building-code-mcp 1.2.0

MCP server for searching Canadian Building Codes (NBC, OBC, BCBC, etc.)

Canadian Building Code MCP Server

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that enables Claude to search and navigate Canadian building codes.

How It Works

This MCP server operates in two modes:

Mode	Use Case	PDF Required	Text Extraction
Map-Only	Hosted API, Quick lookup	No	Page numbers & coordinates only
BYOD	Local MCP with full text	Yes (your own)	Full section text

Map-Only Mode (Default)

• Returns page numbers, section IDs, and coordinates
• Works everywhere (local, Vercel, Render, etc.)
• No PDF needed - just the indexed maps

BYOD Mode (Bring Your Own Document)

• Connect YOUR legally obtained PDF using set_pdf_path
• Get full text extraction from sections
• Local MCP only - not available in hosted API

Note: The hosted API at canada-aec-code-mcp.onrender.com runs in Map-Only mode. For full text extraction, run the MCP server locally and connect your own PDFs.

---

Quick Setup

Option A: Smithery (One-click install)

npx -y @smithery/cli@latest install davidcho/ca-building-code-mcp --client claude

Option B: uvx (Auto-updates, recommended)

Prerequisites: Install uv first (one-time setup):

# Windows (PowerShell)
powershell -c "irm https://astral.sh/uv/install.ps1 | iex"

# macOS/Linux
curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh

# Or via pip
pip install uv

Then add to Claude Desktop config (%APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json on Windows, ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json on Mac):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "building-code": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": ["building-code-mcp"]
    }
  }
}

Benefits: Automatically checks for updates on each run - always get the latest version!

Option C: pip install (Manual updates)

pip install building-code-mcp

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "building-code": {
      "command": "building-code-mcp"
    }
  }
}

To update: Run pip install --upgrade building-code-mcp

---

What It Does

Ask Claude questions like:

• "Find fire separation requirements for garages in NBC"
• "What are the stair width requirements in OBC?"
• "Show me section 9.10.14 of the Building Code"

Claude will search 22,500+ indexed sections across 16 Canadian building codes and guides.

Supported Codes

Building Codes (13)

Code	Version	Sections	Description
NBC	2025	2,700+	National Building Code
NFC	2025	1,000+	National Fire Code
NPC	2025	400+	National Plumbing Code
NECB	2025	450+	National Energy Code for Buildings
OBC	2024	4,100+	Ontario Building Code (Vol 1 & 2)
OFC	O. Reg. 213/07	1,900+	Ontario Fire Code
BCBC	2024	2,500+	British Columbia Building Code
ABC	2023	2,800+	Alberta Building Code
QCC	2020	2,700+	Quebec Construction Code
QECB	2020	380+	Quebec Energy Code
QPC	2020	420+	Quebec Plumbing Code
QSC	2020	1,000+	Quebec Safety Code

User's Guides (3)

Guide	Version	Sections	Description
IUGP9	2020	1,000+	Illustrated Guide - Part 9 Housing
UGP4	2020	490+	User's Guide - NBC Structural Commentaries
UGNECB	2020	160+	User's Guide - NECB

💡 Best Practices (Token Efficiency)

New in v1.1.1: Reduce token usage by up to 97% with these best practices.

For Claude Desktop Users

Copy the optimization rules to your ~/.claude/CLAUDE.md file:

Key Principles:

• 3-Strike Rule: Maximum 3 searches per topic
• Plan before searching: Know what you're looking for
• Use default parameters: limit=10, verbose=false (already optimized)
• Token budget: Simple questions: 100-300 tokens, Complex: 500-1000 tokens

Example Improvement

❌ Before: 29 searches, 5,100 tokens → "Balcony dimensions not in OBC"

✅ After: 3 searches, 150 tokens → Same conclusion, 97% fewer tokens

See full guide: Token Efficiency Documentation

---

Usage Examples

Once installed, just ask Claude naturally:

"Search for egress requirements in NBC"
"What does section 3.2.4.1 say in OBC?"
"Find fire resistance ratings for walls"
"Which building code applies in Toronto?"
"List all available building codes"

API Access

REST API available at: https://canada-aec-code-mcp.onrender.com

GET /codes              - List all codes
GET /search/{query}     - Search sections
GET /section/{id}       - Get section details

Hosted API Limitation: The hosted API runs in Map-Only mode. set_pdf_path is not available - use local MCP for full text extraction.

License

MIT License - See LICENSE file.