building-product-bim-cad-specs

ARCAT Building Products MCP Server The ARCAT MCP Server gives AI assistants direct access to arcat.com — the largest free online building product database…

CommunityOnlineAPI key requiredGlobalFreeRead-only

What it can do

  • Search Products: Search for building products by keyword, CSI MasterFormat section, or content format. Returns product details with links to specifications, CAD, BIM, and catalog downloads on arcat.co
  • Search Manufacturers: Search for building product manufacturers by name, keyword, or CSI MasterFormat section. Returns company details with links to their ARCAT profile.
  • Get Manufacturer: Get detailed profile for a specific building product manufacturer by their ARCAT ID. Returns company info, CSI sections, available content types, and product count.

What data it sees

Do you need an account

An API key from the service settings is required

ARCAT Building Products MCP Server

The ARCAT MCP Server gives AI assistants direct access to arcat.com — the largest free online building product database serving the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry since 1985.

Query 500+ manufacturers and thousands of building products across specifications, CAD drawings, BIM models, and product catalogs — all organized by the CSI MasterFormat classification system.

Tools

search_products — Search products by keyword, CSI section, division, or content format (BIM, CAD, spec, catalog). Supports Made in USA filtering and pagination.

search_manufacturers — Find manufacturers by name, keyword, or CSI MasterFormat section. Returns company profiles with direct links to their ARCAT page.

get_manufacturer — Retrieve a detailed manufacturer profile by ARCAT ID — company info, CSI sections served, content types available, and product count.

browse_csi_sections — Navigate the full CSI MasterFormat taxonomy. List divisions, drill into groups, sections, and narrowscope entries.

What You Can Do

Specification Research

"Find fiber cement rainscreen products with BIM files in CSI section 074600"

Manufacturer Discovery

"Which manufacturers make thermal insulation products? Show me their profiles."

Category Browsing

"List all CSI divisions, then drill into Division 07 - Thermal and Moisture Protection"

Product Comparison

"Search for acoustic ceiling products and compare what content formats each manufacturer offers"

Made in USA Filtering

"Find Made in USA roofing products with downloadable specs"

Data Coverage

  • 500+ building product manufacturers
  • CSI MasterFormat 2004 — all 50 divisions, thousands of sections
  • Content types: Specifications (3-part CSI), CAD details, BIM/Revit families, product catalogs, certifications
  • Every response includes direct links to product pages on arcat.com

Authentication

An API key is required for tool execution. Contact bill@arcat.com for access.

Server discovery (initialize, tools/list) is open — no key needed to inspect available tools.

Transport

  • Protocol: MCP over Streamable HTTP
  • Endpoint: https://mcp.arcat.com/mcp
  • Auth header: x-api-key

How to connect

How to connect building-product-bim-cad-specs to Claude

The server address to paste into Claude settings:

https://building-product-bim-cad-specs--arcat.run.tools

  1. Open Claude (claude.ai or the desktop app).
  2. Go to Settings → Connectors.
  3. Click Add custom connector.
  4. Paste the server address copied below into Remote MCP server URL and click Add.
  5. In a chat, click + → Connectors and switch the new connector on.

Custom connectors are available on Free, Pro, Max, Team and Enterprise plans (Free is limited to one). On Team and Enterprise an organization Owner adds the connector first under Organization settings → Connectors.

Authorization

After you click Add, a sign-in window for the service opens. Sign in with your own account and approve access. Claude never sees your password.

How to connect building-product-bim-cad-specs to ChatGPT

The server address to paste into ChatGPT settings:

https://building-product-bim-cad-specs--arcat.run.tools

  1. Open ChatGPT in a browser (chatgpt.com). A Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise or Edu plan is required.
  2. Turn on developer mode once: Settings → Apps → Advanced settings → Developer mode.
  3. Open Settings → Connectors and click Create.
  4. Fill in the form: Name (anything), Description (one line about what the service does), MCP server URL (copy it below).
  5. Under Authentication choose OAuth if the service requires sign-in, otherwise None. Click Create.
  6. In a new chat open + → Apps/Connectors and enable the connector.

OpenAI has renamed this section before (Connectors → Apps/Plugins). If the label differs, search settings for "developer mode". On Business/Enterprise workspaces an admin must allow custom connectors first.

Authorization

On first use ChatGPT opens the service's sign-in window. Sign in and approve access.

How to connect building-product-bim-cad-specs to Cursor

The server address to paste into Cursor settings:

https://building-product-bim-cad-specs--arcat.run.tools

Fastest: click Open in Cursor below and confirm the prompt.

Manually:

  1. In Cursor open Settings → Cursor Settings → MCP and click Add new global MCP server.
  2. Paste the JSON copied below into ~/.cursor/mcp.json (per project: .cursor/mcp.json in the repo root).
  3. Save the file. The server appears in the MCP list; authorize it there if asked.

Authorization

If the service needs sign-in, an authorize button appears next to the server in the MCP list.

Server tool list (4)

Raw names from tools/list. Only developers need these.

search_productsSearch for building products by keyword, CSI MasterFormat section, or content format. Returns product details with links to specifications, CAD, BIM, and catalog downloads on arcat.com.
search_manufacturersSearch for building product manufacturers by name, keyword, or CSI MasterFormat section. Returns company details with links to their ARCAT profile.
get_manufacturerGet detailed profile for a specific building product manufacturer by their ARCAT ID. Returns company info, CSI sections, available content types, and product count.
browse_csi_sectionsBrowse CSI MasterFormat building product categories. No parameters lists all divisions. Add division to drill in, level (1-3) for hierarchy depth, section to filter within a parent.