How many Security Cameras do I need? | Business Security Cameras
Keeping your business safe should be your top priority. But, often, companies don’t know where to start when it comes to designing and implementing a comprehensive security system. Questions like ‘How many security cameras do I need?’ and ‘What budget should I allocate?’ frequently arise.
In this article, we’ll break down everything you should take into account when planning your business security system and choosing the right surveillance camera to go with it. If you want to skip the process and talk to someone, then get in contact with Focus Security Group, we’ll run you through the whole process and give you a quote within 24 hours.
How many security cameras do I need?
The answer to how many security cameras do I need will vary based on several core factors of your business. You’ll need to take into account:
Size of Your Business
Layout
Let’s break these factors down further.
Security Camera & Business Size
Depending on the size of your business, you’ll need to purchase a different amount of video cameras. If your business is a small café that consists of one room with a few chairs, you’re likely only going to need a few cameras.
Alternatively, if you’re a large-scale business with a large sq. ft headquarters, then there is a lot more space to cover. Due to this, you’ll have to employ more cameras to ensure you’re recording everything at all times.
Layout
Alongside size, the layout of your business is also a factor you’ll have to consider when asking yourself how many security cameras do I need.
When making a list of all the places you’d want a camera to monitor, there may be some cross-over. For example, let’s say you want an indoor camera that is constantly monitoring an area inside your business. Or possibly an outdoor camera to monitor a high traffic area or truck unloading port. The possibilities for video surveillance, just talk to our team about which is right for you.
While normally you’d want to designate a camera to surveying one area, if there are multiple areas that need monitoring in the same location, you can kill two birds with one stone. An outdoor security camera can be set to a wide angle view to cover a larger area than a focused indoor security camera.
If there are two points that require monitoring in the same place, you’ll be able to use one camera to monitor both areas. This will cut back on the number of security cameras you’ll need to purchase for your business.
That said, if your business has an internal plan that is very closed off, with lots of walls splitting up the floor plan, you’re going to need a larger quantity of security cameras.
The business security system you opt for will vary greatly depending on the size and layout of your company.
How long do security cameras keep footage?
Once you’ve established a network of security cameras that work for you, you’ll then have the dilemma of how long to store security footage. Although in an ideal world, we would be able to keep footage forever, considering the size of video files, this isn’t realistic.
Due to this, some security cameras only keep their footage for between 60-90 days, while others who utilize cloud storage, and can keep the footage for much much longer. This gives the company enough time to go back and check the footage if an event that requires security monitoring has occurred. This window is enough time to give your business a solid digital backup of recent files, but not long enough that you’ll be taking up a great deal of server space.
60-90 days is the sweet spot for most companies. After three months, footage will generally have become obsolete. However, it’s always nice to have those months as a preventative measure, just in case.
The majority of security camera servicers keep footage for 30-90 days.
How much budget should I allocate for a security camera system?
When asking how many security cameras I need, one of the primary concerns is budget. If your business had unlimited money, then they could ensure that every single inch of your floorplan was monitored. However, once again, this is unrealistic.
That’s why most companies like to develop a more accurate business security camera budget. While the amount your business can afford to spend on a security system will vary, there are several factors you should take into account before deciding on a figure. You should ask yourself:
What type of security camera do I want to use?
How important is the quality of my security cameras?
Will the cameras be wired or wireless?
How many security cameras do I need to cover my facility?
Let’s break down these questions and detail how they will impact the amount you’ll be allocating to your security system budget.
What type of security cameras do I want to use?
Most typically, security cameras come in three types. These are box, bullet, and thermal cameras. Each of these offers a different array of additional features. Most obviously, by their names, a thermal camera has the additional feature of thermal vision. Due to this, a thermal security camera is much more expensive than the other two types.
Commonly, you’ll be able to find the following security cameras for the following prices, but prices vary with each project, type of camera, and use case:
Box Camera - $100-200
Bullet Camera - $100-200
Thermal Camera - $700
Dome Camera - $1000 +
Depending on what exactly your company is monitoring with your business security system, the type of camera you’ll need will vary.
How important is the quality of my security cameras?
Cameras with video lenses offer the best field of vision, allowing you to record clearly from far away. If your business has a fairly small lot or floor space, then you won’t need a camera with a large field of vision. This can considerably cut back on your security system expenses.
Similarly, you’ll be able to decide between buying cameras that are HD and those with regular definition. In smaller spaces, such as within internal corridors, the need for HD cameras isn’t as serious, as the close proximity will allow even a standard definition camera to pick up everything it needs to.
Based on where you’re going to place your cameras, decide on their quality.
Should I use a wireless security camera or wired security camera?
A wired security camera connects to a power source and to the internet through a cable. Alternatively, a wireless camera uses Wi-Fi to connect to the internet, only needing a cable to connect to the power. Often called wi-fi security cameras, these cameras are great where there is limited
There is actually a third type of camera, wire-free, which connects to Wi-Fi and runs on batteries, but we do not recommend these for your business as they require a large amount of maintenance.
When deciding on your budget, you should pick between the first two forms of camera. While wireless cameras are much easier to install and operate, their reliance on Wi-Fi isn’t ideal in some locations.
A wired connection costs more to set up, and will most likely require professional installation, but tends to be much more stable and secure.
How many security cameras do I need to cover my facility?
Perhaps the most vital question to address when creating a budget is to ask yourself how many security cameras do I need? Depending on the size and layout of your facility, this amount will change drastically. We’ll be discussing which areas you should cover to keep your business safe later in this article.
That said, if you have a general idea of how many security cameras you think you need, you should factor in some additional costs.
Monitor for watching the cameras (one monitor for every 4 cameras) - $150
Hard drive to store your video footage (2TB drive) - $220
Monitoring Software (outsourcing) - Between $10-50 a month, sometimes including an activation fee of $100
Wires for each camera (100ft cable) - $20
There are a lot of costs to take into account on top of simply purchasing the camera itself.
By working through the above questions, you should have a better idea of the rough budget you’re going to need to create a comprehensive security system.
That said, if you want an easy way of getting a quote for the security system of your dreams this very same day, then get in touch with Focus Security Group.
What are the differences between indoor and outdoor security cameras?
While both of these types of cameras have the same function at their core, the additional features they’ll need vary greatly.
For example, outdoor cameras need to be weather-proof and often need a much larger field of vision. Outdoor cameras typically cost slightly more than internal cameras. They’ll need to be more powerful, often HD and including a wider lens.
How many areas do I need to cover with security cameras?
The easiest way to find the answer to how many security cameras do I need is to consider which areas of your business you need to protect.
At the very least, you should cover all of the entrances and exits to your building, including windows. This will make sure you know exactly who entered or exited your building at all times, keeping an eye on their locations.
If you want a more comprehensive system, you should also include internal cameras that monitor paths of traffic. These include hallways, stairwells, and other areas where there is foot traffic.
If you have a point of value, such as a safe or a cash register, your business should also endeavor to supply a camera for this area.
Finally, to keep your employees safe, you should include cameras in parking lots and seating areas. This ensures that you’ll be able to respond to any incident and capture everything on camera within the grounds of your facility.
By planning out all of the individual areas you want to cover on a list, you’ll be able to work out the minimum number of security cameras you will need.
Final Thoughts
The number of security cameras that your business needs will vary greatly based on a range of factors, like size, location, and layout.
If you want to skip the hassle of running your own calculations, you can reach out to Focus Security Group. We’ll be able to send over a quote that is personalized for your business. From the total amount of cameras to matching the technology your company needs, we’ll provide it all.
With the Focus Security Group, it couldn’t be easier to keep your business safe.