Diy Helper MCP Servers

🚀 DIY Helper MCP Servers

The Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers for the DIY Helper platform. It offers building code lookups, material specifications, and access to manufacturer guides, providing real - time consultation support.

🚀 Quick Start

The DIY Helper MCP Servers provide essential services for DIY projects, including access to building codes and material specifications. Follow the installation and usage steps below to get started.

✨ Features

📋 Building Codes Server

• Offers access to residential building codes such as NEC (National Electrical Code), IRC (International Residential Code), and IPC (International Plumbing Code).
• Tools:
  • search_building_codes: Conduct natural language code searches.
  • get_code_section: Retrieve specific code sections.
  • check_code_compliance: Verify scenario compliance.
  • list_code_categories: Browse available codes.

🛠️ Material Specs Server

• Enables 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

1. Clone the repository:

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

2. Create a virtual environment:

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

3. Install dependencies:

pip install -r requirements.txt

4. Configure the environment:

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

💻 Usage Examples

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)

📚 Documentation

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"]
}

🔧 Technical Details

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

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch
3. Make your changes
4. 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