-tenant building can need dozens.
Start with entrances, not square footage
The most useful cameras watch the places people have to pass through. Walk the property and list every entry point and every spot where something valuable is kept.
- Front and rear doors, and any side or basement entrances
- Driveways, parking areas and gates
- Garage doors and loading docks
- Reception, cash handling and server or storage rooms
- Hallways and stairwells that connect these areas
A camera at each of these locations covers most real-world incidents better than a handful of cameras pointed at open lawns or empty walls.
Decide what the footage needs to show
Security people describe image detail in pixels per metre on the subject. A commonly used guide in the industry is roughly 62 pixels per metre to observe general activity, about 125 to recognize someone you already know, and about 250 to identify a stranger. Identifying a face at a door needs far more detail than watching a parking lot, so doors need closer, tighter cameras and wide areas need either more cameras or higher resolution.
Pick the right camera for each job
A wide-angle camera is good for seeing an entire room or yard, but a narrower lens at a doorway gives clearer faces. Outdoors, look for weatherproof housings and good low-light performance. Where light is poor at night, infrared or a supplemental light helps. Our security camera installation and video surveillance pages explain the options.
Allow for recording and viewing
More cameras mean more video to store and more bandwidth to carry it. Plan for a recorder with enough drive capacity and a network switch with enough ports and power. Remote viewing from a phone is usually a requirement now, so confirm it works before the job is signed off.
A simple starting point
- Small home: 3 to 5 cameras (front door, back door, driveway, garage, one interior or side view)
- Larger home: 6 to 10 cameras
- Small shop or office: 4 to 8 cameras
- Warehouse or large commercial site: designed from a site walk, often 12 or more
These are planning ranges, not rules. A site visit is the reliable way to get the number right.
Planning a project in Newmarket or the Greater Toronto Area? Contact Pitbull Security Solutions or call 888-963-5633 for a free consultation.