Using the Los Angeles building data MCP tools
Category: Reports & Data
Read time: 4 minutes
Applies to: Los Angeles County buildings only
The Augrented MCP server gives AI coding agents read-only access to LA County building data — code enforcement cases, building permits, 311 service requests, and foreclosure registrations. LA's data is organized by APN (Assessor Parcel Number), the county-level parcel identifier.
What you can do
The LA-specific MCP tools (la_* prefix) let your agent:
- Search LA County buildings by address and pull risk profiles
- Fetch current and historical code enforcement cases from LADBS
- Look up building, electrical, and mechanical permits
- Check foreclosure registrations — a strong signal of ownership distress
- Search landlords and rank their LA portfolios
LA tool reference
| Tool | What it returns |
|---|---|
la_find_buildings(query, limit) |
Search LA County buildings by address fragment. Returns address, APN, neighborhood, and summary violation counts. |
la_get_building_profile(apn) |
Full building profile: ownership, physical specs, risk score, premium report availability, and aggregated enforcement/complaint counts. |
la_get_building_records(dataset_name, apn, limit) |
Recent records from one dataset. See the table below for valid dataset_name values. |
la_find_landlords(name, limit) |
Search owners and management companies with portfolio summaries. |
la_select_landlord(name) |
Set this session's landlord for subsequent la_list_landlord_buildings calls. |
la_list_landlord_buildings(landlord_name, limit) |
A landlord's LA buildings sorted by enforcement severity. |
la_get_selected_building() |
Return the currently selected building's APN and address. |
Available LA datasets
These are the dataset_name values you can pass to la_get_building_records:
| Data source | Key | Agency | What it shows |
|---|---|---|---|
| Code Enforcement Cases | code_enforcement_cases |
LADBS | Open and recently opened code enforcement cases filed by LA County against the property — with type, priority, status |
| Closed Code Enforcement Cases | code_enforcement_closed |
LADBS | Resolved enforcement cases — the historical enforcement record |
| Building Permits | building_permits |
LA County | Permits for new construction, alterations, and repairs — with valuation |
| Electrical Permits | electrical_permits |
LA County | Rewiring, panel upgrades, EV chargers, solar tie-ins |
| Mechanical Permits | mechanical_permits |
LA County | HVAC, plumbing, and other mechanical systems work |
| MyLA311 Service Requests | calls_311 |
LA 311 | Maintenance complaints and quality-of-life requests recorded at the parcel |
| Building & Safety Requests (Closed) | building_safety_requests_closed |
LA County | Closed customer service requests filed with Building & Safety — with response times |
| Foreclosure Registrations | foreclosures |
LA County | Foreclosure registrations (2015–2024) — a strong signal of ownership/financial distress |
Example queries
Find a building and check its enforcement history:
Search for 1234 Sunset Blvd in Los Angeles and show code enforcement cases
Your agent calls la_find_buildings("1234 Sunset Blvd") to get the APN, then la_get_building_records(dataset_name="code_enforcement_cases", apn="...") to see open cases.
Check for permits:
What building permits have been filed at 5678 Wilshire Blvd?
Calls la_get_building_records(dataset_name="building_permits", ...) — returns permit type, description, issued date, valuation, and status.
Look up financial distress:
Are there any foreclosure registrations for 9101 Venice Blvd?
Calls la_get_building_records(dataset_name="foreclosures", ...) — returns registered date, property type, lender, and property management company.
Key identifiers
LA County buildings are primarily identified by APN (Assessor Parcel Number) — a unique county-level parcel identifier. Some datasets (closed enforcement cases, closed building & safety requests) use a separate PIN (Parcel Identification Number) from LADBS, but the MCP tools handle the crosswalk internally.
| Identifier | Format | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| APN | Numeric (bigint) | Building permits, open enforcement, 311, electrical/mechanical permits, foreclosures |
| PIN | Numeric (LADBS) | Closed code enforcement cases, closed building & safety requests |
How LA compares to other cities
| Aspect | LA | NYC | SF |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parcel ID | APN | BBL | Block-Lot |
| Code enforcement | LADBS (single agency for code) | HPD (housing) + DOB (structures) | DBI (single agency) |
| Unique LA data | Foreclosure registrations (2015–2024) | Not available in NYC/SF | Not available in NYC/SF |
| Unique data missing | Bedbug reports, rent stabilization, tenant buyouts | Available in NYC | Available in SF |
| Permit coverage | Building, electrical, mechanical permits | Building permits only | Building, plumbing, electrical permits |
Tips
- APN can be a large integer — pass it as a string to avoid precision loss
- Foreclosure data covers 2015–2024 — this is a finite historical dataset, not a live feed. It's useful for identifying properties with recent ownership distress
- LADBS handles both code enforcement and permits — unlike NYC where HPD and DOB are separate
- No rent regulation data for LA — The MCP server doesn't currently include LA rent-control analysis
Search any LA County address — free for your first 10 buildings.