ADU Zoning MCP Server

Ask any MCP-capable AI assistant "Can I build an ADU at 123 Main St, Tampa?" and have it answer with live, parcel-level Florida zoning data instead of guessing.

This is a Model Context Protocol server that exposes the ADU Florida Info eligibility engine as a tool. Florida has no statewide ADU law — whether you can build one is decided by each city or county, parcel by parcel — so this lookup is something a language model genuinely cannot do on its own.

Tool

check_adu_eligibility(address)

Returns for a Florida address:

• Verdict — Likely / Possibly / Unlikely / Unknown
• Jurisdiction — city vs. unincorporated county (they have different rules)
• Zoning code — from the county's live GIS parcel layer
• Local ADU rules — max size, owner-occupancy, short-term-rental limits
• Lot size

Install

Option A — Remote (no install)

The server is hosted. Point any MCP client that supports remote/URL servers at:

https://www.adufloridainfo.com/api/mcp

(Streamable HTTP transport, JSON-RPC 2.0. No clone, no npm.)

Option B — Local (stdio)

cd mcp/adu-zoning-mcp
npm install

Claude Desktop

Add to claude_desktop_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "adu-zoning": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/absolute/path/to/mcp/adu-zoning-mcp/index.mjs"]
    }
  }
}

Restart Claude Desktop, then ask: "Use the ADU zoning tool to check 400 W Robinson St, Orlando FL."

Configuration

| Env var | Default | Purpose | |---|---|---| | ADU_API_BASE | https://www.adufloridainfo.com | API host (point at staging/local for dev) | | ADU_API_KEY | (none) | Bearer key, only if the API is running with key gating |

How it works

The server calls the public REST API (GET /api/v1/adu-eligibility?address=...), which wraps the same engine that powers the site's free checker. It queries live county ArcGIS parcel endpoints for the parcel's actual zoning classification. No data is stored for API/MCP lookups.

Roadmap

• get_city_adu_rules(city) — full local ordinance summary without an address
• get_county_zoning_source(county) — which GIS layer backs a county, and how authoritative
• Hosted HTTP/SSE transport (add via a URL, no local install)

Disclaimer

Automated preliminary estimate from county GIS data — not legal or permitting advice. Confirm with the local planning department before building.