4-Camera Home CCTV System in Leicester
Four cameras give you complete perimeter coverage - front, rear, both sides - with no blind spots. Designed for detached homes, corner plots, and properties with multiple access points across Leicester. Hardwired PoE, local NVR recording, and no subscriptions.
By the Doberman install team · CCTV system designers & installers, Leicester · Last reviewed February 2026
By the Doberman install team
CCTV system designers & installers, Leicester
Last reviewed February 2026
What you get
Full perimeter survey
We walk every side of your property, check all access points, and confirm that four cameras provide complete coverage with no gaps.
System design
Four camera positions mapped to your layout with lens selection, mounting heights, and cable routes specified before installation day.
Professional installation
Cat6 cables routed through lofts, cavities, and conduit. NVR configured with enough storage for 4 channels of continuous recording.
Night commissioning
Every camera checked after dark for IR range, image clarity, and angle accuracy. We adjust on site until all four channels deliver clean footage.
How it works
Survey
We walk your full perimeter, identify every approach route and blind spot, and design a 4-camera layout that covers the lot.
Design
Camera positions, lens types, and cable routes drawn up for your property. You get a fixed quote before any work starts.
Install
Cameras mounted, cables run cleanly, NVR set up with app access - typically completed in a single day. Night commissioning follows.
When you need 4 cameras instead of 3
A 3-camera system covers most terraced and semi-detached homes well, but certain property types need a fourth camera to eliminate blind spots. Detached homes are the most obvious case - with four exposed sides, three cameras always leave one flank uncovered. Corner plots in areas like Oadby, Stoneygate, and Hamilton are another common scenario where the property faces two streets and has approach routes from multiple directions. If your home has a separate driveway, a side gate, a rear garden, and a front entrance, three cameras will not cover all four without compromising on angle or distance.
The decision between 3 and 4 cameras is not about budget - it is about geometry. We see homeowners trying to stretch three cameras across a detached property by using ultra-wide lenses, but this sacrifices detail at range. A wide-angle lens might cover a broad area, but the further the subject is from the camera, the less identifiable they become. Four cameras at the right focal lengths will always outperform three cameras on stretch duty. During the survey we will be straightforward about which number your property actually needs - there is no incentive for us to oversell because a well-designed system is what generates referrals.
Properties that commonly need four cameras include detached homes in Oadby, Wigston, and Glenfield; corner-plot semis in Braunstone and Thorpe Astley; homes with integrated garages and separate front doors; and any property with both a driveway and a rear alley. If you are unsure, the survey will clarify it - we would rather recommend three cameras honestly than sell you a fourth you do not need. For a broader look at how we approach residential installs, see our home CCTV installation overview.
Typical 4-camera layouts for Leicester properties
The most common 4-camera layout for a detached home places one camera on the front elevation covering the front door and pavement, one on the rear covering the garden and patio doors, one on the driveway or garage side, and one on the opposite side covering the gate or side passage. This gives you overlapping coverage around the full perimeter - every approach route is captured, and there is redundancy where fields of view overlap at the corners. For detached homes in Oadby, Stoneygate, and Knighton, this is the layout we install most frequently.
Corner-plot properties require a different approach. When two sides of your home face a road or public footpath, we prioritise those exposures with dedicated cameras rather than trying to catch both with a single wide-angle unit. A corner semi in Hamilton or Braunstone might have cameras covering the main road frontage, the side street frontage, the rear garden, and the driveway or garage. The angles are specific to each plot - we use varifocal lenses where the distances vary across the scene, and fixed lenses where the coverage zone is consistent.
Homes with integrated garages present their own layout challenge. The garage door, the front door, the driveway, and the rear garden all need coverage, but they are often on three different elevations. We typically dedicate one camera to the driveway and garage door, one to the front door and approach, one to the rear garden, and one to whichever side access connects the front and rear. Cable routing for 4-camera systems is slightly more involved than a 3-camera install, but we plan the runs during the survey and route everything through loft spaces and cavities to keep the installation clean. For camera positioning principles, our home CCTV installation guide goes into more detail.
Hardware and recording for a 4-camera system
A 4-camera system uses the same PoE infrastructure as our 3-camera installs - each camera connects via a single Cat6 cable that carries both power and video back to the NVR. The difference is the NVR needs to handle four simultaneous streams for recording and playback. We use NVRs with at least 8 channels, giving you room to add cameras in the future if your needs change. Storage is typically a 4TB hard drive, which provides 20-30 days of continuous recording across all four cameras at 4MP resolution or higher.
