permits

AddressIntel MCP server

A read-only Model Context Protocol server that puts SF Peninsula building-permit and parcel-buildability data inside Claude, ChatGPT, or any other MCP-capable agent.

It is a thin client over the public AddressIntel API, so it inherits that API's auth, rate limits and tier ceilings. Every tool is a GET. Nothing here can write.

Tools

Tool	What it answers
search_permits	What construction has actually been permitted at an address or in a city? Filters on city, keyword (address, project type, scope description, contractor, architect, permit number) and minimum valuation.
list_sb9_inventory	Which active listings can be split or duplexed under SB 9, and what blocks the ones that can't?
list_adu_leads	Which parcels have room for an ADU, and how many units / how much square footage?
list_redevelopment_leads	Which parcels are underbuilt against their allowable envelope (scrape-and-rebuild or expansion)?
list_market_signals	Which listings score highest for teardown or flip potential?
get_property_intelligence	Full scores and comparable sales for one property id.

The permit and parcel tools are the differentiated half: permit-level detail and parcel-level buildability for the Peninsula, rather than a nationwide owner list.

Install

No install step: npx fetches it on demand.

Claude Code

claude mcp add addressintel \
  -e ADDRESSINTEL_API_KEY=your_key \
  -- npx -y addressintel-mcp

Claude Desktop

Add to claude_desktop_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "addressintel": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "addressintel-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "ADDRESSINTEL_API_KEY": "your_key"
      }
    }
  }
}

From source

For working on the server itself:

git clone https://github.com/RantumBits/addressintel-mcp.git
cd addressintel-mcp
npm install
npm run build     # emits dist/index.js

Then point the client at node /absolute/path/to/addressintel-mcp/dist/index.js instead of the npx command above.

Restart the client, then ask it something like "what demolition permits were issued in Menlo Park this year?" or "which Palo Alto listings are SB 9 eligible?"

Configuration

Variable	Default	Notes
ADDRESSINTEL_API_KEY	demo	Without a key the server uses the public demo tier: 10 requests/minute, 5 rows per call. Grab a free key at https://addressintel.co/developers for 30/min and 25 rows; the key is emailed to the address you enter.
ADDRESSINTEL_API_BASE	https://addressintel.co/api	Point at a local dev server (http://localhost:3000/api) when working on the API.

Development

npm run dev       # run from source over stdio
node test_mcp.mjs # smoke test: connect, list tools, call one

Tools are declared in one table in src/index.ts. Each entry carries its zod schema and its advertised JSON Schema side by side, so adding a tool means adding one entry, and the two shapes cannot drift apart.