Shovels Connector for AI agents.
7 live capabilities
Search construction permits and licensed contractors in real time.
Waiting for input…
Why people use Shovels
Shovels Construction Permit Auditing
With Shovels, you just tell your agent what you need. It pulls the permit details, contractor history, and license status into a single view. You get a clear picture of a project's status without ever opening a browser.
What Vinkius changes
You get instant access to construction data without leaving your chat interface.
Use it from Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor or another AI client you already have.
One account · 5,900+ Connectors
- Real-world use case 01
Verifying a roofing company
A property manager asks the agent to check if a roofer is licensed.
- Real-world use case 02
Scouting new developments
A developer wants to see where the most permits are being issued.
- Real-world use case 03
Identifying local competition
A supplier needs to know who's building nearby.
Complete set · 7capabilities
The complete Shovels capability set.
These are the exact actions your AI can choose when you ask it to work with Shovels.
01—04
4 capabilities in this set.
Part of 7 available through Shovels.
- 01 Capability
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.
- 02 Capability
Get contractor by license
Pulls a contractor's full profile using their state business license ID. Use this to quickly verify credentials.
- 03 Capability
Get contractor
Retrieves specific details for a contractor you already have identified. Use this to get a quick summary of a company.
- 04 Capability
Get permit stats
Retrieves aggregated statistics on permit activity for a specific area. It helps you spot regional trends.
05—07
3 capabilities in this set.
Part of 7 available through Shovels.
- 05 Capability
Get permit
Gets the specific details and status of a single building permit. Use this for deep dives into specific projects.
- 06 Capability
Search contractors
Searches for licensed professionals based on location, work type, and property type. It's great for finding new vendors.
- 07 Capability
Search permits
Searches for building permits across different geographic regions. Use this to scout for new development activity.
Set up in minutes
One URL. Then ask Shovels to work.
Claude and ChatGPT only need the Connector URL. Copy it once, add it in settings, and use Shovels from the conversation.
Choose your client
Live previewAdvanced clients IDE · CLI
Claude · Web + desktop
Connector URL · ready to paste
Streamable HTTPhttps://edge.vinkius.com/vk_preview_RSG9zy7OuDDwy2PArhzcYxbqgpEgvLANjYpKraK6/mcp - Step 01
Open Connectors
In Claude Web or Claude Desktop, open Settings and choose Connectors.
- Step 02
Add the URL
Choose Add custom connector, name it Shovels, and paste the URL above.
- Step 03
Turn it on in chat
Select +, open Connectors, and enable Shovels for the conversation.
ChatGPT · Web + desktop
Connector URL · ready to paste
Streamable HTTPhttps://edge.vinkius.com/vk_preview_RSG9zy7OuDDwy2PArhzcYxbqgpEgvLANjYpKraK6/mcp - Step 01
Open MCP settings
On desktop, open Settings and MCP servers. On web, open your workspace app or connector settings.
- Step 02
Add the URL
Choose Add server with Streamable HTTP, or create a custom MCP app, then paste the Shovels URL.
- Step 03
Save and start
Save the connection and enable Shovels in your conversation. Desktop may ask you to restart once.
