Answers · data checked 2026-09-15
Where should I put outdoor security cameras?
Start with the front door (a doorbell at about 4 ft), then the driveway and garage door from a corner of the eave, then the back door and any side gate. Mount outdoor cameras 8 to 10 ft up so they're hard to reach, angle them along the house rather than straight out, and check the live view before you drill.
The spots our planner picks most
Across 24 example plans, the planner placed 73 cameras. These are the mounting spots it chose most often:
| Spot | Times chosen |
|---|---|
| Back eave corner | 20 |
| Left side wall | 11 |
| Above the garage door | 8 |
| Front eave corner | 8 |
| Front eave, garage corner | 6 |
| Back door light | 5 |
| Back wall, left | 4 |
| Front wall, left | 4 |
Rules that hold for almost every house
- Corners beat walls. A camera at a corner of the eave, angled along the house, sees two sides of the approach. A camera in the middle of a wall mostly sees the lawn.
- Watch the path, not just the door. A camera that sees the walkway gets a face as someone approaches, not the back of a head at the lock.
- Use the power you already have. Porch lights and outdoor outlets are free power for a floodlight or plug-in camera. The planner checks each spot.
- Mind the sun. A camera facing east or west at sunrise or sunset may see only glare. Angle it down and away from the horizon.
- Wire the most important spot if you can. Battery Wi-Fi cameras can be knocked offline by a jammer.
- Test before drilling. Tape the camera up, or run it on a long cable, and look at the live view at night too.
Related questions
Can I put a security camera inside, looking out a window?
By day, yes. At night, infrared light bounces off the glass and blinds the camera. If you mount behind glass, turn off IR and rely on outdoor lighting, or press the lens right against the window.
Should outdoor cameras point at the street?
Point them at your own door, driveway and yard. Pointing at the street fills your phone with alerts from passing cars. Aiming into a neighbor's windows can also break privacy rules in some places.
How high should an outdoor camera be?
About 8 to 10 feet: high enough that nobody can grab it, low enough to see faces rather than the tops of heads. Doorbells sit at about 4 feet.
This is the general answer. Your house has its own.
Pick your layout and rules, and see the cameras, blind spots and 3-year cost for your home.