How Many CCTV Cameras Does Your Home Need? A Simple Guide

The right number of cameras depends on how many entrances and open areas you want to watch, not on the size of the house alone. Start with the places where someone would enter or leave and build out from there.

Where cameras are most useful

• Main entrance and the area just outside the gate.
• Parking area or the front of the house.
• Back door, service entrance and any side windows at ground level.
• The staircase or the passage to the terrace in independent houses.
• Shops and offices: the entrance, the cash counter and the storage area.

Choosing 2, 4 or 8 cameras

• 2 cameras: covers the front door and one more point such as the parking area. A reasonable start for a small flat.
• 4 cameras: front, back, parking and one internal passage. Suits most 2 and 3 BHK homes and small shops.
• 8 cameras: independent houses, villas, offices and shops with several entrances or floors.

What to ask about the equipment

• Resolution: a higher resolution gives clearer faces and number plates, but needs more storage.
• Night vision: check the infrared range and test how the picture looks at night.
• Recorder and storage: ask how many days of recording the hard disk will hold at the quoted settings.
• Power backup: a small UPS keeps the system running during a power cut.
• Viewing on your phone, and whether the app works on mobile data when you are away.
• Warranty on cameras and the recorder, and who services it after installation.

Privacy and good practice

• Do not point cameras into a neighbour's home or at bathrooms and bedrooms.
• Change the default password and keep the recorder's software updated.
• Tell household staff and visitors where cameras are, as a courtesy.
• Keep recordings secure; you are responsible for who can view them.

We supply and install CCTV in Guntur and Vijayawada, and can connect it to smart-home controls. Starting prices for 2, 4 and 8 cameras are on the CCTV page, with the final scope confirmed after a quick site check.