Camera count is not a package you buy — it is a sightline problem. Here is the walkthrough we use on every commercial site survey.
Start with the doors, not the ceiling
Every quote should begin at the property line and work inward. Each exterior door, overhead door and loading bay needs one camera pointed at face height, close enough that a still frame is identifiable rather than merely suggestive.
A camera that shows someone entered is not the same as a camera that shows who entered. Distance, lens choice and mounting height decide that difference long before resolution does.
Then the money and the merchandise
Registers, safes, back offices, stockrooms and any area where inventory changes hands each earn a dedicated view. In retail and restaurant work these are the cameras that pay for the system, because they resolve disputes and shrinkage claims within minutes.
For parking areas, add a license plate camera on the entry lane. General overview cameras almost never read plates at speed; a purpose-built LPR camera does it at night, in the rain, at 25 mph.
A realistic range
A small storefront usually lands between 6 and 10 cameras. A mid-size warehouse is typically 16 to 32. A multi-tenant office building depends entirely on how many entrances need coverage.
We would rather install eight cameras that each answer a question than twenty that produce hours of unusable footage.
Need help with security cameras & video surveillance?
We serve Philadelphia and everywhere within 50 miles. Site surveys and quotes are free.