Where to Place Your Home Security Cameras? 9 Best Places to Hide Your CCTV Camera

Comfort and security in our own homes are feelings we all deserve. With security cameras, you can have that added peace of mind with a system that’s designed to keep a watchful eye on your property, whether you’re there or not.

Every property has a different layout and priority areas, and there’s no one standard solution to set up a seamless security network. This is where figuring out where to place security cameras becomes so important as you avoid blind spots and ensure a safe space with inconspicuous coverage. Not sure where to begin? We’ve got you covered.

How to Hide Security Cameras Outside

Figuring out how to hide a security camera outside doesn’t have to be a complicated process. In fact, there are a few key locations that are great for installing outdoor cameras. Here are our top four outdoor solutions.

Front Door

While you would think the front door would be the last place an intruder would enter, many burglars do use this as their point of entry. For this reason, when debating where to place home security cameras, we always go for the front door. Place it inconspicuously in the corner of your entryway angled at the door, or even opt for a doorbell video system.

Back & Side Doors

To ensure full coverage of all your entries and exits, opt for cameras at both back and side doors. These lesser-used entries are go-to’s for beak-ins, so hiding a camera above the door or beside a pillar will keep you protected.

Garage

Garages are a weak entry point and one that certainly requires cameras. When considering how to hide outdoor security camera systems for a garage, a great location is at the end of your driveway facing the garage - perfect for homes with fences. This way, it won’t be immediately obvious as a person approaches the garage that it is in fact protected by a camera.

Garden

Keep a watchful eye on your entire property with a camera in your garden. This will keep an eye not just on trespassers, but your children and any animals, too. A good, hidden location for a garden-facing camera is under the roof of your home for a secret, yet full-coverage view.

How to Hide a Security Camera Indoors

Wondering how to hide a security camera indoors? Here are a few of our favorite spots to place a security camera that won’t immediately catch the attention of passersby.

Hall

A central area, like a hall, is a great idea when considering where to put security cameras. With halls being a prime location for people to pass through, it’s a key area to have surveillance, and a camera can easily be placed above a doorway or on the corner of a ceiling.

Common Areas

You want the areas you spend the most time in to be protected, so locations like living rooms and kitchens are ideal locations to install cameras. With lots of decor and furniture, cameras can blend right in.

Driveway

In the case your home has a driveway, this is a key location to have surveillance cameras associated with. As an entry point to your property, you’ll want extra eyes on the driveway to ensure your safety.

Windows

Wondering how to hide a security camera in a window? It’s not that hard. This is a great location to have a camera, and all you have to do is place it in the corner of a window, hide it within a wooden window frame, or place it within another object that would be there otherwise.

Basement

Basements are often an easy entry point for intruders, and with it being a space you don’t necessarily have to pass through in your day-to-day household activities, it’s one you’ll want a security camera securing. When it comes to where to install security cameras in a basement, we recommend higher locations like in the upper corner where the wall meets the ceiling, or on shelves amongst other decors.

SECURITY CAMERA PLACEMENT GUIDE

Camera placement plays a key role in home security. However, everyone’s safety requirements are different, and knowing how to position security cameras according to your needs is key.

ONE MID-WALL CAMERA

Most security professionals don’t often use the mid-wall camera pattern for security camera locations because they offer severe limitations to the footage the cameras will record. This type of security camera placement creates blind spots on either side of the camera.

TWO CAMERAS BACK-TO-BACK

The back-to-back camera pattern can be useful when utilized in connection with the mid-wall pattern. This eliminates blind spots, but it also means that two cameras are needed. Also, this security camera placement is not discreet which can be a drawback.

SECRET SERVICE PATTERN

This is designed to prevent either camera from being disabled without the other camera catching the culprit on video. The CCTA camera placement guidelines for this configuration are to place them about 20-feet away from each other, mounted on the same wall, and turned towards each other.

CORNER TO CORNER CAMERAS

Cameras installed in a home can produce blind spots unless they are installed in each corner of the room, thus covering the entirety of the space. This type of security camera placement also ensures that no camera can be disabled without it being recorded by any of the other cameras.

INSIDE CORNER PLACEMENT

This pattern is recognized as the best position for CCTV cameras because it is efficient and covers a wide field of vision. It is nearly vandal-proof because it covers a wall-to-wall view from the corner where it is mounted, allowing anyone who comes near it to be recorded.

Where Not to Place Your Cameras

So, we know how to hide security camera systems both inside and outside, but where should you not put a camera? Great question. Here are the top areas to avoid placing your surveillance systems.

Bedrooms

While you may keep many of your valuables in the bedroom, to maintain privacy, it’s best to avoid security cameras in this space. A camera watching us while we sleep? No, thanks.

