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.

Shovels MCP Server for Google ADK 7 tools — connect in under 2 minutes

google.github.io/adk-docs/tools/mcp-tools

Built by Vinkius GDPR 7 Tools SDK

Google Agent Development Kit (ADK) is Google's framework for building production AI agents. Add Shovels as an MCP tool provider through the Vinkius and your ADK agents can call every tool with full schema introspection.

Get MCP Server for AI Agents

ASK AI ABOUT THIS MCP SERVER

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Vinkius supports streamable HTTP and SSE.

python

from google.adk.agents import Agent
from google.adk.tools.mcp_tool import McpToolset
from google.adk.tools.mcp_tool.mcp_session_manager import (
    StreamableHTTPConnectionParams,
)

# Your Vinkius token — get it at cloud.vinkius.com
mcp_tools = McpToolset(
    connection_params=StreamableHTTPConnectionParams(
        url="https://edge.vinkius.com/[YOUR_TOKEN_HERE]/mcp",
    )
)

agent = Agent(
    model="gemini-2.5-pro",
    name="shovels_agent",
    instruction=(
        "You help users interact with Shovels "
        "using 7 available tools."
    ),
    tools=[mcp_tools],
)

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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 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.

Google ADK natively supports Shovels as an MCP tool provider — declare the Vinkius Edge URL and the framework handles discovery, validation, and execution automatically. Combine 7 tools with Gemini's long-context reasoning for complex multi-tool workflows, with production-ready session management and evaluation built in.

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 Google ADK 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 Google ADK via MCP

Follow these steps to integrate the Shovels MCP Server with Google ADK.

Install Google ADK

Run pip install google-adk

Replace the token

Replace [YOUR_TOKEN_HERE] with your Vinkius token

Create the agent

Save the code above and integrate into your ADK workflow

Explore tools

The agent will discover 7 tools from Shovels via MCP

Why Use Google ADK with the Shovels MCP Server

Google ADK provides unique advantages when paired with Shovels through the Model Context Protocol.

Google ADK natively supports MCP tool servers — declare a tool provider and the framework handles discovery, validation, and execution

Built on Gemini models, ADK provides long-context reasoning ideal for complex multi-tool workflows with Shovels

Production-ready features like session management, evaluation, and deployment come built-in — not bolted on

Seamless integration with Google Cloud services means you can combine Shovels tools with BigQuery, Vertex AI, and Cloud Functions

Shovels + Google ADK Use Cases

Practical scenarios where Google ADK combined with the Shovels MCP Server delivers measurable value.

Enterprise data agents: ADK agents query Shovels and cross-reference results with internal databases for comprehensive analysis

Multi-modal workflows: combine Shovels tool responses with Gemini's vision and language capabilities in a single agent

Automated compliance checks: schedule ADK agents to query Shovels regularly and flag policy violations or configuration drift

Internal tool platforms: build self-service agent platforms where teams connect their own MCP servers including Shovels

Shovels MCP Tools for Google ADK (7)

These 7 tools become available when you connect Shovels to Google ADK 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 Google ADK

Ready-to-use prompts you can give your Google ADK 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 Google ADK

Common issues when connecting Shovels to Google ADK through the Vinkius, and how to resolve them.

McpToolset not found

Update: pip install --upgrade google-adk

Shovels + Google ADK FAQ

Common questions about integrating Shovels MCP Server with Google ADK.

How does Google ADK connect to MCP servers?

Import the MCP toolset class and pass the server URL. ADK discovers and registers all tools automatically, making them available to your agent's tool-use loop.

Can ADK agents use multiple MCP servers?

Yes. Declare multiple MCP tool providers in your agent configuration. ADK merges all tool schemas and the agent can call tools from any server in a single turn.

Which Gemini models work best with MCP tools?

Gemini 2.0 Flash and Pro models both support function calling required for MCP tools. Flash is recommended for latency-sensitive use cases, Pro for complex reasoning.