How many security cameras a property needs.
How we count cameras at a site walk, typical counts for common commercial properties and job sites, and what each count costs to watch.
How many security cameras does a commercial property need?
Most commercial properties and job sites need three to twelve cameras. Count one for each gate and each door used after hours, then add one wherever there is something to take or a way in: material areas, the machine line, loading docks, lot rows and the stretch of fence people climb. Monitoring three cameras with 911 Sentinel starts at $1,400 a month.
Every camera watched, not just recorded
A camera nobody watches tells you what happened the next morning. 911 Sentinel watches every camera through your monitoring window: an alert reaches our team within 30 seconds, and within 3 minutes an operator warns the person off through that camera with a recorded voice, siren and spotlights, then calls your team and the police. The free site walk sets the count, and three cameras start at $1,400 a month with installation and 90 days of video included.
How we count cameras at a site walk
We walk the property with you and place a camera wherever someone could get in, or get at something worth taking. In order:
- Entries and gates: every vehicle gate and every door used after hours, so anyone coming in is seen arriving.
- Laydown and material areas: wire, lumber, fixtures and tools waiting to be installed or shipped.
- The machine line: where excavators, lifts and trucks are parked overnight.
- Loading docks: the dock doors and the apron in front of them.
- Lot rows: parked vehicles and trailers, a camera for each group of rows.
- The perimeter run: the stretches of fence that are dark, hidden from the street, or already climbed.
Typical counts by site type
| Site | What the cameras cover | Typical cameras | From (monthly) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single storefront or small retail pad | Front entry, rear door and trash area, the lot | 3 | $1,400 |
| Office building with a surface lot | Entries, the lot rows, the service door | 4–6 | $1,650–$2,150 |
| Construction site with one gate | The gate, laydown area, machine line, building perimeter | 4–6 | $1,650–$2,150 |
| Industrial yard with docks | Gates, the dock run, trailer rows, the fence line | 6–10 | $2,150–$3,150 |
| Retail center with a large lot | Entries, the storefront row, the rear service drive, lot rows | 8–12 | $2,650–$3,650 |
Typical counts from how we plan these sites; the real count is set at the free site walk. Monthly prices are $900 for the first camera plus $250 for each added camera, with an 8-hour window.
What each count costs to watch
| Cameras | From per month | Share of one Seattle guard |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $900 | 10% of $9,380 |
| 3 | $1,400 | 15% of $9,380 |
| 4 | $1,650 | 18% of $9,380 |
| 6 | $2,150 | 23% of $9,380 |
| 8 | $2,650 | 28% of $9,380 |
| 10 | $3,150 | 34% of $9,380 |
| 12 | $3,650 | 39% of $9,380 |
Prices include the leased cameras, installation, maintenance, monitoring through an 8-hour window and 90 days of video. The guard figure is one unarmed guard 8 hours a night at the median Seattle rate on Washington's statewide guard contract ($38.55 an hour).
What each camera needs
- A model we support, leased and installed by us: TP-Link Tapo C320WS, Reolink RLC-811A or Reolink Duo 3 PoE. Your own cameras qualify if they give a real-time feed we can reach.
- A 2K or sharper wide-angle picture, IP66 or better weather sealing, and infrared plus full-color night vision.
- A speaker, siren and spotlights, so the operator can warn someone off through that camera.
- Power, and Wi-Fi or Ethernet. We set up Starlink where a site has no internet, and backup power is an optional add-on.
Common questions
How many security cameras does a small business need?
Most small commercial properties need at least three: one on the main entry, one on the rear door or service area, and one on the parking lot. 911 Sentinel watches three cameras from $1,400 a month.
How many cameras does a construction site need?
A construction site with one gate usually needs four to six cameras: the gate, the laydown and material area, the machine line, and the building perimeter. Bigger sites add a camera for each extra gate and for the dark stretches of fence.
How much does each added security camera cost?
With 911 Sentinel, each camera after the first is from $250 a month, with the camera, installation, maintenance and monitoring included.
Get a free site assessment
We reply the same day, walk your property with you, and send a written plan with a firm price after the walk.
Business calls 8am–8pm every day · our monitoring team works around the clock