How Far Apart Should Security Cameras Be?

There is no reliable fixed spacing rule such as “one camera every 20 feet.” Camera spacing depends on the width each lens covers at the target distance and how much overlap you want between neighboring views.

Updated September 14, 2026 · SecurityVerdicts research desk

Start with scene width at the target

A camera's coverage width expands with distance. A 90° horizontal view covers about twice the target distance across a flat plane. At 20 feet, that is roughly 40 feet of scene width; at 40 feet it is roughly 80 feet.

Then subtract the overlap you want

If one camera covers 40 feet and you plan 15% overlap, the next camera's centerline would advance about 34 feet along the target plane in a simplified flat layout. That is 40 × (1 − 0.15).

Physical camera spacing can be different

The calculated spacing describes where the optical centerlines land on the target plane. Cameras mounted on different walls, corners or depths can be physically closer together or farther apart while still producing the same target-plane overlap.

Do not optimize spacing before detail

A very wide lens can make it look as though one camera covers an enormous area, but the same recorded pixels are spread across that larger scene. If face or plate detail matters, the correct answer may be more cameras with narrower views rather than maximum spacing.

Formula: target-plane camera spacing ≈ scene width × (1 − overlap fraction).

Calculate your own layout

Use the Security Camera Coverage Overlap & Spacing Calculator to enter target width, distance, field of view, overlap and camera count. It returns scene width, spacing, total span and the minimum geometric camera count.