Cursor · IDE configuration
Advanced setup
{
"mcpServers": {
"shovels": {
"url": "https://edge.vinkius.com/vk_preview_RSG9zy7OuDDwy2PArhzcYxbqgpEgvLANjYpKraK6/mcp"
}
}
}- Step 01
Open MCP Settings
Press Cmd+Shift+P (macOS) or Ctrl+Shift+P (Windows/Linux) → search "MCP Settings"
- Step 02
Add the server config
Paste the JSON configuration above into the mcp.json file that opens
- Step 03
Save the file
Cursor will automatically detect the new Connector
- Step 04
Start using Shovels
Open Agent mode in chat and ask: "Using Shovels, help me...". 7 tools available
VS Code Copilot · IDE configuration
Advanced setup
{
"mcpServers": {
"shovels": {
"url": "https://edge.vinkius.com/vk_preview_RSG9zy7OuDDwy2PArhzcYxbqgpEgvLANjYpKraK6/mcp"
}
}
}- Step 01
Create MCP config
Create a .vscode/mcp.json file in your project root
- Step 02
Add the server config
Paste the JSON configuration above
- Step 03
Enable Agent mode
Open GitHub Copilot Chat and switch to Agent mode using the dropdown
- Step 04
Start using Shovels
Ask Copilot: "Using Shovels, help me...". 7 tools available
Windsurf · IDE configuration
Advanced setup
{
"mcpServers": {
"shovels": {
"url": "https://edge.vinkius.com/vk_preview_RSG9zy7OuDDwy2PArhzcYxbqgpEgvLANjYpKraK6/mcp"
}
}
}- Step 01
Open MCP Settings
Go to Settings → MCP Configuration or press Cmd+Shift+P and search "MCP"
- Step 02
Add the server
Paste the JSON configuration above into mcp_config.json
- Step 03
Save and reload
Windsurf will detect the new server automatically
- Step 04
Start using Shovels
Open Cascade and ask: "Using Shovels, help me...". 7 tools available
Cline · IDE configuration
Advanced setup
{
"mcpServers": {
"shovels": {
"url": "https://edge.vinkius.com/vk_preview_RSG9zy7OuDDwy2PArhzcYxbqgpEgvLANjYpKraK6/mcp"
}
}
}- Step 01
Open Cline MCP Settings
Click the Connectors icon in the Cline sidebar panel
- Step 02
Add remote server
Click "Add Connector" and paste the configuration above
- Step 03
Enable the server
Toggle the server switch to ON
- Step 04
Start using Shovels
Ask Cline: "Using Shovels, help me...". 7 tools available
Claude Code · Terminal command
Advanced setup
claude mcp add shovels --transport http "https://edge.vinkius.com/vk_preview_RSG9zy7OuDDwy2PArhzcYxbqgpEgvLANjYpKraK6/mcp"- Step 01
Install Claude Code
Run npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code if not already installed
- Step 02
Add the Connector
Run the command above in your terminal
- Step 03
Verify the connection
Run claude mcp to list connected servers, or type /mcp inside a session
- Step 04
Start using Shovels
Ask Claude: "Using Shovels, show me...". 7 tools are ready
Where the request belongs
Work Shovels can move forward.
Real estate pros and construction researchers who need to skip the manual tab-hopping between public records and contractor websites.
Real Estate Developer
Performs rapid due diligence on properties and tracks local development activity on a Tuesday afternoon.
Market Researcher
Analyzes construction trends and identifies high-growth areas based on permit volumes for quarterly reports.
Property Manager
Verifies contractor credentials and monitors work history in their neighborhood to ensure compliance.
Building Material Supplier
Identifies active job sites and contractors to optimize sales outreach for upcoming projects.
Build the capability set
Add more capabilities.
Each Connector adds new actions and data without changing how you work.
Browse Connectors
US Building Permit Fee Estimator
Estimate building permit, plan check, and inspection fees for major US cities.
AccuLynx
Business management for roofing contractors. manage leads, jobs, and financial data via AI.
HCSS
Automate heavy construction management via HCSS. manage jobs, timecards, estimates, and equipment telematics directly from any AI agent.
Fieldly
Connect Fieldly to automate construction management. manage work items, bookings, and invoices directly from your AI agent.
Accela
Manage civic services, permits, and inspections via Accela. search records, schedule inspections, and manage land parcels directly from any AI agent.
Contractor+
Run your contracting business with job estimates, invoicing, client management, and field crew tracking in one mobile platform.
Bring your own AI
Change the model, client or framework. Keep Shovels connected.
-
Claude -
ChatGPT -
Gemini -
Cursor -
VS Code -
Windsurf -
ZCode -
Cline -
Zed -
Continue -
Kiro -
Roo Code -
Zencoder -
Goose -
Void -
Augment Code -
Amp -
Qodo -
Tabnine -
Pieces -
Sourcegraph Cody -
JetBrains -
Warp -
Amazon Q -
Antigravity -
BoltAI -
Raycast -
Jan -
LM Studio -
AnythingLLM -
Open WebUI -
Msty -
Cherry Studio -
LibreChat -
TypingMind -
Chorus -
5ire -
n8n -
LangChain -
LlamaIndex -
CrewAI -
Vercel AI SDK
Before you connect
Questions about Shovels.
The practical details behind the request, access and result.
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 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.
One connection away
Give your agent a direct line to Shovels.
Connect Shovels once. Keep it beside 5,900+ managed Connectors when the next task needs more.
Explore every Connector No credit card required · Free tier available