Various arrangements for guiding installation of a monitoring device are presented. The monitoring device may receive, during installation of the monitoring device at a particular location at a structure, an input command to instantiate operation. The monitoring device, in response to receiving the input command to instantiate operation, may implement a test sequence to determine the particular location of the monitoring device prevents the monitoring device from operating within specification. The monitoring device may, based on the test sequence, output a notification that the particular location of the monitoring device prevents the monitoring device from operating within specification.