Written by H. Irwin Electrical
Published on April 2025
For most houses, the five key CCTV positions are the front door, driveway, back door, side access gates, and any area with a blind spot like a garage or side yard. These spots cover the paths an intruder would actually use to approach your home. This guide walks through each zone, what camera type suits it, and how local conditions around Glenelg, Marion, Unley and the wider Adelaide coastal suburbs affect your setup. We’ll also cover height, angles, and a few mistakes we see often during installs.
Start with the front entry and approach path
Your front door is the single most important camera position in any home security plan. Most break-ins and parcel thefts happen here, and footage from this angle is what police and insurers ask for first. Mount the camera 2.4 to 2.7 metres high, angled slightly downward to capture faces clearly without catching too much sky glare, which is a real issue on bright Adelaide summer afternoons.
- Position the camera to capture the path from the street or footpath to your door, not just the door itself.
- Include the letterbox and any side gate in the frame if the layout allows it.
- Choose a camera with at least 2MP resolution so number plates and faces are identifiable, not just shapes.
- Add a video doorbell as a second layer for close-range verification, especially useful in busy areas like Hyde Park or North Adelaide with higher foot traffic.
Cover the driveway and any vehicle access points
Vehicle theft and driveway break-ins are common across Adelaide suburbs with off-street parking, including Somerton Park, Plympton and Glandore. A camera angled along the driveway length catches anyone approaching a car, garage, or side entry from the road. Place it high enough to avoid easy tampering, generally above 2.5 metres, and use a wide-angle lens if your driveway is long or curved.
If you have a carport or open garage, a second camera inside pointed at the roller door adds coverage for tools, bikes, and other items stored there. H. Irwin Electrical often pairs this zone with motion-activated floodlights, which deter opportunistic theft better than cameras alone.
Protect the back door and rear yard
Back entries get overlooked constantly, yet they’re a preferred access point for break-ins because they’re hidden from the street. This applies especially to older Adelaide homes in Prospect, Beverley and Richmond with rear lane access or low back fences. A camera covering the back door and the immediate yard area closes this gap.
- Angle the camera to include both the door and any side gate leading to the rear yard.
- Check for tree branches or pergolas that might obstruct the view seasonally once foliage grows.
- Use a weatherproof housing rated IP65 or higher, since rear areas get more direct weather exposure than covered front porches.
Secure side access gates and narrow walkways
Side gates are a classic blind spot. They’re narrow, often poorly lit, and rarely visible from inside the house. A single camera mounted above the gate, facing down the walkway, is usually enough to cover this zone without needing extra hardware.
In suburbs like Kurralta Park and Fulham where homes sit close together, side paths can be genuinely dark at night. Pairing the camera with a basic sensor light makes footage far more usable, since poor lighting is the number one reason CCTV footage gets rejected as evidence.
Compare camera types for different zones
Not every position needs the same camera. Matching the right type to each zone saves money and improves footage quality where it matters most.
| Location | Recommended camera type | Why it fits |
|---|---|---|
| Front door | Fixed dome or video doorbell | Clear face capture, tamper resistant |
| Driveway | Wide-angle bullet camera | Covers length of driveway and vehicles |
| Back door/yard | Weatherproof bullet, IP65+ | Handles direct weather exposure |
| Side gate | Compact fixed dome | Narrow field needs less lens width |
| Garage interior | Fixed indoor dome | Lower cost, no weatherproofing needed |
Check local rules on camera placement and privacy
South Australian privacy law allows homeowners to install CCTV on their own property, but cameras shouldn’t be angled to capture a neighbour’s yard, windows, or private areas. This comes up often in tighter streetscapes around Glenelg North and Unley, where homes sit close to boundary fences.
| Rule | Detail |
|---|---|
| Own property only | Footage should stay within your boundary line where possible |
| Audio recording | Continuous audio recording of neighbours may breach surveillance laws |
| Signage | Not legally required for residential, but a small sign can deter intruders |
| Data storage | Keep footage secure, especially if cloud-based storage is used |
If you’re unsure whether your proposed angles cross a boundary, H. Irwin Electrical can check this during a site visit before any drilling or mounting happens.
Avoid common placement mistakes
A lot of DIY CCTV setups fail because of a few repeated errors, not because the equipment is bad. Getting these right from the start saves a reinstall later.
- Mounting cameras too high reduces facial detail even though it looks tidier.
- Pointing cameras directly into morning or afternoon sun washes out footage for hours each day, a real problem for west-facing homes near Henley Beach and West Beach.
- Skipping the garage or shed, which often stores higher-value items than the house itself.
- Relying on WiFi-only cameras in areas with patchy signal, leading to dropped recordings during the exact moment they’re needed.
FAQs on CCTV camera placement
How many cameras does a typical house need?
Most Adelaide homes are well covered with 4 to 6 cameras: front door, driveway, back door, and one or two side or garage positions. Larger properties or corner blocks sometimes need an extra unit for a second access point.
Should cameras be visible or hidden?
Visible cameras act as a deterrent and are usually the better choice for residential properties. Hidden cameras suit specific internal monitoring needs but don’t stop someone from approaching the house in the first place.
Can I install CCTV myself or do I need an electrician?
Basic WiFi cameras can be self-installed, but wired systems with NVR recorders, proper cabling, and power routing need a licensed electrician. H. Irwin Electrical handles both the electrical work and the camera positioning so footage quality and cable runs are done correctly the first time.
Do CCTV cameras need their own power circuit?
Wired CCTV systems typically run off a dedicated low-voltage circuit connected to the NVR, separate from general power points. This keeps the system stable and reduces interference from other appliances on the same circuit.
What’s the best height to mount a camera?
Between 2.4 and 3 metres is the sweet spot for most residential positions. High enough to avoid easy tampering, low enough to still capture usable facial detail.
Wrap up and next steps
Good CCTV coverage comes down to five zones done properly rather than a dozen cameras scattered without a plan. Front door, driveway, back entry, side gates, and any blind spots around the garage or yard will cover almost every Adelaide property effectively.
If you want a system mapped out for your specific block, whether you’re in Glenelg, Marion, North Adelaide or anywhere in between, H. Irwin Electrical can assess your property and install a system that actually captures what you need. Call 0432 270 757 to book a site visit and get a straightforward quote.
