Helpful video reference. The Electricians Life channel's guide "How To Easily Install Your Own 4K CCTV DIY" walks through a full domestic CCTV installation from camera placement to DVR setup. Worth watching end-to-end before you start drilling.
1. Plan your camera positions first
Good camera placement is worth more than expensive cameras. Cover the front door, back door, driveway gate, and any side passages. Each camera needs a cable run back to the DVR inside, so plan routes that avoid long exposed runs on external walls. Under eaves is the most sheltered position and also protects the camera from direct sunlight reducing image quality.
Check the camera's field of view in the spec sheet, not just the packaging image. A 90-degree horizontal FOV is fine for a hallway or narrow path; a wider lens suits a driveway or garden. More cameras do not always mean better coverage if they are poorly positioned.
2. Choose between analogue and IP
Analogue cameras (HDCVI, HDTVI, AHD) use coaxial cable for the video signal and a separate power lead for 12 V DC. The recorder is a DVR. These systems are cheaper and simpler to install.
IP cameras use a single Cat5e or Cat6 network cable for both video and power if the recorder is a PoE NVR. The image quality is generally better at the same price point, and you can add cameras more easily by plugging them into a spare PoE port. Most modern domestic CCTV kits sold in the UK are IP-based.
Either technology works fine for a domestic property. Choose based on what the kit includes rather than spending time researching specifications from scratch.
3. Route cables in safe zones
Cable routing matters not because of any particular CCTV regulation, but because cables hidden in walls and ceilings need to be safe from future drilling and screwing. Under BS 7671, there are defined safe zones for cables in walls: a horizontal zone from the top of the wall down 150mm, a vertical zone from accessory positions, and a zone within 150mm of the corner of a wall. Staying in these zones means a future owner putting up a picture hook will not hit a cable.
Run cables in surface conduit where they cross open areas or where chasing is not practical. Through external walls, use a cable gland or conduit bushing, angled downwards on the outside so water cannot track back in.
4. Connect the cameras
For analogue cameras, crimp BNC connectors onto the coaxial cable at both ends (camera and DVR). Connect the power leads to the 12 V DC block power supply or individual plug-in adapters. The power supply plugs into a 13A socket.
For PoE IP cameras, plug the Cat5e or Cat6 cable into the rear of the NVR and connect the other end to the camera's network port. The NVR supplies power over the data cable; there is no separate power lead at the camera end. This makes the camera end of the installation very clean.
5. Power the recorder
The DVR or NVR runs from a standard 13A socket. If there is a convenient socket near the recorder location already on the ring final circuit, plugging in is all that is needed. No Part P notification is required for using an existing socket.
If the recorder is going in a cupboard or utility room that has no socket nearby, adding one is notifiable work under Part P. A single spur from the ring final circuit is usually a couple of hours' work. Richard covers Sandwich and the surrounding area for small jobs like this.
6. Check outdoor IP ratings
Every camera mounted outdoors needs at least an IP66 rating. The first digit (6) means total protection against dust. The second (6) means protection against powerful water jets from any direction. For UK weather this is the practical minimum. Some cameras are rated IP67, which adds protection against brief immersion, but this only matters if the camera is in a location where flooding is possible.
Check the sticker or datasheet on the camera body itself. The IP rating printed on the box is sometimes for the camera only, not the mounting bracket or cable gland supplied with it.
When to call us
Most of the cable-running and camera-connecting is homeowner-territory. Where Richard comes in is the mains side: adding a dedicated spur or socket for the DVR, fitting a weatherproof outdoor socket for a separately powered camera, or checking that the consumer unit RCD covers the circuit you are using. Small jobs in the Sandwich area at the £10 per 10-minute rate.
Need a socket or spur for your CCTV system?
The camera wiring is DIY. The mains supply is Part P. Richard handles the notifiable bit quickly and at a fair price.
Contact Richard