Most homeowners buy cameras first and think about placement second. That’s backwards. A camera pointed at the wrong angle, or stuck somewhere it can’t actually see trouble coming, is little better than no camera at all. The good news is that most homes only need a handful of well-chosen spots to cover the areas that matter.
Here’s how to think through it room by room and approach by approach.
Home coverage plan
Four areas worth checking first
Front approach
- Cover the path visitors use to reach the door.
- Keep faces visible rather than aiming only at the street.
Driveway and vehicles
- Use an angle that shows movement across the driveway.
- Avoid relying on one distant camera for number plates.
Side access
- Check gates, narrow passages and blind corners.
- Make sure plants and fences will not block the view later.
Rear entry
- Include doors, patios and routes from the backyard.
- Plan for night lighting and strong backlight from windows.
A camera should answer a specific coverage question. More cameras do not help if they repeat the same view.
Start with how someone would actually get in
Before picking spots, walk your property and think like someone trying to get onto it without being seen from the street. That usually means the front door, the driveway, side gates, and any back or side entry that isn’t visible from the road.
These are the places where a camera does the most good, because they cover both deliveries and package theft at the front, and quieter access points around the sides and back.
Front door
A camera near the front door catches visitors, deliveries and anyone approaching the main entry. It’s also the spot most people check first after a knock or a missed delivery. Mount it high enough that it’s out of easy reach, angled to capture faces rather than just the tops of heads, and positioned so it isn’t staring straight into the sun at certain times of day, which can wash out the image.
Driveway and garage
Vehicles and garages are common targets, and a driveway camera also tends to pick up anyone walking up the property before they reach the door. If you’ve got a separate garage or carport, a second camera covering that area is worth considering, particularly if it’s set back from the house or partially hidden from the street.
Side access and gates
Side gates and narrow access paths between houses are the spots burglars actually prefer, because they’re less visible from the street and often poorly lit. A camera covering a side gate or the gap between your house and the neighbour’s fence closes off a route that’s otherwise unwatched.
Back of the house
Back yards get overlooked because homeowners assume fences and neighbours provide enough of a deterrent. In practice, rear access is often the quietest way into a property, especially on corner blocks or homes backing onto a laneway, reserve or unfenced area.
A camera covering the back door and the main path through the yard is usually enough for a standard block. Larger properties, or those with multiple rear access points, might need an extra angle to avoid leaving a gap.
Ground floor windows
Ground floor windows, particularly ones out of view from the street, are worth covering if they’re not already caught by another camera’s field of view. You don’t need a dedicated camera on every window. Check what your existing cameras already see before adding more.
Getting the height and angle right
Camera placement isn’t just about which wall to mount on. Height and angle change what the footage is actually useful for.
- Too high, and you get a clear view of the top of someone’s head, which is hard to use for identification.
- Too low, and the camera is within reach and easier to tamper with or damage.
- Angled straight into direct morning or afternoon sun, footage can be overexposed and faces harder to make out.
A height that sits above easy reach but still captures faces at a natural angle usually gives the most useful footage, rather than the highest point on the wall.
Spots that get missed
A few areas are easy to overlook when planning camera positions:
- Side of the house between the fence line and the wall, where someone could pass through unseen from both the front and back cameras.
- Rear laneways or reserves, if your block backs onto one.
- Areas near meter boxes, gas bottles or water tanks, which are sometimes targeted for their own reasons.
- Any blind corner created by an extension, pergola or garden feature that blocks the view from an existing camera.
Walking the property at different times of day helps here. A spot that looks fully covered at midday can have a shadow or glare problem in the early morning or evening.
What to avoid
It’s just as important to know where not to point a camera. Avoid angles that look directly into a neighbour’s windows, yard or private outdoor areas. Beyond being inconsiderate, it can create a dispute that has nothing to do with your own security. Adjusting the angle slightly, or choosing a different mounting point, usually solves it without losing coverage of your own property.
It’s also worth avoiding cameras aimed only at the sky, a fence panel, or a spot that changes completely once trees grow or a car is parked in a different place. A quick check every few months helps confirm the view hasn’t shifted or become blocked.
How many cameras is enough
There’s no fixed number that suits every home. A single-storey house on a standard block might get solid coverage from three or four cameras: front door, driveway, one side or rear angle, and the back door. A larger property, a corner block, or a home with multiple outbuildings will usually need more thought given to gaps between camera views.
Camera positions that look sensible from the ground can still miss faces, gates or side access once the viewing angle is tested. Next Antenna’s home CCTV installation service can help plan coverage around the actual shape of the property.
Cabling and connectivity affect placement too
Where a camera can go is sometimes limited by how power and data get to it, not just where you’d like the view to be. Wired cameras need a cable run back to a recorder or switch, which can mean routing through a roof space, wall cavity or along an eave. Wireless cameras rely on a strong enough Wi-Fi signal reaching that exact spot on the property, which isn’t guaranteed for a garage, side gate or rear corner a long way from the router.
If you’re weighing up which approach suits your home, our article on wired versus wireless security cameras covers the trade-offs in more detail. For homes where Wi-Fi coverage is patchy in the areas you want covered, it’s also worth checking whether a Wi-Fi installation upgrade would help before settling on camera positions, since a weak signal at the back fence can undermine an otherwise well-placed camera.
Getting the layout right before you commit
It’s easier to plan camera positions properly before any cabling or mounting happens, rather than adjusting afterwards. Walking the property, noting the access points, and checking sun angles at different times of day gives you a realistic picture of what needs covering. From there, the number of cameras and their exact spots usually becomes fairly obvious.
