Start with coverage, not count
The right number of cameras comes from what you need to see: entrances, exits, high-value areas, blind spots and perimeters. A survey maps these zones first; the camera count follows from the coverage plan and the field of view each location needs.
Entrances and choke points come first
Prioritise the places everyone passes through — main doors, corridors, tills, loading areas. Covering choke points well often does more for security than scattering cameras thinly across a whole site.
Retention drives storage, and storage drives budget
How long you keep footage — days or weeks — depends on resolution, frame rate and camera count. Decide the retention period you need, and design storage around it rather than discovering the limit later.
Plan for integration
Cameras are more useful when they work with access control and alarms. Planning integration during design avoids re-work and gives you a single, coherent security environment.
This guide is general educational content. For advice specific to your site, request a survey or ask an engineer.