Where should home security cameras be installed?
Cover the ways people reach and enter your home first: front door, driveway and approach, back door or patio, and any side gate. Mount around eight to ten feet high, aimed so faces and plates are captured on approach rather than overhead.
Priority order
Front entry, then driveway and street approach, then the rear door or patio, then side gates and detached structures. Package theft and vehicle activity account for most useful footage in practice, so entry and driveway views earn their place first.
Height, angle and light
Too high and you record the tops of heads; too low and the camera is reachable. Eight to ten feet, angled down along the approach path, is the practical range. Avoid aiming into a bright sky or at a porch light, which blows out the exposure exactly where you need detail.
Check every camera at night after install — infrared bounce off a wall or railing close to the lens is the most common avoidable problem.
Best for
Planning camera positions before cable is run.
Things to consider
- Cover approach paths, not just walls
- Eight to ten feet is the practical height
- Avoid aiming into porch lights or bright sky
Common mistakes
- Mounting so high you record the tops of heads
- Skipping the night check
What we recommend
Front entry and driveway first, then rear door and side gates.