CCTV System Design

System design starts with a place list

System design should start with a place list, written in plain terms, rather than with a product list. For each place, state the area to be viewed, the setting and the lighting at the times of use, and whether a fixed view or a changeable view is needed. That list becomes the basis for every later decision, including camera form, recorder category and accessory needs. A design that starts with products, without a place list, risks choosing forms that do not match the places they are meant to cover, and it makes the enquiry harder to answer, because the recipient cannot tie a product to a place.

A place list should also note any phasing plan, such as starting with entrances and corridors and then adding yards and parking areas, or starting with one building and then adding another. Phasing should be stated in the enquiry, so the recorder and accessory decisions can be made with later phases in mind, rather than having to be remade when a later phase is added. A place list with a phasing note is therefore more useful than a place list without one.

Components inside a system design

A system design, as described on this site, is made from listed categories as components: a camera form component, a recorder component and an accessory component. The camera form component is a form category, such as bullet, dome, PTZ or network, chosen for each place. The recorder component is a recorder category, such as DVR or NVR, chosen for the system as a whole. The accessory component is the security system accessories category as listed, chosen where a mounting, cable or power need is already known. Describing a design in component terms helps a buyer state a complete brief, because each component can be decided, questioned and confirmed separately, while the system as a whole can still be discussed in one enquiry.

A buyer should also state, in the design brief, how recordings will be reviewed, whether at the site or elsewhere, because the review need can affect the recorder and system decisions. Stating the review need in plain terms, rather than assuming a review method from a category name, helps the recipient confirm whether the design suits that need. If the review need is still undecided, state the options being considered and ask for guidance on the choice for that need.

System design checklist in table form

The checklist below gathers the system design questions in table form, so a buyer can work through them and turn them into an enquiry. Each row states what to write, not what to assume. A buyer should add any site-specific question that the table does not cover, such as a constrained route, a shared space rule or a site rule that affects mounting, because those matters can affect the design. The completed checklist, sent as an enquiry, is more useful than a product list sent without a place list or a component list.

Design questions that need site answers

Some design questions can only be answered for a specific site, and a buyer should ask them as site questions, not assume answers from a category page. Those questions include mounting surfaces, cable routes, recorder placement and review methods, each stated in general terms for the site in question. A buyer should state those site details in the enquiry, together with the place list and the component decisions, so the reply can address the site, rather than giving a general design answer that fits no site well.

A buyer should also ask, for each place, whether any additional equipment is needed for mounting, cable or power arrangements, and whether that equipment is part of the order or needs to be sourced separately. That question should be asked for the category and, where known, the model name as listed, in writing, so the answer can be checked against the order. If the answer covers only some places, the buyer should ask for the remaining places in a follow-up message that quotes the original enquiry.

Common system design mistakes to avoid

A common design mistake is to list products without places, so the design cannot be tied to a site. Another common mistake is to decide cameras before the recorder, so the camera and recorder decisions do not match. A third common mistake is to leave accessory needs until after cameras and recorder are chosen, so accessory decisions are made separately and do not match the system. Avoiding those three mistakes, by writing a place list, deciding components together, and listing accessory needs early, will make the design clearer and the enquiry easier to answer.

A fourth common mistake is to treat a reply that covers only part of the design as a complete answer. If a reply covers cameras but not the recorder, or covers places but not phasing, the buyer should ask for the missing part in writing, quoting the original question, rather than proceeding on an incomplete record. That habit keeps the design record clear, and it helps a buyer compare replies for different component choices on the same brief.

From a system design checklist to a written enquiry

Turn the system design checklist into a written enquiry by listing the places, the viewing needs, the camera forms where decided, the recorder decision, the accessory needs, the review need, the phasing plan and the commercial questions, in that order. State the categories and, where known, the model names as listed, for each place. Ask for confirmations in writing, and keep the checklist, the enquiry and the reply together, so the order can be checked against the questions originally asked. If any question is not answered, ask again in writing, quoting the question, before ordering.

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