// MCP TOKEN COST

The Civilquants MCP server costs 67,554 tokens before the first call.

Connect Civilquants and its 52 tool definitions are loaded into the model's context on every request — 34% of a 200k window spent before your agent does anything.

QUICK ANSWER The Civilquants MCP server's tool definitions consume 67,554 tokens — 35× the median MCP server (1,905 tokens). A scoped grant exposing only the tools you use cuts that roughly in proportion.

MEASURED FROM SCHEMAS 52 tools · 67,554 tokens · 34% of 200k · 6.8% of 1M Method →

// CONTEXT WINDOW SHARE

What that buys before your agent starts working.

Tool definitions are overhead: they occupy context on every request and compete with your code, documents and conversation history for the same window.

200K WINDOW 34%

1M WINDOW 6.8%

Corpus context: Civilquants ranks #6 of 3,213 measured MCP servers by definition cost. The median is 1,905 tokens, p90 is 7,952, and the heaviest (Fusionauth) is 183,337 — 92% of a 200k window on its own.

// PER-TOOL BREAKDOWN

Where the 67,554 tokens go.

Each row is one tool definition as a tools/list entry — name, description and input schema — counted with o200k_base. Average: 1,299 tokens per tool.

Tool	Category	Tokens	% of server
compute_road_marking	Execute	3,126	4.6%
render_skill_report	Execute	2,642	3.9%
compute_vehicle_restraint_system	Execute	2,578	3.8%
compute_box_culvert	Execute	2,542	3.8%
compute_anchored_wall	Write	2,400	3.6%
compute_soil_nailed_slope	Execute	2,232	3.3%
compute_reinforced_soil_wall	Execute	2,230	3.3%
compute_end_area_earthworks	Execute	2,211	3.3%
compute_gabion_wall	Execute	2,137	3.2%
compute_embankment_cross_section	Execute	2,111	3.1%
compute_traffic_sign	Execute	2,075	3.1%
compute_petrol_oil_interceptor	Execute	1,988	2.9%
compute_soakaway	Execute	1,895	2.8%
compute_flexible_pavement	Execute	1,883	2.8%
compute_lighting_column	Execute	1,816	2.7%
compute_bored_pile_wall	Destructive	1,507	2.2%
compute_highway_drainage_channel	Execute	1,499	2.2%
compute_rigid_pavement	Execute	1,442	2.1%
compute_parapet	Execute	1,439	2.1%
compute_permeable_pavement	Execute	1,378	2.0%
compute_catchpit	Execute	1,294	1.9%
compute_counterfort_wall	Write	1,290	1.9%
compute_headwall_attenuation_outlet	Execute	1,278	1.9%
compute_gravity_wall	Execute	1,275	1.9%
compute_utility_chamber	Execute	1,235	1.8%
compute_manhole_precast	Execute	1,199	1.8%
compute_hard_material_in_trench	Execute	1,179	1.7%
compute_headwall_precast	Execute	1,068	1.6%
compute_single_service_run	Execute	1,045	1.5%
compute_combined_services_trench	Execute	991	1.5%
compute_kerb_run	Execute	958	1.4%
compute_carrier_pipe_run	Execute	911	1.3%
compute_headwall	Execute	910	1.3%
compute_manhole	Execute	910	1.3%
compute_ditch	Execute	900	1.3%
compute_utility_kiosk_base	Execute	891	1.3%
compute_gully	Execute	890	1.3%
compute_swale	Execute	806	1.2%
compute_connection_to_existing	Execute	805	1.2%
compute_french_drain	Execute	767	1.1%
compute_pipe_bedding	Execute	752	1.1%
compute_pipework_testing	Execute	744	1.1%
compute_edge_drain	Execute	708	1.0%
compute_strip_foundation	Write	666	1.0%
compute_cantilever_wall	Write	650	1.0%
compute_attenuation_tank	Execute	635	0.9%
compute_pad_foundation	Execute	558	0.8%
compute_multi_section_assembly	Execute	348	0.5%
save_project	Write	297	0.4%
resolve_assembly_from_description	Write	218	0.3%
recompute_project	Execute	182	0.3%
get_project	Read	63	0.1%

// SCOPED GRANT

Most agents use a handful of these tools. They pay for all 52.

A PolicyLayer grant exposes only the tools you allow — ungranted definitions are filtered out of the tool list, so they never enter the context window. Estimates below assume typical-weight tools (1,299 tokens each).

Grant scope	Definition cost	Reduction
All 52 tools (no gateway)	67,554 tokens	—
3 granted tools	~3,897 tokens	−94%
5 granted tools	~6,496 tokens	−90%
10 granted tools	~12,991 tokens	−81%

Model your own stack in the token-cost calculator, or see the Civilquants policy for what a sensible grant looks like.

//FAQ

Civilquants token-cost questions.

How many tokens does the Civilquants MCP server use?+

Its 52 tool definitions total 67,554 tokens — 34% of a 200k context window — measured with tiktoken o200k_base over the serialised tools/list payload. Exact counts vary slightly by client and model.

Why does Civilquants consume tokens before I send a message?+

MCP clients load every connected server's tool definitions — name, description, and input schema — into the model's context so it knows what it can call. That payload is charged against your context window on every request, whether or not a tool is used.

How do I reduce Civilquants's token usage?+

Expose fewer tools. A PolicyLayer grant scopes Civilquants to only the tools you allow — ungranted definitions are filtered out of the tool list, so they never enter the context window. A grant of 3 typical tools costs roughly 3,897 tokens, a 94% reduction.

Does deferred tool loading fix this?+

Partially, in some clients. Claude Code defers MCP tool schemas behind a tool-search step by default, and VS Code has experimental grouping — but you still pay tokens per search and reload, and Cursor, Windsurf and Gemini CLI load definitions upfront. Reducing the exposed tool set cuts the cost in every client.

// METHOD & REVIEW

How these numbers were measured.

Serialisation

Each tool is serialised as a tools/list entry — name, description, input schema — from the schemas in the PolicyLayer scan database. Clients differ slightly in framing, so treat counts as close estimates.

Tokeniser

tiktoken o200k_base (GPT-4o/o-series). Anthropic's current tokeniser isn't published, so Claude's exact counts will differ; for English text and JSON schemas the totals are close enough to treat these as estimates.

Deferred loading

Some clients now defer schema loading (Claude Code's tool search; VS Code experimental grouping). You still pay per search and reload — and Cursor, Windsurf and Gemini CLI load everything upfront.

Computed 07-06-2026 from the PolicyLayer scan database over all 52 catalogued Civilquants tools. Counts refresh with every site build.

Expose only the tools you use — the rest never enter your context.

A PolicyLayer grant scopes Civilquants to the tools you actually allow. Ungranted definitions never load, and every call that does run is checked against policy first.

SCOPE YOUR GRANT →

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