More than just drilling holes and running wires, we’ll talk about the best ways to install a security camera inside or outside of your home.

You’ve ordered fancy new shoes at least three times now, but every time you come home after receiving a “package delivered” alert, you come home to nothing. Your family hasn’t seen anything at the door and your neighbors didn’t accidentally receive the package, so what happened to it?

You may need to get a surveillance camera —or a whole CCTV camera network—to get to the bottom of things.

Here’s a list of home security camera types that we’ve reviewed:

• Best Outdoor Security Cameras
• Best Indoor Security Cameras
• Best Wireless Security Cameras
• Best Cheap Security Cameras
• Best CCTV Systems

Let’s talk about what you need to know before installing your cameras to make it as easy as possible.

Cost

How much does installing a security camera cost? Well, that depends on whether you do it yourself or have a professional do it.

Self-installation

If you can do it on your own, it’s pretty much free after you pay for the equipment. Most cameras these days are not only easy to install on your own, but designed to be as pain-free as possible. Some you can set on a table, stick with adhesive on a wall, or attach to a wall with a drill. However, not everyone is comfortable with drilling into their walls, especially if the screws have to come in from the outside.

Professional installation

If you get one of the Best Home Security Systems we’ve recommended, a brand rep will usually install everything starting around $100, if not for free as part of your plan purchase. If you have a whole network of home security cameras that you want to integrate into your home security system, then this route will be worth the time saved and money spent.

If you’re buying a camera on your own, professional installation will cost more since it’s not built into the company’s security plan.

However, for some people, the time and cost just aren’t worth it— like with a full 8-camera CCTV security system on top of home automation and security devices, where professional installation can cost up to $4,000 or more. That money could go toward a relaxing vacation in Hawaii instead—or to at least a dozen churros at Disneyland.

Amazon is a great way to find local professional installation for security cameras, and it’s actually a decent bang for your buck compared to the aforementioned prices. When we checked for our estimates, it looked something like this:

Whether you choose do-it-yourself or professional installation, you’ll still need to remember a few things.

Purpose and placement

Not everyone has to deal with thieves or hoodlums, fortunately. Some of us just want to check on deliveries or see who visited while we were away. Others want a way to check on family and furry friends. Prioritize what’s important for you to see, then buy your surveillance cameras accordingly.

Indoors or outdoors?

The biggest difference between indoor and outdoor cameras is their ability to endure the weather. The last thing you want is for your new camera to quit in the first blizzard of the year, especially since you’ve noticed your snow boots have gone missing, too.

Indoors

Installing an indoor camera can be as easy as finding the right spot, plugging it in, turning it on, and syncing it with your mobile or desktop app. While some may require drilling, most indoor cameras we’ve come across won’t require anything more than a screwdriver.

A good indoor camera should have a decent field of view, which you can get with a higher corner or shelf. The best places will have a clear view of the room, a place to hide the camera from thieves, and very little foot traffic (to avoid unplugging the camera).

Outdoors

Generally speaking, you’ll install your camera either above your garage door or a front or back porch. For a garage camera, make sure you have a large field of view. For a porch camera, make sure your camera is mostly looking at a driveway or walkway to capture all the action possible with a smaller field of view. You may want to consider a doorbell camera like Nest, Ring, or Skybell.

Wired or wireless camera?

With wired installation, you’re a little limited in terms of placement, but your connection will be more reliable and secure. Consider where you have to run the wire and how much length you need. You can always buy extension cables on Amazon.

Steps for installing a wired security camera

1. Find a stable spot on the wall
2. Some cameras may require finding a stud, while others will come with drywall screws
3. Check for existing wiring
4. Mark and drill the appropriate holes
5. Thread the wiring back to the monitoring source

Just make sure the hole you drill is big enough to pull the wire through but not so big that you can no longer mount the camera.