How do I obtain my HCSS API credentials?

You must request API access through the **HCSS Developer Portal** (developer.hcssapps.com). Once approved, you will receive your Client ID, Client Secret, and Ocp-Apim-Subscription-Key.

Can I see the real-time location of my equipment?

Yes! Use the `get_equipment_location` tool with the unique equipment ID. It will return the latest GPS coordinates recorded by the Telematics system.

Does this integration cover both HeavyJob and HeavyBid?

Yes, this MCP server includes tools for both modules, allowing you to access timecard data from HeavyJob and estimate/bid data from HeavyBid in a single interface.

Is the integration secure for construction data?

Absolutely. The integration uses industry-standard OAuth 2.0 Client Credentials flow and HTTPS. Your credentials are encrypted and stored securely within the Vinkius Cloud infrastructure.

HCSS MCP Server for VS Code Copilot 11 tools — connect in under 2 minutes

Name: HCSS
Availability: InStock
Author: Vinkius

code.visualstudio.com/docs/copilot/chat/mcp-servers

Built by Vinkius GDPR 11 Tools IDE

GitHub Copilot in VS Code is the most widely adopted AI coding assistant, embedded directly into the world's most popular code editor. With MCP support in Agent mode, Copilot can access external data and APIs to generate context-aware code grounded in real-time information.

Get MCP Server for AI Agents

ASK AI ABOUT THIS MCP SERVER

Open in ChatGPT Open in Claude Open in Perplexity

Vinkius supports streamable HTTP and SSE.

RecommendedModern Approach — Zero Configuration

Vinkius Desktop App

The modern way to manage MCP Servers — no config files, no terminal commands. Install HCSS and 2,500+ MCP Servers from a single visual interface.

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Classic Setup·json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "hcss": {
      "url": "https://edge.vinkius.com/[YOUR_TOKEN_HERE]/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Fully ManagedVinkius Servers

60%Token savings

High SecurityEnterprise-grade

IAMAccess control

EU AI ActCompliant

DLPData protection

V8 IsolateSandboxed

Ed25519Audit chain

<40msKill switch

Stream every event to Splunk, Datadog, or your own webhook in real-time

* Every MCP server runs on Vinkius-managed infrastructure inside AWS - a purpose-built runtime with per-request V8 isolates, Ed25519 signed audit chains, and sub-40ms cold starts optimized for native MCP execution. See our infrastructure

About HCSS MCP Server

Connect your HCSS platform to any AI agent and take full control of your heavy construction workflows, from estimating to field data and equipment tracking, through natural conversation.

GitHub Copilot Agent mode brings HCSS data directly into your VS Code workflow. With a project-scoped config, the entire team shares access to 11 tools. Copilot queries live data, generates typed code, and writes tests from actual API responses, all without leaving the editor.

What you can do

Field Data Management — List construction jobs and retrieve timecard data from HeavyJob to monitor site progress.
Estimating Insights — Access bidding estimates and bid items from HeavyBid to stay aligned with project budgets.
Equipment Telematics — Monitor your fleet with real-time GPS locations and latest meter readings (odometer/hours).
Resource Coordination — List employees and business units defined across the HCSS ecosystem.
Pre-Construction Tracking — Browse active pre-con projects and project lifecycles.
Operational Efficiency — Use AI to identify equipment utilization trends or job cost variances in seconds.

The HCSS MCP Server exposes 11 tools through the Vinkius. Connect it to VS Code Copilot in under two minutes — no API keys to rotate, no infrastructure to provision, no vendor lock-in. Your configuration, your data, your control.

How to Connect HCSS to VS Code Copilot via MCP

Follow these steps to integrate the HCSS MCP Server with VS Code Copilot.

Create MCP config

Create a .vscode/mcp.json file in your project root

Add the server config

Paste the JSON configuration above

Enable Agent mode

Open GitHub Copilot Chat and switch to Agent mode using the dropdown

Start using HCSS

Ask Copilot: "Using HCSS, help me...". 11 tools available

Why Use VS Code Copilot with the HCSS MCP Server

GitHub Copilot for Visual Studio Code provides unique advantages when paired with HCSS through the Model Context Protocol.

VS Code is used by over 70% of developers. adding MCP tools to Copilot means your team can leverage external data without leaving their primary editor

Project-scoped MCP configs (`.vscode/mcp.json`) let you commit server configurations to your repository, ensuring the entire team shares the same tool access

Copilot's Agent mode integrates MCP tools seamlessly with file editing, terminal commands, and workspace search in a single agentic loop

GitHub's enterprise compliance and audit features extend to MCP tool usage, providing visibility into how AI interacts with external services

HCSS + VS Code Copilot Use Cases

Practical scenarios where VS Code Copilot combined with the HCSS MCP Server delivers measurable value.

Live API integration: Copilot can query an MCP server, inspect the response schema, and generate typed API client code in the same step

DevSecOps workflows: security teams can give developers access to domain intelligence tools directly in their editor for real-time vulnerability assessment during code review

Data pipeline development: Copilot fetches sample data via MCP and generates transformation scripts, validators, and test fixtures from actual API responses

Documentation generation: Copilot queries available tools and auto-generates README sections, API reference docs, and usage examples

HCSS MCP Tools for VS Code Copilot (11)

These 11 tools become available when you connect HCSS to VS Code Copilot via MCP:

get_bid_items

List bid items for a specific estimate

get_equipment_location

Get current GPS coordinates for a specific piece of equipment

get_equipment_meters

Get latest meter readings (odometer/hours) for equipment

list_business_units

List all business units in HCSS

list_cost_codes

List cost codes defined in the system

list_employees

List all employees synced in HCSS

list_equipment

List all tracked equipment/fleet from Telematics

list_estimates

List bidding estimates from HeavyBid

list_jobs

List all construction jobs/projects

list_precon_projects

List active pre-construction projects

list_timecards

List timecards from HeavyJob

Example Prompts for HCSS in VS Code Copilot

Ready-to-use prompts you can give your VS Code Copilot agent to start working with HCSS immediately.

"List all active construction jobs."

"Show the current location of Excavator ID EX-992."

"What are the bid items for estimate ID 2024-001?"

Troubleshooting HCSS MCP Server with VS Code Copilot

Common issues when connecting HCSS to VS Code Copilot through the Vinkius, and how to resolve them.

MCP tools not available

Ensure you are in Agent mode in Copilot Chat. MCP tools only appear in Agent mode.

HCSS + VS Code Copilot FAQ

Common questions about integrating HCSS MCP Server with VS Code Copilot.

Which VS Code version supports MCP?

MCP support requires VS Code 1.99 or later with the GitHub Copilot extension. Ensure both are updated to the latest version. Older versions of Copilot may not expose the Agent mode toggle.

How do I switch to Agent mode?

Open the Copilot Chat panel and look for two mode options: "Ask" and "Agent". Click "Agent" to enable autonomous tool calling. In Ask mode, Copilot provides conversational answers but cannot invoke MCP tools.

Can I restrict which MCP tools Copilot can access?

Yes. VS Code shows a tool consent dialog before any MCP tool is invoked for the first time. You can also configure tool access policies at the organization level through GitHub Copilot settings.

Does MCP work in VS Code Remote or Codespaces?

Yes. MCP servers configured via .vscode/mcp.json work in Remote SSH, WSL, and GitHub Codespaces environments. The MCP connection is established from the remote host, so ensure the server URL is accessible from that environment.