Key takeaways
- Start with every entrance, every register or cash area and every place goods come in or out.
- Add cameras for parking, hallways and blind corners only after the critical points are covered.
- Choose resolution and lens for each spot. One good camera in the right place beats three in the wrong place.
Step 1: Cover every way in and out
Every customer entrance, back door, loading door and gate should have a camera that can clearly see faces as people walk through. This is the most important coverage you can have, because almost every incident starts or ends at a door.
Step 2: Cover where money and goods are
Registers, cash offices, safes, high-value shelves, stockrooms and loading docks. In restaurants this includes the kitchen pass and the back door. In warehouses it means docks and staging areas.
Step 3: Fill the gaps
Next come parking lots, hallways, stairwells and blind corners. Parking usually needs fewer, wider cameras or a pole-mounted multi-sensor camera. Hallways need narrower views so faces are big enough to recognize.
A quick way to estimate
A practical starting point is: one camera per entrance, one per register or cash area, one per loading door, plus one to three for parking depending on its size. A small shop often lands between 4 and 8 cameras. A restaurant is often 6 to 12. A warehouse depends heavily on the number of docks and aisles.
These are starting points. A short site walk, or a few photos, gives a much more accurate number.
Resolution, lenses and recording time
For most businesses, 4MP cameras are a good default, with 4K for wide areas where you need detail. Lens choice matters as much as resolution: a narrow lens at a doorway gives clearer faces than a wide lens. We usually size recording for 15 to 30 days, depending on the number of cameras and the storage in the recorder.
Don't forget the network
IP cameras run on your network. They should be on their own network segment, powered by PoE switches and protected from the internet, with remote viewing set up securely in the app. See our security camera installation service.
Frequently asked questions
How many cameras does a small store need?
Many small stores need 4 to 8 cameras: entrances, registers, stockroom and back door, plus parking if you have it.
Is 4K always better?
Not always. A well-placed 4MP camera with the right lens often shows more useful detail than a poorly placed 4K camera.
How long should cameras record?
Most businesses keep 15 to 30 days of video. Some industries or insurance policies require longer.