Bathrooms

Another area where privacy is preferred (if not required!) is the bathroom. A burglar is unlikely to get in through your restroom, so there’s no big reason to have a security camera in this private space.

Neighbor’s Property

Depending on where you live, it is oftentimes illegal to have surveillance on another person’s property. For this reason, be sure to keep all your cameras directed at your own home and away from your neighbors.

Tips For Placing Your Security Cameras

With more than a decade in the industry, our team at Forbel knows just the answer to where is the best place to put security cameras, plus all the tips and tricks for seamless surveillance. So, when it comes to the best placement for your cameras, we recommend:

Visible vs Hidden

Ultimately, whether you choose a visible or hidden security camera system is up to you, but typically we recommend going with hidden. Not only will a hidden camera make it harder to steal, but it will provide inconspicuous protection so burglars don’t simply avoid where the camera is facing in search of a blind spot.

Avoid Reflections and Direct Sunlight

For clear imaging, it’s important to avoid both reflections and direct sunlight. Instead of pointing a camera towards the sun, look for indirect lighting that won’t result in glare for clear surveillance.

Amount of Cameras

When it comes to how many cameras you need, we recommend starting by securing all entry points with a camera. This final quantity will depend on how many entry points you have, but you’ll be thankful to have each entry covered.

Place Cameras High

Cameras should be installed at least 8 to 10 feet above the ground to not only give the best view of your space but also make them harder to steal.

Be Sure You Have Outdoor Lighting

Not all cameras are equipped for the night’s darkness, so make sure that you have lighting installed to accompany any outdoor cameras. This way, you can have a clear image, no matter the time of day.

Utilize Room Corners

When placing cameras indoors, one of the best ways to get full coverage that’s out of sight is to place cameras in the corners of rooms. And where is the best place to put security cameras? High up in those corners for full views.

Don’t Forget About Blind Spots

Your home may have some areas that are harder to monitor, and a keen burglar will know just where those are. To avoid any unwanted intrusions and maintain full coverage, take into account areas that are harder to see and install additional cameras.

Test Your Cameras

You don’t want to fully install a camera and then find out it’s actually not working properly. To avoid this, test your cameras before installing them, making sure they are connecting correctly and are running without a significant lag.

Clean Outdoor Cameras

The elements can do a number on your camera lens outside, so be sure to clean your outdoor cameras frequently. This will help make sure you continue to get a clear video, without any dirt or pollen clouding your view.

Where Do Most Break-Ins Happen?

Do you live in a detached, single-family home? Unfortunately, this is often the style of home to experience more break-ins as it features more access points than apartments or attached homes.

Typically, break-ins happen through unlocked doors and windows, and burglars will first head to the master bedroom before looking for valuables in the rest of the house. Additionally, they tend to look for homes that have less visibility from the street, so mid-block homes, as well as those with cheap doors, old window frames, overgrown trees, or large fences, are targets for burglary. While this is unsettling news for many homeowners, with the right security system, you can have the protection you need at all times.

Security Camera Placement Laws

While we know that there’s a lot of thought that goes into where to place security cameras, there are some laws surrounding these devices that are important to understand at both the state and federal levels. Here’s what you need to know.

State

State laws on where to put security cameras depend on the state you’re in, so always be sure to check your state’s statutes before securing your cameras. Additionally, beyond the state level, we recommend looking at your municipality’s laws to ensure you’re in compliance.

Federal

Under the Fourth Amendment, everyone has a right to a reasonable expectation of privacy. So how does this work when deciding where to install security cameras? Basically, you can have surveillance at your own property, as long as it is kept away from other people’s homes. So no, you cannot have any cameras on or facing your neighbor’s property as they are entitled to their own privacy, but pointing at your own home? You should be a-okay.

Should My Cameras Be Installed By Professionals?

With many security cameras, you’ll find they are pretty convenient to install on your own. Often designed so that anyone can get them installed and monitoring your space in just a few minutes, a basic security camera system is a totally doable DIY task. However, it’s important to follow the instructions.

That being said, some security cameras do require professional installation, and in the case that you’re securing a network of cameras, you may want to go with a professional anyway. Not only will a professional team install your cameras seamlessly for ample protection, but we know better than anyone how to hide security camera systems for hidden, seamless, yet full video coverage.

Conclusion

Whether you’re looking for how to hide a security camera indoors or seeking a network of cameras outside your home, having ample surveillance is one of the best ways to ensure your space remains safe and secure.

If you need advice on what systems are best or are looking for an expert team to install your new surveillance cameras, our team at Forbel is happy to help. With more than 10 years of experience installing security solutions, we know just how to install your cameras with ease. To get started, contact us today.