Ask ten camera installers how many cameras your house needs and you'll get ten different numbers — usually whatever fits the package they sell. Here's how we actually figure it out for homes across Suffolk and Nassau County, and how you can rough it out yourself before you call anyone.
Start with the entry points, not the house size
Square footage matters less than you'd think. What matters is how many ways someone can approach your property and how many places you'd want to see after something happened. For most Long Island homes that comes down to:
- Driveway and street — the single most useful camera on the property. It catches every car, every delivery and every person who walks up.
- Front door / porch — package theft, visitors, solicitors. A doorbell camera alone usually isn't enough; a proper camera above the door sees faces and plates instead of the top of a hat.
- Backyard / patio doors — where most break-ins actually happen, because nobody's watching.
- Side yards — the paths between houses that lead to the basement windows and the bulkhead.
- Garage / detached structures — bikes, tools, cars and, on the North Shore, boats.
Count the number of those you have and you're already close.
Typical counts for typical homes
| Home type | Cameras | What they cover |
|---|---|---|
| Cape / ranch on a 60×100 lot | 4 | Driveway, front door, backyard, one side yard |
| Colonial / split-level, corner lot | 6 | Add second side yard and garage |
| Larger property, pool, detached garage | 8 | Add pool area and outbuilding |
| Waterfront or acre-plus lot | 8–12 | Add dock, gate, long driveway with plate capture |
Notice what's not on the list: indoor cameras. Most families skip them, or add one in the garage or basement only. That's a personal call, not a security requirement.
What resolution actually buys you
Every camera today claims 4K. The real question is what you can identify in the footage. A 4K InVid Tech Paramont camera over a driveway lets you read a license plate at 30–40 feet in daylight and see a clear face at the front door. A 1080p camera at the same spot shows you "a person in a dark jacket." When you need to hand video to Suffolk County PD, that difference is everything.
Night vision matters just as much. Look for color night vision (a warm LED plus a sensitive sensor) at the entry points, and standard infrared for wide overview shots. Full-color at night is what makes a red car red instead of gray.
Wired beats wireless, every time
Battery and Wi-Fi cameras are fine for a rental. For a home you own, wired PoE cameras are the answer: one Cat6 cable carries power and video, there are no batteries to swap in February, and the video records locally to a recorder in your basement or closet. Your phone app streams from that recorder, so there are no required monthly cloud fees.
A clean install runs cables through the attic or basement, out through the soffit and into a junction box behind each camera. Done right you never see a wire.
What to ask an installer
- Which brand and model, exactly? You want a name you can look up, not "our 4K package."
- Where does it record, and for how long? Local recording with at least 30 days of storage is the norm.
- Can I see a live demo first? We'll bring a Paramont camera to your house — or do it on a video call — so you see night-vision footage before you commit.
- Do you have references from my area? We do, and we'll share them.
- What happens when something breaks? Ask about warranty and after-hours support. Ours is 24/7.
The short version
Most Long Island homes are best served by 4 to 8 wired 4K cameras covering the driveway, doors, backyard and side yards, recording locally with phone access. Anything beyond that should have a specific reason: a pool, a boat, a long driveway or a detached garage.
Want a real number for your house? Send us your address and a couple of photos and we'll sketch a layout and a price — free, no pressure. Or just call 631-871-5957 and talk it through.
Piets Technology Solutions
Low-voltage tech for homes and small businesses — cameras, Wi-Fi, cabling, POS, phones and 24/7 support across Long Island, NYC, the Hudson Valley and the Capital Region. Wi-Fi, Wires, Whatever — Piet Makes It Better