SF Peninsula building permits and parcel buildability: SB 9, ADU and redevelopment leads.
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.
| 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.
No install step: npx fetches it on demand.
claude mcp add addressintel \
-e ADDRESSINTEL_API_KEY=your_key \
-- npx -y addressintel-mcp
Add to claude_desktop_config.json:
{
"mcpServers": {
"addressintel": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "addressintel-mcp"],
"env": {
"ADDRESSINTEL_API_KEY": "your_key"
}
}
}
}
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?"
| 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. |
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.
Source-derived launch command. Check the maintainer’s required arguments and credentials before running:
npx -y addressintel-mcpMerge this template into ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json. Keep existing servers. Add any arguments, credentials, and permissions required by the maintainer; this template has not been install-tested.
{
"mcpServers": {
"co-addressintel-permits": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"addressintel-mcp"
]
}
}
}Restart Claude Desktop completely for changes to take effect. Confirm the server appears connected in the client’s tool list, then try a read-only example from its documentation.
Claude Desktop setup referenceaddressintel-mcpnpmco.addressintel/permits works with any MCP-compatible client. Copy the config snippet from the Configuration section above and add it to the file shown for your client, then restart the application.
~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.jsonRestart Claude Desktop completely for changes to take effect.~/.cursor/mcp.jsonRestart Cursor for changes to take effect..vscode/mcp.jsonReload VS Code window for changes to take effect.~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.jsonRestart Windsurf for changes to take effect..mcp.jsonSave at the project root, then start Claude Code in that project and review the MCP server approval prompt. Keep real credentials out of shared files.