[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":88},["ShallowReactive",2],{"guide-question-maryland-contractor-simulator-multiple-bids-ethics":3},{"site":4,"simulation":15,"topic":23,"question":26,"siblings":48,"prev":86,"next":87},{"name":5,"tagline":6,"title":7,"description":8,"guideTitle":9,"guideDescription":10,"ogImage":11,"disclaimer":12,"practicePitch":13,"citationsTitle":14},"Free MHIC Training","Maryland home improvement exam prep","Free MHIC Exam Prep: Maryland Home Improvement Contractor Practice","Free, narrated MHIC exam prep: 147 real Maryland contractor scenarios, every choice explained, with the law cited where it applies.","MHIC Exam Study Guide","Every scenario in the free Maryland Contractor Simulator, written out as a practice question: the situation, your options, how each choice plays out, and the Maryland law where it applies.","/og/free-mhic-training.png","Free MHIC Training is free study material for the Maryland home improvement contractor exam. It is not affiliated with the Maryland Home Improvement Commission and is not legal advice.","The free Maryland Contractor Simulator puts you in situations like these across a 40-day contracting career, narrated, with your license on the line. No account needed.","Law and codes cited",{"slug":16,"title":17,"subtitle":18,"description":19,"maxTurns":20,"characterCount":21,"scenarioCount":22},"maryland-contractor-simulator","Maryland Contractor Simulator","Learn the law by living it.","You just got your MHIC license application approved and you're starting your home improvement business in Maryland. Navigate real contractor scenarios — contracts, permits, clients, subcontractors, and inspectors. Every choice teaches you the law through consequence, not memorization. Master all five exam areas to pass.",40,20,147,{"slug":24,"title":25},"advertising-sales","Advertising & Salespeople",{"slug":27,"title":28,"description":29,"takeaway":30,"situation":31,"speaker":34,"speakerDescription":34,"speakerAvatar":34,"audioUrl":35,"choices":36,"citations":47},"multiple-bids-ethics","Should you use a competitor's bid to undercut them?","No. Price from your own costs, methods, and standards. Using a competitor's bid to undercut them is ethically questionable and can lead you to underbid the…","No. Price from your own costs, methods, and standards. Using a competitor's bid to undercut them is ethically questionable and can lead you to underbid the job into a loss.",[32,33],"You're bidding on a $50,000 whole-house renovation. The homeowner shows you the competing bids from two other contractors — detailed line items, pricing breakdowns, their strategies.","\"I just want to make sure I'm getting the best deal. Can you beat these?\"",null,"/media/voices/multiple_bids_ethics.mp3",[37,42],{"text":38,"verdict":39,"label":40,"explanation":41},"Decline to review competitors' detailed bids. Provide your own independent estimate based on the actual scope. Explain that your pricing reflects your approach, not someone else's numbers","best","Correct and ethical","Reviewing competitors' proprietary bids to undercut them is ethically questionable and undermines the bidding process. Your estimate should reflect YOUR costs, YOUR methods, and YOUR quality standards. If you price based on beating someone else's number, you may underbid yourself into a loss. The professional approach: 'I appreciate the transparency, but I'd rather earn your business on the strength of my own estimate.'",{"text":43,"verdict":44,"label":45,"explanation":46},"Review the bids and price yourself $1,000 under the lowest one","wrong","Unprofessional","Pricing to beat someone else's bid rather than your actual costs is how contractors lose money on projects. If the lowest bid is $38,000 and your real cost is $42,000, pricing at $37,000 means you lose $5,000. The homeowner also learns you'll price based on competition rather than value — which means they'll always try to negotiate you down. Build your estimate on reality, not competitors.",[],[49,52,55,58,61,64,67,70,73,76,79,82,83],{"slug":50,"title":51,"topic":24},"first-client-call","Do you have to give homeowners your MHIC license number?",{"slug":53,"title":54,"topic":24},"advertising-mistake","What must Maryland home improvement advertising include?",{"slug":56,"title":57,"topic":24},"vehicle-display","Does your MHIC number have to be on your work truck?",{"slug":59,"title":60,"topic":24},"business-name-on-everything","Where must your MHIC license number appear?",{"slug":62,"title":63,"topic":24},"social-media-advertising","Does a contractor's Facebook page need the MHIC number?",{"slug":65,"title":66,"topic":24},"salesperson-license-check","Does a home improvement salesperson need an MHIC license?",{"slug":68,"title":69,"topic":24},"brenda-training","Are you responsible for your salesperson's violations?",{"slug":71,"title":72,"topic":24},"salesperson-representation","Are you bound by a warranty your salesperson promised?",{"slug":74,"title":75,"topic":24},"competitor-badmouthing","How do you answer a competitor's false claims about your license?",{"slug":77,"title":78,"topic":24},"online-review-response","How should a contractor respond to a false online review?",{"slug":80,"title":81,"topic":24},"shady-competitor-steals-client","How do you compete with a far lower bid from a questionable contractor?",{"slug":27,"title":28,"topic":24},{"slug":84,"title":85,"topic":24},"green-building-upsell","When is suggesting upgrades good practice and not an upsell?",{"slug":80,"title":81,"topic":24},{"slug":84,"title":85,"topic":24},1792184484119]