Start with entry points, not square feet
List every way someone can enter your property: main gate, front door, back door, staircase, terrace access, parking entry and any shutter or loading door. Each of these should be covered by a camera that can capture a clear view of a person’s face, not just a wide shot of the area.
After entries, add the places where valuable things happen — the cash counter in a shop, the reception and server room in an office, the stock area in a warehouse.
Typical starting points
2–3 BHK home or builder floor: usually 4 to 6 cameras — main door, lobby or staircase, parking or driveway, and back or terrace access.
Small shop or showroom: usually 4 to 8 cameras — entrance, billing counter, main aisles and the storage area.
Small office: usually 6 to 12 cameras — reception, entry and exit, corridors, work areas, server room and pantry or cash area.
Warehouse or factory: depends on layout; plan gates, loading bays and each aisle or production line, often supported by PTZ cameras for wide yards.
These are starting points only. A short site visit usually changes the number up or down.
Placement matters more than count
A camera mounted too high or pointing into bright sunlight gives poor footage. Entrance cameras work best at around head height or slightly above, angled to see faces. Avoid pointing directly at windows or lights, and keep cameras where they cannot be easily reached or turned away.
Resolution and night vision
A higher-resolution camera can cover more area clearly, which sometimes lets you use fewer cameras. Check night performance too — infrared or colour night vision — for outdoor and dim areas.
Plan for storage
More cameras and higher resolution mean more storage. Decide how many days of footage you want to keep before buying the recorder and hard disk. See our CCTV storage guide and the storage calculation example.
By Good Morning Technology India Pvt. Ltd., Tilak Nagar, New Delhi. Updated 2026-11-03.