Shovels MCP Server for Vercel AI SDK 7 tools — connect in under 2 minutes
The Vercel AI SDK is the TypeScript toolkit for building AI-powered applications. Connect Shovels through the Vinkius and every tool is available as a typed function — ready for React Server Components, API routes, or any Node.js backend.
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Vinkius supports streamable HTTP and SSE.
import { createMCPClient } from "@ai-sdk/mcp";
import { generateText } from "ai";
import { openai } from "@ai-sdk/openai";
async function main() {
const mcpClient = await createMCPClient({
transport: {
type: "http",
// Your Vinkius token — get it at cloud.vinkius.com
url: "https://edge.vinkius.com/[YOUR_TOKEN_HERE]/mcp",
},
});
try {
const tools = await mcpClient.tools();
const { text } = await generateText({
model: openai("gpt-4o"),
tools,
prompt: "Using Shovels, list all available capabilities.",
});
console.log(text);
} finally {
await mcpClient.close();
}
}
main();
* 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 Shovels MCP Server
Empower your AI agent to access the most comprehensive database of construction permits and licensed contractors with Shovels. By connecting Shovels to your agent, you transform complex real estate and construction auditing into a natural conversation. Your agent can instantly search for active permits, audit contractor history, and retrieve market statistics for specific geographic areas without you ever touching a dashboard. Whether you are analyzing market trends or verifying contractor credentials, your agent acts as a real-time construction data analyst, ensuring your insights are always structured and up-to-date.
The Vercel AI SDK gives every Shovels tool full TypeScript type inference, IDE autocomplete, and compile-time error checking. Connect 7 tools through the Vinkius and stream results progressively to React, Svelte, or Vue components — works on Edge Functions, Cloudflare Workers, and any Node.js runtime.
What you can do
- Contractor Discovery — Find licensed professionals based on location, work type (solar, roofing, etc.), and property type.
- Permit Auditing — Search for and inspect detailed building permit records, including status and estimated values.
- Activity Tracking — Identify contractors actively working within a specific radius of any address.
- Market Intelligence — Retrieve aggregated permit statistics to analyze construction trends in different cities or counties.
- License Verification — Instantly pull contractor profiles using their state business license IDs.
The Shovels MCP Server exposes 7 tools through the Vinkius. Connect it to Vercel AI SDK 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 Shovels to Vercel AI SDK via MCP
Follow these steps to integrate the Shovels MCP Server with Vercel AI SDK.
Install dependencies
Run npm install @ai-sdk/mcp ai @ai-sdk/openai
Replace the token
Replace [YOUR_TOKEN_HERE] with your Vinkius token
Run the script
Save to agent.ts and run with npx tsx agent.ts
Explore tools
The SDK discovers 7 tools from Shovels and passes them to the LLM
Why Use Vercel AI SDK with the Shovels MCP Server
Vercel AI SDK provides unique advantages when paired with Shovels through the Model Context Protocol.
TypeScript-first: every MCP tool gets full type inference, IDE autocomplete, and compile-time error checking out of the box
Framework-agnostic core works with Next.js, Nuxt, SvelteKit, or any Node.js runtime — same Shovels integration everywhere
Built-in streaming UI primitives let you display Shovels tool results progressively in React, Svelte, or Vue components
Edge-compatible: the AI SDK runs on Vercel Edge Functions, Cloudflare Workers, and other edge runtimes for minimal latency
Shovels + Vercel AI SDK Use Cases
Practical scenarios where Vercel AI SDK combined with the Shovels MCP Server delivers measurable value.
AI-powered web apps: build dashboards that query Shovels in real-time and stream results to the UI with zero loading states
API backends: create serverless endpoints that orchestrate Shovels tools and return structured JSON responses to any frontend
Chatbots with tool use: embed Shovels capabilities into conversational interfaces with streaming responses and tool call visibility
Internal tools: build admin panels where team members interact with Shovels through natural language queries
Shovels MCP Tools for Vercel AI SDK (7)
These 7 tools become available when you connect Shovels to Vercel AI SDK via MCP:
get_contractor
Get contractor details
get_contractor_activity
Find contractors active at an address
get_contractor_by_license
Find contractor by license ID
get_permit
Get permit details
get_permit_stats
Get permit activity statistics
search_contractors
Search for licensed contractors
search_permits
Search for building permits
Example Prompts for Shovels in Vercel AI SDK
Ready-to-use prompts you can give your Vercel AI SDK agent to start working with Shovels immediately.
"Search for roofing contractors in ZIP 94105."
"Show me permit stats for Austin, TX."
"Find contractors active near 1600 Amphitheatre Pkwy, Mountain View."
Troubleshooting Shovels MCP Server with Vercel AI SDK
Common issues when connecting Shovels to Vercel AI SDK through the Vinkius, and how to resolve them.
createMCPClient is not a function
npm install @ai-sdk/mcpShovels + Vercel AI SDK FAQ
Common questions about integrating Shovels MCP Server with Vercel AI SDK.
How does the Vercel AI SDK connect to MCP servers?
createMCPClient from @ai-sdk/mcp and pass the server URL. The SDK discovers all tools and provides typed TypeScript interfaces for each one.Can I use MCP tools in Edge Functions?
Does it support streaming tool results?
useChat and streamText that handle tool calls and display results progressively in the UI.Connect Shovels with your favorite client
Step-by-step setup guides for every MCP-compatible client and framework:
Anthropic's native desktop app for Claude with built-in MCP support.
AI-first code editor with integrated LLM-powered coding assistance.
GitHub Copilot in VS Code with Agent mode and MCP support.
Purpose-built IDE for agentic AI coding workflows.
Autonomous AI coding agent that runs inside VS Code.
Anthropic's agentic CLI for terminal-first development.
Python SDK for building production-grade OpenAI agent workflows.
Google's framework for building production AI agents.
Type-safe agent development for Python with first-class MCP support.
TypeScript toolkit for building AI-powered web applications.
TypeScript-native agent framework for modern web stacks.
Python framework for orchestrating collaborative AI agent crews.
Leading Python framework for composable LLM applications.
Data-aware AI agent framework for structured and unstructured sources.
Microsoft's framework for multi-agent collaborative conversations.
Connect Shovels to Vercel AI SDK
Get your token, paste the configuration, and start using 7 tools in under 2 minutes. No API key management needed.