How do I use Shovels with my AI?

You connect the MCP to an MCP-compatible client like Claude, Cursor, or Windsurf. Once connected, you can use natural language to ask for construction data.

What kind of construction data is available?

The MCP provides access to building permit records, contractor license information, and aggregated permit statistics for various cities and counties.

Can I verify if a contractor is licensed?

Yes, you can use the capability to pull contractor profiles using their state business license IDs to verify their credentials.

Do I need to provide my own API key?

Yes, you will need to enter your Shovels.ai API key to authenticate the connection.

Can I find work happening near a specific address?

Yes, the MCP includes a capability to find contractors who are actively working within a specific radius of any given address.

How do I find solar contractors in a specific ZIP code?

Use the search_contractors capability 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 capability 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 capability with their state business license ID. The returned profile will include their current licensing status and specialty data.

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Connect Shovels to ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini

Set it up once and it works in ChatGPT, Claude, Cursor, and any other client you love. It all runs safely in the background, so you can relax and focus on what really matters. Turn your AI agent into a real estate data analyst.

Ask AI about this Connector

Developed, maintained, and hosted by Vinkius.

MCP VERIFIED · PRODUCTION READY · VINKIUS GUARANTEED

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Works with modern AI clients that support MCP, including ChatGPT, Claude, Cursor, and more.

Your AI does the work. We keep it safe and sound.

No other AI tool gives you this. Your workflow runs in the client you already love, your account stays protected, and you decide what the agent can and cannot do. It is the whole reason to make the switch.

Each Connector lives inside our infrastructure, the same place where your workflow runs. The three things below are already part of it, working quietly in the background so you never have to think about them. Nothing to add, nothing to set up, nothing to worry about.

V8 Isolate01

Each Connector runs inside its own sealed environment.

Each Connector runs inside its own sealed V8 runtime — no access to your files, your system, or other servers. A Connector never sees past its own request.

Kill Switch02

One switch stops every agent. Instantly.

One action deactivates every Connector, revokes every token, and ends every session at once. AI Governance keeps the record.

FinOps per User03

Spending limits that pause instead of surprise.

Every user keeps their own connections and credentials, isolated from everyone else. Anything that would cross your spending limit is held for your approval, not billed.

Three controls, built into the layer your AI connects through.

Curated set · 7 capabilities

We ship only the actions that matter.

Capability set01 / 02

01-04

4 capabilities in this set.

Part of 7 available through Shovels.

01
Get permit stats
This capability pulls permit activity statistics to help you track construction trends.
02
Search permits
Use this to find specific building permit records across different regions.
03
Get contractor activity
This capability identifies contractors currently working at or near a specific address.
04
Get contractor by license
This capability retrieves a contractor's profile using their state business license ID.

Capability set02 / 02

05-07

3 capabilities in this set.

Part of 7 available through Shovels.

05
Get contractor
This capability pulls full details for a specific contractor.
06
Get permit
Use this to get the granular details of an individual building permit.
07
Search contractors
This capability searches for licensed professionals based on their work type and location.

Real work

What teams actually run

Due Diligence

A developer checks the permit history of a target property to ensure all work was legal.

Vendor Vetting

A homeowner verifies a contractor's license and past work before hiring them.

Market Analysis

A researcher identifies cities with rising construction activity using permit statistics.

Sales Targeting

A supplier finds active job sites near a specific location to plan delivery routes.

Automate a task

Put Shovels to work on one thing.

Step-by-step automations your AI runs through this Connector: the workflow, the prompts to start with, and the exact capabilities behind each move.

One connector, every AI

Shovels works with the most popular AI clients.

These are the most popular clients, each with a step-by-step guide: one link, set up once, with governance and visibility built in. And because everything runs on the MCP standard, the same connection also works in any other compatible client — nothing to rebuild.

Building your own app? The connector is yours to use.

You don't need a client to put Shovels to work: the same hosted connection plugs into your own applications and agent code, with the same governance on every request. Build with it, chat with it — one connection for both.

Observed, not estimated

861ms average. Fast in production.

Shovels is checked daily against the live service.

