Situations · Content date 2026-09-17
A neighbor's house was broken into: how do I protect mine?
Cover every way in, not just the front: the front door, the back door or patio, any side gate and the garage. For a house with a garage and side gate that's about 5 cameras plus a doorbell, $355 over three years with no monthly fee in our example. Wire the cameras at the doors if you can, add motion lights, and consider a smart lock that alerts you when a door opens.
Whole-house plans
- Security cameras for every side of a house with an attached garage, with no monthly fee: 3 cameras and a video doorbell: $250 up front, $0/mo, $250 over 3 years.
- Security cameras for every side of a house with an attached garage, for under $500: 3 cameras and a video doorbell: $465 up front, $9.99/mo, $825 over 3 years.
- Security cameras for every side of a house with an attached garage, for under $1,000: 6 cameras and a video doorbell: $860 up front, $0/mo, $860 over 3 years.
- Security cameras for every side of a house with an attached garage, without running new wires: 5 cameras and a video doorbell: $720 up front, $0/mo, $720 over 3 years.
- Security cameras for every side of a house with an attached garage, with wired cameras: 6 cameras and a video doorbell: $860 up front, $0/mo, $860 over 3 years.
- Security cameras for every side of a house with a garage and side gate, with no monthly fee: 5 cameras and a video doorbell: $355 up front, $0/mo, $355 over 3 years.
- Security cameras for every side of a house with a garage and side gate, for under $1,000: 7 cameras and a video doorbell: $945 up front, $0/mo, $945 over 3 years.
- Security cameras for every side of a house with a garage and side gate, without running new wires: 6 cameras and a video doorbell: $1,080 up front, $0/mo, $1,080 over 3 years.
- Security cameras for every side of a house with a garage and side gate, with wired cameras: 7 cameras and a video doorbell: $945 up front, $0/mo, $945 over 3 years.
- Security cameras for every side of a townhouse, with no monthly fee: 2 cameras and a video doorbell: $170 up front, $0/mo, $170 over 3 years.
- Security cameras for every side of a townhouse, for under $500: 2 cameras and a video doorbell: $325 up front, $0/mo, $325 over 3 years.
- Security cameras for every side of a townhouse, without running new wires: 2 cameras and a video doorbell: $215 up front, $0/mo, $215 over 3 years.
- Security cameras for every side of a townhouse, without drilling: 2 cameras and a video doorbell: $215 up front, $0/mo, $215 over 3 years.
- Security cameras for the front door and balcony of a condo or apartment, without drilling: 1 camera and a video doorbell: $130 up front, $0/mo, $130 over 3 years.
A short checklist
- Doors first. Front, back and garage-to-house doors each need a camera that sees a face.
- Gates and side paths. This is how people reach the back of the house unseen.
- Light it. Motion lights or floodlight cameras at the back door and driveway.
- Wire the key spots. Wi-Fi jammers are cheap, and a plug-in or PoE camera at the back door keeps recording.
- Keep footage safe. Local storage on an indoor hub or NVR, or a cloud plan, so a stolen camera doesn't take its video with it.
- Lock alerts. A smart lock tells you when a door is unlocked or left open.
Related questions
Do visible cameras deter burglars?
Visible cameras, lights and signs make a house a less attractive target than the one next door. Cameras also help after the fact, but only if they see faces at the doors, not just the lawn.
Should I get a monitored alarm instead?
Cameras record and alert you. A monitored alarm calls someone. Many people start with cameras on the doors and add an alarm later. This site plans cameras, doorbells and locks, not monitoring contracts.
MAKE IT FIT YOUR HOME
Choose your next step
Use the conditions from this guide as a starting point. Your current list stays in place while you compare.
PLAN THE POSITIONS
Single-family home
Start with a detached house. Choose the closest layout and confirm your entrances before choosing a kit.
Open prefilled planner →PLAN THE POSITIONS
Townhouse
Start with a townhouse and adjust the layout, shared walls and outdoor areas.
Open prefilled planner →CHOOSE DEVICES
I already need 2 cameras
Compare two-camera purchase setups. This is a shopping target, not a coverage assessment.
Compare in My list → Plan positions firstChoose a bundle or individual devices, then add them to My list for compatibility checks and store links. A selected quantity is not a guarantee of coverage.