# Shovels MCP for AI Agents AI Agent Connect

> Shovels MCP lets your agent search construction permits and licensed contractors. It pulls real-time data on active job sites, contractor licenses, and regional construction trends. Instead of digging through public records, you can just ask your agent to find who's working in a specific zip code or check a contractor's history. It turns complex real estate auditing into a natural conversation.

## Overview
- **Category:** real-estate
- **Price:** Free
- **Endpoint:** https://edge.vinkius.com/vk_preview_RSG9zy7OuDDwy2PArhzcYxbqgpEgvLANjYpKraK6/ai-agent-connect
- **Tags:** building-permits, contractor-data, market-intelligence, auditing, public-records

## Description

When you hook up Shovels to your agent, you stop hunting through messy government websites and fragmented contractor lists. It turns construction data into a direct conversation. You can ask your agent to find every active roofing permit in a specific county or pull the full history of a contractor using just their license ID. It handles the heavy lifting of data retrieval so you can focus on the analysis. If you're looking for market trends, your agent can aggregate permit volumes to show you where the growth is happening. This is one of the many specialized tools you can find in the Vinkius catalog to make your agent actually useful for high-stakes real estate and construction work. It's about getting facts fast, whether you're verifying a license or scouting a new development area. Instead of navigating dozens of tabs to find out who owns a permit or what a contractor's specialty is, you get those answers in a single chat window. You can use it to identify active job sites for sales outreach or perform rapid due diligence on properties. It puts the power of a construction data analyst into your favorite AI client.

## Tools

### get_contractor_activity
Finds which contractors are currently active at a specific address. This helps you see who is working on a site right now.

### get_contractor_by_license
Pulls a contractor's full profile using their state business license ID. Use this to quickly verify credentials.

### get_contractor
Retrieves specific details for a contractor you already have identified. Use this to get a quick summary of a company.

### get_permit_stats
Retrieves aggregated statistics on permit activity for a specific area. It helps you spot regional trends.

### get_permit
Gets the specific details and status of a single building permit. Use this for deep dives into specific projects.

### search_contractors
Searches for licensed professionals based on location, work type, and property type. It's great for finding new vendors.

### search_permits
Searches for building permits across different geographic regions. Use this to scout for new development activity.

## Prompt Examples

**Prompt:** 
```
Find me some roofing contractors in San Francisco.
```

**Response:** 
```
I've searched Shovels for roofing professionals in San Francisco. I found 8 active contractors, including:

| Company Name | Specialty | Status |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| Bay Area Roofing | Residential | Active |
| Elite Home Exteriors | Commercial | Active |
| ... | ... | ... |

Would you like to see their full credentials?
```

**Prompt:** 
```
What's the permit activity like in Austin, TX?
```

**Response:** 
```
Retrieving permit activity for Austin... 

I see a **15% increase** in residential remodeling permits this quarter, with a total of **1,200 active filings**. 

Would you like me to break this down by permit type or specific neighborhoods?
```

**Prompt:** 
```
Who is working near 1600 Amphitheatre Pkwy?
```

**Response:** 
```
Scanning work activity near Googleplex... 

I've identified **12 contractors** doing work within a 5-mile radius. Most of the activity is focused on:
* Commercial HVAC upgrades
* Electrical infrastructure
* Interior remodeling

Shall I list the specific companies for you?
```

## Capabilities

### Find licensed contractors by trade
Search for professionals based on specific work types like roofing or solar in any location.

### Pull detailed permit records
Get specific building permit details including status and estimated values.

### Identify active job sites
See which contractors are currently working at a specific address or within a radius.

### Get regional construction stats
Retrieve aggregated data on permit activity for cities or counties to spot trends.

### Verify contractor credentials
Pull a contractor's full profile and history using their state business license ID.

## Use Cases

### Verifying a roofing company
A property manager asks the agent to check if a roofer is licensed. The agent uses get_contractor_by_license to confirm their status.

### Scouting new developments
A developer wants to see where the most permits are being issued. The agent uses search_permits to find high-activity areas.

### Identifying local competition
A supplier needs to know who's building nearby. The agent uses get_contractor_activity to find active sites in a 5-mile radius.

### Analyzing market growth
A researcher needs to see if a city is growing. The agent uses get_permit_stats to pull permit volumes for the last quarter.

## Benefits

- Skip the manual search for contractors by using search_contractors to filter by trade and location instantly.
- Verify credentials in seconds with get_contractor_by_license instead of hunting for state records.
- Track neighborhood development by using get_contractor_activity to see who's working on a specific site.
- Get a bird's eye view of the market using get_permit_stats to spot growth trends in any city.
- Audit permit histories quickly with get_permit to see the status and value of specific building projects.

## How It Works

The bottom line is you get instant access to construction data without leaving your chat interface.

1. Subscribe to the Shovels MCP on Vinkius.
2. Add your Shovels.ai API key to your agent's configuration.
3. Ask your agent to find permits, contractors, or market data.

## Frequently Asked Questions

**Can Shovels MCP find specific building permits?**
Yes, it pulls detailed records for individual permits, including their current status and estimated values.

**How do I verify a contractor's license with Shovels MCP?**
You can ask your agent to pull a contractor's full profile using their state business license ID for instant verification.

**Can I use Shovels MCP to see construction trends?**
Yes, it retrieves aggregated permit activity statistics to help you analyze market trends in different cities or counties.

**Does Shovels MCP show who's working at a specific address?**
It can identify contractors actively working within a specific radius of any address you provide.

**Can I find contractors by their trade?**
You can search for licensed professionals based on specific work types like roofing or solar in any location.

**Is Shovels MCP good for real estate due diligence?**
It's perfect for rapid property auditing by pulling permit history and contractor credentials in one place.

**How do I find solar contractors in a specific ZIP code?**
Use the `search_contractors` tool and provide the ZIP code in the `geo_id` parameter and 'solar' in the `work_type` parameter. Your agent will return a list of matching professionals.

**Can I see permit activity for a whole city?**
Yes! Use the `get_permit_stats` tool with the city name or City/State combination in the `geo_id` parameter to retrieve aggregated construction data for that area.

**How do I verify if a contractor has a valid license?**
You can use the `get_contractor_by_license` tool with their state business license ID. The returned profile will include their current licensing status and specialty data.