Example plan · House with garage and side gate · data checked 2026-09-16
How many security cameras do I need for every side of a house with a garage and side gate with no monthly fee?
Plan on 5 outdoor cameras plus a video doorbell for every side of a typical house with a garage and side gate with no monthly fee. This plan costs $355 up front and nothing a month, $355 over 3 years. Every required area is covered day and night. Your layout will differ, so start from this plan and adjust it.
We picked the plan with the lowest 3-year cost that still covers every required area. This is a template result, not a site survey: your doors, trees and outlets move the numbers. Open it in the planner to match your own home.
Cameras
5
+ video doorbell
Up front
$355
Buy now: $230
Monthly
$0
records locally
3-year total
$355
hardware + 36 months
| Area | Day | Night | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Front door Required | 74% | lit | Covered |
| Driveway Required · unlit at night | 97% | 87% | Covered |
| Side gate Required · unlit at night | 100% | 100% | Covered |
| Side yard Nice to have · unlit at night | 51% | 51% | Partly |
| Patio Nice to have | 89% | lit | Covered |
| Backyard Nice to have · unlit at night | 71% | 54% | Covered |
Shopping list
Phase 1 covers your required areas; phase 2 can wait.
| # | Device | Where | Power | Phase | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wyze Video Doorbell v2 | Front door frame | Existing doorbell wiring | 1 | $59.98 | Wyze store ↗ |
| 2 | Reolink Argus MagiCam | Front eave, garage corner | Rechargeable battery | 1 | $64.99 | Reolink store ↗ |
| 3 | TP-Link Tapo C120 | Garage side wall | Plugs into an outdoor outlet | 1 | $39.99 | Tapo store ↗ |
| 4 | Reolink Argus MagiCam | Garage front corner | Rechargeable battery | 1 | $64.99 | Reolink store ↗ |
| 5 | TP-Link Tapo C460 | Back eave, right corner | Rechargeable battery | 2 | $84.99 | Tapo store ↗ |
| 6 | TP-Link Tapo C120 | Left side wall | Plugs into an outdoor outlet | 2 | $39.99 | Tapo store ↗ |
| Hardware total | $354.93 | |||||
Monthly fees
None. Every device in this plan records locally without a subscription.
What you give up by skipping the plan
- Wyze Video Doorbell v2: cloud video history, person detection, package detection
- Reolink Argus MagiCam: cloud backup
- TP-Link Tapo C120: cloud video history, cloud backup
- Reolink Argus MagiCam: cloud backup
- TP-Link Tapo C460: cloud video history, cloud backup
- TP-Link Tapo C120: cloud video history, cloud backup
Wi-Fi check
Add two mesh nodes near the right side and back walls. 3 spots are likely out of reach.
- Front door frame -62 dBmgood
- Front eave, garage corner -70 dBmfair
- Garage side wall -88 dBmpoor
- Garage front corner -88 dBmpoor
- Back eave, right corner -76 dBmpoor
- Left side wall -61 dBmgood
Most cameras only connect on 2.4 GHz. If your mesh merges bands into one network, turn on a separate 2.4 GHz network for them.
Power and install, spot by spot
1Wyze Video Doorbell v2 · Front door frame Existing doorbell wiring
Uses your existing doorbell wires. Check the transformer is 16–24 V AC.
Planning reach: ~21 ft by day, ~21 ft at night, 135° wide.
2Reolink Argus MagiCam · Front eave, garage corner Rechargeable battery
Use the quick-release mount so the camera is easy to take down and charge.
Charging: About every 19 weeks at ~20 events/day (estimate; maker: 270 days, usage not stated (we assume 10 events/day)).
• Wi-Fi battery cameras can be knocked offline by a jammer. If you can, wire the camera at this key spot.
• Hold it in place with tape and check the live view before you drill.
Planning reach: ~32 ft by day, ~26 ft at night, 113° wide.
3TP-Link Tapo C120 · Garage side wall Plugs into an outdoor outlet
Plug into the outdoor outlet under a weatherproof in-use cover. Clip the cable along the trim.
• Hold it in place with tape and check the live view before you drill.
Planning reach: ~46 ft by day, ~30 ft at night, 103° wide.
4Reolink Argus MagiCam · Garage front corner Rechargeable battery
Use the quick-release mount so the camera is easy to take down and charge.
Charging: About every 39 weeks at ~3 events/day (estimate; maker: 270 days, usage not stated (we assume 10 events/day)).
• Wi-Fi battery cameras can be knocked offline by a jammer. If you can, wire the camera at this key spot.
• Hold it in place with tape and check the live view before you drill.
Planning reach: ~32 ft by day, ~26 ft at night, 113° wide.
5TP-Link Tapo C460 · Back eave, right corner Rechargeable battery
Use the quick-release mount so the camera is easy to take down and charge.
Charging: About every 29 weeks at ~5 events/day (estimate; maker: 200 days at 270 s/day).
• Hold it in place with tape and check the live view before you drill.
Planning reach: ~60 ft by day, ~49 ft at night, 113° wide.
6TP-Link Tapo C120 · Left side wall Plugs into an outdoor outlet
Plug into the outdoor outlet under a weatherproof in-use cover. Clip the cable along the trim.
• Hold it in place with tape and check the live view before you drill.
Planning reach: ~46 ft by day, ~30 ft at night, 103° wide.
What to know about this plan
- Most microSD cameras ship without a card. Budget for a high-endurance card; it isn't priced here.
Assumptions we had to make (3)
- night-vision range not published; assumed 25 ft
- sensor width taken as 2304 px from the "2K" label
- sensor width taken as 3840 px from the "4K" label
The settings behind this plan
- Areas
- Front door (required), Driveway (required), Side gate (required), Side yard, Patio, Backyard
- Monthly fee
- Not allowed
- Wiring
- Existing outlets, lights and doorbell wires only
- Budget
- No limit
- Smart home
- Any
- Climate
- Mild winters
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