Saving up to buy your home business took hard work, sacrifices, and dedication. Now, it’s time to protect what matters most. While security cameras aren’t the end-all solution for home security, they give you peace of mind when paired with a reliable surveillance system. However, you may be wondering, “How many security cameras do I need?”
Several factors, including if your property is residential or commercial, may influence the answer to this question, but our team broke everything down into the following article.
Residential
The number of cameras you need will mainly depend on the size of your home and the contents of your house.
Outdoor Security Cameras
The first place to start is your front door/porch. This is the main point of access to your home, so a camera here is fairly essential for you to stay aware of any unwanted activity. Make sure you have not only a view of the door but your front yard as well.
The next place should be any other side doors and the back door. Someone could use these potential entry points to sneak around your house, but a camera will deter them since you would have solid evidence against intruders. Even if you don’t have any side doors, you should have cameras on the side of your house, as someone could enter or exit the house from your windows.
If you have a garage, shed, and/or driveway, it’s also a good idea to get cameras for these areas. Awareness of any activity around your house can help you keep peace of mind, and cameras can give you undeniable evidence if anything were to happen.
Indoor Security Cameras
An important note to using security cameras is to ensure you’re protecting the privacy of everyone in the home and that there is a way to be respectful and vigilant in the case of emergencies.
Rooms with valuables—expensive tech equipment, valuable jewelry, dangerous firearms, etc.—should have a camera. This could be a security camera around or inside the safe where you store your valuables, and there could also be one inside the room unless a resident of the home uses it as a bedroom. Otherwise, one outside the door could work as well, but it is not considered necessary.
Hallways, especially main ones with high foot traffic and which lead to various rooms, are also a good place for a security camera. Stay away from pointing the camera towards bathroom entrances, though!
The living room is also an excellent place to install a security camera if you have many valuables like a television, gaming consoles, a speaker system, etc. They can also help you keep up with the activity of your home, such as pets creating mess, family coming home from work or school, and checking in on baby or pet sitters.
Commercial
Similar to a home, commercial properties should have security cameras around any of the entrances or exits of your business. With this security system, you can monitor all authorized and unauthorized access.
Parking lot security cameras are also a good way to look after your customers, employees, and business. Putting up signs that there are cameras present will ease everyone’s mind, and in the case of a robbery, you can track down the getaway car’s license plate.
Speaking of theft, commercial properties, especially those that sell products, need a few cameras in customer areas. Prioritize cameras around valuable items, and be sure to have a few more preventative security measures. For businesses without retail products, it’s still a good idea to keep cameras around the lobby and other high foot-traffic areas of your customers to be aware of the activity being conducted in your business.
Depending on your business, you may also need to install security cameras in employee-only areas. Remember to communicate with your employees about surveillance cameras. Ensure that they are aware of them and reassure them it’s more about protecting the investments you’ve made in your business and protecting employees in the case of an emergency.
Finally, the cash register/check-out area should be a high priority on your list of security camera locations. It’s good practice to install them around this area for several reasons, including in the case of a robbery and keeping an eye on where your profits are going.
Finding Quality Security Cameras
After deciding where you want to place your cameras and the number of security cameras, you should consider a few important features before purchasing anything. You should buy based on what you need rather than what you think you need, so carefully consider the following features before purchasing your security system.
Night vision that works outdoors and indoors will help you monitor your surroundings 24/7, come rain or shine.
Ensuring that your security cameras have an excellent field of view is another important feature since, depending on the layout of your property, they can cover more ground and reduce your need for more cameras. Wide-angle lenses allow for the best coverage.
A high-quality security camera with a good HD resolution of at least 1080p allows you to get the clearest picture possible.
Motion detection is a good feature if you worry about digital storage since they start recording at the sign of action, but some cameras continuously record if that’s your preference.
Thanks to smartphones, many security cameras these days have an app available. This is a handy feature since you can access live and recorded footage anytime, anywhere.
Two-way audio is a good feature for families since you can communicate with kids, sitters, or other family members through the camera. However, this isn’t essential since smartphones can also cover this.
Prioritize Your Budget
The most important factor is your budget! You don’t need to go into debt or spend thousands upon thousands of dollars to feel safe in your home or protect your business.
In fact, you should start with your budget when you’re considering purchasing a security camera system. With the suggestions above, you can prioritize the number of cameras you actually need and have a plan to expand if you think that’s a possible route later down the road.
You also don’t need to buy the most advanced security cameras on the market to feel secure. Prioritize features that you need and find an option that helps you get the number of cameras you need to protect your home or business.
Solve Your Everyday Problems
Now that you have a basis for how many security cameras you need, it’s time to determine your budget and start looking for equipment. However, if you feel overwhelmed, you can always consult a security system company, and they can help you assess what you need and install your cameras.
Thankfully, Mesa Alarm Systems offers a free consultation! We sit down with you to listen to your concerns and, based on the conversation, create a tailor-made plan to address your needs with the finest surveillance cameras and alarm systems in the Houston area.
Request an appointment to get started on protecting your home or business today!