Daily averagePeak 985ms

Oct 3Today

Fastest day: 707ms
Slowest day: 985ms
14-day trend: Slowing+12%

Connect your client

One URL. Every client.

Activate the Connector, copy your link, and paste it into the client you already use. 7 capabilities arrive ready to run.

Preview access · not provider authentication

The vk_preview_* token belongs to Vinkius preview infrastructure. It lets Claude discover and display the capabilities of Shovels, so you can see the experience inside your AI.

It does not authenticate your account with Shovels. Actions requiring credentials or live account data may not run until you activate the Connector and authorize the service.

Shovels Connector

You're all set. Choose your MCP client and follow the setup instructions.

Connector linkhttps://edge.vinkius.com/vk_preview_RSG9zy7OuDDwy2PArhzcYxbqgpEgvLANjYpKraK6/mcp

Claude Desktop

Follow the steps below to connect in seconds.

1In Claude Desktop, open Settings → Connectors.
2Click “Add custom connector” and paste the connector link above as the remote MCP server URL.
3Click Add and start a new chat — Shovels capabilities are ready to use.

Configuration · claude_desktop_config.jsonCopy

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "shovels-mcp": {
      "url": "https://edge.vinkius.com/vk_preview_RSG9zy7OuDDwy2PArhzcYxbqgpEgvLANjYpKraK6/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Claude
ChatGPT
Cursor
VS Code
Windsurf
Claude Code
JetBrains
Cline

Step-by-step instructions for each client are in the guide. How to connect

Guided setup for Claude? Set up Shovels in Claude and other AIs

See all the AI clients this connector works with ↑

Who it's for

Built for the work Shovels owners hand off.

Professionals in real estate and construction who need to verify data without manual searching.

01
Real Estate Developers
They use the agent to perform property due diligence and track local development.
02
Market Researchers
They use the agent to analyze permit volumes and identify high-growth areas.
03
Property Managers
They use the agent to verify contractor credentials and work history.
04
Building Material Suppliers
They use the agent to find active job sites for sales outreach.

FAQ

Questions Shovels owners ask.

01
How do I use Shovels with my AI?
You connect the MCP to an MCP-compatible client like Claude, Cursor, or Windsurf. Once connected, you can use natural language to ask for construction data.
02
What kind of construction data is available?
The MCP provides access to building permit records, contractor license information, and aggregated permit statistics for various cities and counties.
03
Can I verify if a contractor is licensed?
Yes, you can use the capability to pull contractor profiles using their state business license IDs to verify their credentials.
04
Do I need to provide my own API key?
Yes, you will need to enter your Shovels.ai API key to authenticate the connection.
05
Can I find work happening near a specific address?
Yes, the MCP includes a capability to find contractors who are actively working within a specific radius of any given address.
06
How do I find solar contractors in a specific ZIP code?
Use the search_contractors capability 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.
07
Can I see permit activity for a whole city?
Yes! Use the get_permit_stats capability with the city name or City/State combination in the geo_id parameter to retrieve aggregated construction data for that area.
08
How do I verify if a contractor has a valid license?
You can use the get_contractor_by_license capability with their state business license ID. The returned profile will include their current licensing status and specialty data.

Explore

More in Real Estate

Connect Shovels to Claude, Cursor, ChatGPT & more

Your AI does the work. We keep it safe and sound.

Each Connector runs inside its own sealed environment.

One switch stops every agent. Instantly.

Spending limits that pause instead of surprise.

We ship only the actions that matter.

01-04

Get permit stats

Search permits

Get contractor activity

Get contractor by license

05-07

Get contractor

Get permit

Search contractors

What teams actually run

Due Diligence

Vendor Vetting

Market Analysis

Sales Targeting

Building your own app? The connector is yours to use.

Shovels Connector

Claude Desktop

Real Estate Developers

Market Researchers

Property Managers

Building Material Suppliers

How do I use Shovels with my AI?

What kind of construction data is available?

Can I verify if a contractor is licensed?

Do I need to provide my own API key?

Can I find work happening near a specific address?

How do I find solar contractors in a specific ZIP code?

Can I see permit activity for a whole city?

How do I verify if a contractor has a valid license?

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