Example plan · House with attached garage · legacy example · latest catalog review 2026-09-15

How many security cameras do I need for the backyard and patio of a house with an attached garage with no monthly fee?

Plan on 1 outdoor camera plus a video doorbell for the backyard and patio of a typical house with an attached garage with no monthly fee. This plan costs $145 up front and nothing a month, $145 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 this device configuration in the planner to match your own home. Device quantities, ownership and mounting positions are preserved. Coverage here uses the legacy specification-based engine; the interactive editor uses an illustrative view and recalculates shopping from current offers. These hardware-and-plan figures exclude unlisted storage and installation costs.

A STARTING POINT · REVIEW BEFORE BUYING

Use the devices in this example

A suggested device set from this example plan. Review it for your own home; prices and compatibility will be checked again.

2 device(s). Adds missing quantities; keeps your current items and configured preferences.

View my list →

Cameras

+ video doorbell

Up front

$145

Buy now: $145

Monthly

records locally

3-year total

$145

hardware + 36 months

Daytime view Key spot seen ×Key spot missed Router (R) / mesh node (M) Planning estimate only: check the live view before you drill.

Area	Day	Night	Status
Patio Required	88%	lit	Covered
Backyard Required · unlit at night	82%	67%	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	TP-Link Tapo C460	Back eave, right corner	Rechargeable battery	1	$84.99	Tapo store ↗
Hardware total					$144.97

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
TP-Link Tapo C460: cloud video history, cloud backup

Wi-Fi check

Add one mesh node near the back wall. 1 spot is likely out of reach.

Front door frame -62 dBmgood
Back eave, right corner -76 dBmpoor

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.

2TP-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).

• 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: ~60 ft by day, ~49 ft at night, 113° 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 (2)

night-vision range not published; assumed 25 ft
sensor width taken as 3840 px from the "4K" label

Start from this plan and edit it Move cameras, mark what you already own, change the budget: everything recalculates.

The settings behind this plan

Areas: Patio (required), Backyard (required)
Monthly fee: Not allowed
Wiring: Existing outlets, lights and doorbell wires only
Upfront budget: No limit
Smart home: Any
Climate: Mild winters