DIY Helper MCP Servers

Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers for the DIY Helper platform. Provides building code lookups, material specifications, and manufacturer guide access for real-time consultation support.

Servers

Building Codes Server

Provides access to residential building codes including:

NEC (National Electrical Code)
IRC (International Residential Code)
IPC (International Plumbing Code)

Tools:

search_building_codes - Natural language code search
get_code_section - Retrieve specific code sections
check_code_compliance - Verify scenario compliance
list_code_categories - Browse available codes

Material Specs Server

Provides real-time material search, pricing, and quantity calculations.

Tools:

search_materials - Search for products across suppliers
get_product_details - Get detailed product specifications
find_alternatives - Find similar products at different price points
check_compatibility - Verify product compatibility
calculate_wire_needed - Calculate electrical wire quantities
calculate_outlets_needed - Calculate outlet requirements per NEC
calculate_tile_needed - Calculate tile quantities
calculate_paint_needed - Calculate paint requirements
calculate_deck_lumber - Calculate deck framing materials
calculate_pex_pipe - Calculate plumbing pipe needs
create_shopping_list - Generate complete shopping lists

Running:

python src/material_specs_server/server.py

Installation

Prerequisites

Python 3.8+
pip

Setup

Clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/yourusername/diy-helper-mcp-servers.git cd diy-helper-mcp-servers

Create virtual environment:

python -m venv venv source venv/bin/activate # On Windows: venv\Scripts\activate

Install dependencies:

pip install -r requirements.txt

Configure environment:

cp .env.example .env # Edit .env and add your API keys

Usage

Running the Building Codes Server

python src/building_codes_server/server.py

Using with Claude Desktop

Add to your Claude Desktop config (claude_desktop_config.json):

{ "mcpServers": { "building-codes": { "command": "python", "args": ["/path/to/diy-helper-mcp-servers/src/building_codes_server/server.py"], "env": { "CODE_DATABASE_PATH": "/path/to/codes.json" } } } }

Using Programmatically

from anthropic import Anthropic from mcp import ClientSession, StdioServerParameters # Initialize MCP client server_params = StdioServerParameters( command="python", args=["src/building_codes_server/server.py"] ) async with ClientSession(server_params) as session: # Initialize connection await session.initialize() # List available tools tools = await session.list_tools() # Call a tool result = await session.call_tool( "search_building_codes", {"query": "outlet spacing in living room", "jurisdiction": "National"} ) print(result)

Development

Adding New Codes

Edit src/building_codes_server/codes.json:

{ "id": "unique-id", "code_ref": "CODE SECTION", "title": "Code Title", "category": "electrical|plumbing|structural|mechanical|general", "jurisdiction": "National|State|City", "summary": "Plain English summary", "source": "Official source citation", "common_questions": ["question 1", "question 2"], "notes": "Additional context", "related_codes": ["RELATED-1", "RELATED-2"] }

Running Tests

Testing

Run All Tests

# Run all tests ./run_all_tests.sh # Or run individually: python tests/test_building_codes.py python tests/test_material_server.py

Test Coverage

Building Codes Server:

✓ Code search functionality
✓ Specific section retrieval
✓ Category listing
✓ Common DIY questions
✓ Jurisdiction filtering
✓ Edge case handling

Material Specs Server:

✓ Product search
✓ Product details
✓ Material calculators (7 types)
✓ Alternative products
✓ Compatibility checks
✓ Shopping list generation

Quick Tests

# Test building codes server directly python src/building_codes_server/server.py # Test material specs server directly python src/material_specs_server/server.py

Web Testing Interface

For testing on Linux or without Claude Desktop, use the web interface:

Prerequisites

# Install Flask pip install flask # Set your Anthropic API key export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY='your-key-here'

Run the Web Interface

python test_web_interface.py

Then open your browser to: http://localhost:5000

Features

Interactive chat with Claude + MCP tools
Real-time building code lookups
Material search and pricing
Project calculators
Complete conversation history
Example queries to get started

Example Queries

Try these in the web interface:

"What are the outlet spacing requirements for a kitchen?"
"Search for 12 gauge wire and show me prices"
"Calculate how much wire I need for a 40-foot circuit"
"I'm installing a dishwasher 30 feet from the panel. What do I need?"

Roadmap

Vector search integration (Pinecone/pgvector)
Material specs server
Manufacturer guides server
Jurisdictional code amendments
Image analysis for code compliance
Cost estimation tools

Contributing

Fork the repository
Create a feature branch
Make your changes
Submit a pull request

License

MIT License - See LICENSE file for details

Support

Documentation: docs/setup.md
Issues: https://github.com/yourusername/diy-helper-mcp-servers/issues
Email: support@yourplatform.com

DIY Helper MCP Servers

DIY Helper MCP Servers

Servers

Building Codes Server

Material Specs Server

Installation

Prerequisites

Setup

Usage

Running the Building Codes Server

Using with Claude Desktop

Using Programmatically

Development

Adding New Codes

Running Tests

Testing

Run All Tests

Test Coverage

Quick Tests

Web Testing Interface

Prerequisites

Run the Web Interface

Features

Example Queries

Roadmap

Contributing

License

Support

Resources

New MCP Servers

Latest Blog Posts

MCP directory API