Where to Place Security Cameras in a Commercial Building (Southeast Michigan Layout Guide)

A security camera system is only as effective as its layout. You can have high-quality equipment and still end up with unusable footage if cameras are placed too high, aimed incorrectly, or installed without a real coverage plan.

For businesses across Southeast Michigan — including Ann Arbor, Detroit, Ypsilanti, Brighton, Novi, Saline, and West Bloomfield — the goal isn’t “more cameras.” It’s evidence-quality coverage where incidents actually happen.

Here’s a practical placement guide you can use to evaluate your current setup or plan a new one with security cameras that work when it matters.

1) Start With the 3 Coverage Goals

Before picking locations, decide what each camera is supposed to accomplish:

• Detection: “Something is happening here.”

• Recognition: “That’s a person we recognize.”

• Identification: “We can clearly identify a face or read a key detail.”

Most businesses accidentally install “detection-only” coverage everywhere — and then realize too late they needed identification at entrances, registers, or high-risk areas.

2) Highest-Priority Camera Locations in Most Commercial Buildings

Main entrances and reception

This is the #1 place you want identification-quality footage.

Best practice:

• One camera covering the approach (people walking up)

• One camera capturing faces at the door line (where they pause)

Rear entrances and employee doors

Back doors are often where incidents happen because they’re less visible and less trafficked. These should be treated like your front door.

Shipping/receiving and loading docks

These areas need cameras designed around:

• High activity

• Large vehicles

• Changing lighting (door open/closed)

• Frequent disputes (missing packages, damage claims)

Parking lots and exterior approaches

In Southeast Michigan, lighting and weather matter a lot here (snow glare, long winter nights, uneven lot lighting). Lots typically need a blend of:

• Wider overview coverage

• Targeted coverage at drive lanes, entrances, and parking rows

High-value interior zones

Common examples:

• Server/network closets

• Tool cages or inventory rooms

• Medication storage / controlled areas

• Cash handling rooms

These don’t always need many cameras — but the cameras here should be placed for clear, usable detail, not a wide shot.

3) The Most Common Placement Mistakes (And Why They Hurt)

Cameras mounted too high

This is the biggest mistake we see. It creates:

• Poor facial detail

• Hats/hoods blocking faces

• “Top of head” footage that’s useless for identification

Trying to cover too much with one camera

If you ask one camera to cover an entire warehouse aisle, you often get footage that looks fine until you try to zoom in. Then it falls apart.

Pointing cameras at bright light sources

Common offenders:

• Glass doors with sunlight

• Loading dock doors

• Headlights at night
  Poor angles create washout, glare, and useless night footage.

Ignoring choke points

Cameras should focus on places people must pass through:

• Doors

• Hallways

• Stairwells

• Gate entrances
  Choke points create reliable capture opportunities.

4) How to Think About Camera Coverage by Building Type

Offices + professional buildings

Prioritize:

• Lobby/entrances

• Hallways leading to suites

• IT/server areas

• Parking lot approaches

Warehouses + manufacturing

Prioritize:

• Loading docks

• Inventory and tool areas

• Perimeter doors

• Main aisle intersections (not just wide overviews)

Retail + storefronts

Prioritize:

• Point-of-sale areas

• Front door (face capture)

• Parking lot facing the storefront

• Stock rooms and receiving

Multifamily + multi-tenant properties

Prioritize:

• Main entries

• Mail/package areas

• Shared hallways

• Garages and gate entries
  These locations become much stronger when paired with access control so you can match door events to video.

5) A Simple “Walk-Test” You Can Do Today

Walk your building like an intruder would:

1. Approach the property from the street or lot

2. Identify where you’d park, enter, and move inside

3. Note every door and hallway you’d use

4. Ask: Would the camera capture my face clearly at each step?

If the answer is “maybe,” that’s usually a placement issue — not a camera brand issue.

6) Why Southeast Michigan Conditions Change the Design

In this region, we routinely see camera performance impacted by:

• Snow reflection and glare

• Long winter nights

• Mixed lighting in parking lots

• Moisture intrusion on exterior terminations

That’s why layout and environment matter as much as equipment. A smart layout prevents “it worked fine in summer” problems.

Want a Professional Layout Review?

If you’re not sure whether your cameras are placed for real coverage (or you’re planning upgrades), Tier One Technologies can help design a layout that fits your facility, lighting, and risk areas — not a generic package.

➡️ Schedule a free site assessment today and we’ll review your camera placement, coverage gaps, and the most important areas to protect with security cameras.