Camera selection is tailored per position. A driveway camera covering 10-15 metres might use a 4mm fixed lens for a balance of width and detail. A rear garden camera overlooking a longer space might need a 6mm lens or a varifocal to maintain detail at range. Front door cameras at close range use a 2.8mm wide-angle lens. Every camera we install includes WDR for handling bright sky versus shaded areas in the same frame, and IR LEDs rated for 30-50 metres depending on the model. Night performance is critical - we commission every camera after dark and adjust positions on site rather than relying on daytime testing alone.
The system records locally to your NVR with no cloud dependency and no subscription fees. Your footage stays in your house, on your hardware, under your control. App access lets you view live feeds and playback from your phone, but the recording works independently of your internet connection. If your broadband drops, all four cameras continue recording. For a full breakdown of what this costs, our pricing guide covers hardware, installation, and what drives the final number.
Pricing
A typical 4-camera PoE system starts from around £1,050 for hardware (cameras, NVR, 4TB hard drive, and network switch), with installation on top. Final cost depends on property size, cable routing complexity, and the specific camera models your layout requires. We provide a fixed quote after the site survey.
Why Doberman
Hardwired PoE, not Wi‑Fi
Four cameras on Wi‑Fi means four devices competing for bandwidth. Our PoE systems run on dedicated Ethernet - no signal drops, no interference.
Full perimeter coverage
Four cameras placed correctly means no blind side. Every approach route covered, with overlapping fields of view at the corners.
Night commissioning included
We test every camera after dark and adjust on site. Four cameras means four IR zones to get right - we do not leave until they are all performing.
No subscriptions, no cloud
All four channels record locally to your NVR. No monthly fees, no cloud upload, no third-party access to your footage.
About Doberman
Doberman is a Leicester-based CCTV installation company specialising in hardwired PoE camera systems for homes and businesses. Every job is carried out by our own team - no subcontractors, no third parties.
We do one thing well: wired CCTV that works. No alarm upsells, no smart home packages, no rolling maintenance contracts. Our installations are clean, properly commissioned after dark, and handed over with a full walkthrough so you know how to use the system from day one.
Want to understand our approach before booking a survey? Our resources cover camera placement, system specs, PoE vs Wi-Fi, and what affects the cost of a CCTV installation in Leicester.
Areas we cover
We install 4-camera home CCTV systems across Leicester and Leicestershire, including Oadby, Stoneygate, Knighton, Wigston, Braunstone, Hamilton, Thorpe Astley, Glenfield, Groby, Clarendon Park, Belgrave, Birstall, and surrounding villages. Not sure if we cover your area? Just ask.
Frequently asked questions
- Do I actually need 4 cameras or will 3 do?
- It depends on your property. Most terraces and smaller semis are well covered by three cameras. Four cameras are typically needed for detached homes, corner plots, and properties with multiple access points on different sides. We confirm the right number during the site survey and will not recommend more cameras than your layout requires.
- What does a 4-camera system typically cover?
- The standard layout covers the front door and street approach, the rear garden and patio doors, the driveway or garage, and the side access or gate. The exact positions are designed around your property - there is no standard template because every plot is different.
- How much storage do 4 cameras need?
- With a 4TB hard drive, four cameras recording continuously at 4MP typically store 20-30 days of footage before the oldest recordings are overwritten. We can fit a larger drive if you need longer retention - this is something we discuss during the design stage.
- Can I add more cameras later?
- Yes. We install NVRs with 8 channels as standard on 4-camera systems, so you have room for up to four additional cameras in the future. Adding a camera later means running one more cable and mounting the unit - the NVR and network infrastructure are already in place.
- How long does a 4-camera installation take?
- A 4-camera install typically takes six to eight hours and is completed in a single day. This includes cable routing, camera mounting, NVR setup, app configuration, and initial testing. Night commissioning is done the same evening or on a scheduled follow-up visit.
- Will 4 cameras slow down my home broadband?
- No. PoE cameras connect directly to the NVR via Ethernet cables - they do not use your Wi‑Fi or broadband for recording. The only time your broadband is used is when you view cameras remotely through the app, and even then the bandwidth required is minimal.