Example plan · House with attached garage · legacy example · latest catalog review 2026-09-15
How many security cameras do I need for every side of a house with an attached garage with no monthly fee?
Plan on 3 outdoor cameras plus a video doorbell for every side of a typical house with an attached garage with no monthly fee. This plan costs $250 up front and nothing a month, $250 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.
4 device(s). Adds missing quantities; keeps your current items and configured preferences.
Cameras
3
+ video doorbell
Up front
$250
Buy now: $125
Monthly
$0
records locally
3-year total
$250
hardware + 36 months
| Area | Day | Night | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Front door Required | 74% | lit | Covered |
| Driveway Required · unlit at night | 97% | 87% | Covered |
| Side yard Nice to have · unlit at night | 51% | 51% | Partly |
| Patio Nice to have | 88% | lit | Covered |
| Backyard Nice to have · 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 | Reolink Argus MagiCam | Front eave, garage corner | Rechargeable battery | 1 | $64.99 | Reolink store ↗ |
| 3 | TP-Link Tapo C460 | Back eave, right corner | Rechargeable battery | 2 | $84.99 | Tapo store ↗ |
| 4 | TP-Link Tapo C120 | Left side wall | Plugs into an outdoor outlet | 2 | $39.99 | Tapo store ↗ |
| Hardware total | $249.95 | |||||
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 C460: cloud video history, cloud backup
- TP-Link Tapo C120: 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
- Front eave, garage corner -70 dBmfair
- 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 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.
4TP-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 3840 px from the "4K" label
- sensor width taken as 2304 px from the "2K" label
The settings behind this plan
- Areas
- Front door (required), Driveway (required), Side yard, Patio, Backyard
- Monthly fee
- Not allowed
- Wiring
- Existing outlets, lights and doorbell wires only
- Upfront budget
- No limit
- Smart home
- Any
- Climate
- Mild winters
Similar plans
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