Video Surveillance Camera Count Worksheet

How to use this worksheet

The best way to determine the exact camera count and placement is through an on-site visit, since every property is different. But before contacting a specialist, it's useful to carry out your own preliminary assessment – it helps you understand the approximate project scope and prepare more precise questions. This worksheet offers a structured approach: review the zone checklist, use the indicative table by site type, and take into account the factors that can increase or decrease the required camera count. At the end, you can fill in a simple table with your own zones and priorities – on paper or just in your head.

Key zones to consider

Start your assessment by walking through the site and noting which of these zones apply to you:

• Main entrance – almost always a priority zone, since most visits pass through it.
• Secondary entrances and back doors – often forgotten, yet these can be the most vulnerable spots.
• Driveway and parking area – important for both private homes and commercial sites with vehicle traffic.
• Perimeter corners – building corners often create "blind spots" that need an additional camera angle.
• Ground-floor window areas – lower windows are more accessible, so they're often included in the surveillance zone.
• High-value zones – warehouses, cash-handling areas, server rooms, or other higher-risk spaces.
• Shared or thoroughfare spaces – corridors, stairwells, courtyards.

Indicative camera-count ranges by site type

These figures are indicative and intended for initial planning – the exact count and placement should be determined by assessing the specific site.

Factors that increase the required camera count

A number of conditions call for more cameras than you might initially expect: a complex building shape with many corners and protrusions; multiple separate entrances or gates; a preference for overlapping fields of view (to avoid "blind spots," two cameras sometimes cover the same zone from different angles); low-light areas that may require additional cameras with better night visibility; and a desire for audio recording or two-way communication functionality at specific spots, such as an entry door.

Factors that can reduce the required camera count

In some cases, on the other hand, fewer cameras will do: if the site shape is simple and compact, a single camera with a wide field of view can cover a larger area; if the property is already partially enclosed (fence, gate), fewer cameras may be needed along the boundary; well-lit areas can reduce the need for additional cameras aimed at improving night visibility.

Your worksheet – fill it in yourself

Use this simple structure to record your own site. For each zone, note the priority (high/medium/low) and an approximate required camera count, taking the factors above into account:

Once you've gone through all the zones and added up the approximate total, you'll have a clearer picture of the project scope – a good starting point for a conversation with a specialist, who can fine-tune the placement based on the specifics of the site in person.