[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":101},["ShallowReactive",2],{"guide-question-maryland-contractor-simulator-contractor-abandonment":3},{"site":4,"simulation":15,"topic":23,"question":26,"siblings":55,"prev":99,"next":100},{"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},"complaints-guaranty-fund","Complaints, Warranties & the Guaranty Fund",{"slug":27,"title":28,"description":29,"takeaway":30,"situation":31,"speaker":34,"speakerDescription":35,"speakerAvatar":36,"audioUrl":37,"choices":38,"citations":54},"contractor-abandonment","What counts as project abandonment?","Failing to perform work, without justification, for an unreasonable period. It is among the most serious and common MHIC complaints; weeks without progress…","Failing to perform work, without justification, for an unreasonable period. It is among the most serious and common MHIC complaints; weeks without progress on a torn-out kitchen approaches it.",[32,33],"You've got too many projects going. Sarah's renovation is 70% complete but you haven't been on site in three weeks. She's calling daily. Your crew is on another job.","Sarah's patience is running out. Her kitchen is torn apart and unusable.","Sarah Mitchell","A first-time homeowner who wants a kitchen renovation. Excited but nervous about hiring a contractor.","/media/characters/homeowner_sarah.png","/media/voices/contractor_abandonment.mp3",[39,44,49],{"text":40,"verdict":41,"label":42,"explanation":43},"Get a crew back on Sarah's site this week. Project abandonment is one of the most serious MHIC violations. Communicate a revised timeline and stick to it","best","Correct","Project abandonment — failing to perform work without justification for an unreasonable period — is among the most common and most serious MHIC complaints. Three weeks without progress on a kitchen renovation (where the homeowner can't cook) is approaching abandonment territory. Restart immediately, communicate honestly about the delay, and adjust your project scheduling so this doesn't happen again.",{"text":45,"verdict":46,"label":47,"explanation":48},"Send Sarah a text saying you'll be there 'soon' — you need to finish the other job first","wrong","Approaching abandonment","Vague promises with no action is textbook abandonment behavior. Sarah has a torn-apart kitchen, paid you money, and hasn't seen progress in three weeks. If she files an MHIC complaint now, you have no defense. 'I was busy with another job' is not a justification for leaving a client's kitchen demolished. This is how contractors lose licenses and face Guaranty Fund claims.",{"text":50,"verdict":51,"label":52,"explanation":53},"Offer to refund the unused portion of her payments so she can hire someone else","partial","Costly but semi-ethical","Offering a refund and release is better than silent abandonment, but it's still a failure. She hired you to finish a kitchen, not to take her money for 3 months and leave it 70% done. You may still face an MHIC complaint. The refund amount should cover the unperformed work, and she'll need to hire someone else to finish at potentially higher cost since they're inheriting your project mid-stream.",[],[56,59,62,65,68,71,72,75,78,81,84,87,90,93,96],{"slug":57,"title":58,"topic":24},"guaranty-fund","What is the MHIC Guaranty Fund?",{"slug":60,"title":61,"topic":24},"warranty-complaint","What happens if you ignore an MHIC complaint letter?",{"slug":63,"title":64,"topic":24},"complaint-timeline","Can a homeowner file an MHIC complaint after your warranty ends?",{"slug":66,"title":67,"topic":24},"consumer-protection-hotline","Is a two-day delay grounds for an MHIC complaint?",{"slug":69,"title":70,"topic":24},"mhic-hearing","How should you prepare for an MHIC disciplinary hearing?",{"slug":27,"title":28,"topic":24},{"slug":73,"title":74,"topic":24},"abandonment-complaint","How do you respond to an MHIC abandonment complaint?",{"slug":76,"title":77,"topic":24},"documentation-saves-you","What documentation defends you against an MHIC complaint?",{"slug":79,"title":80,"topic":24},"warranty-callback","How should you handle a warranty callback?",{"slug":82,"title":83,"topic":24},"warranty-vs-normal-wear","Does your warranty cover damage the homeowner caused?",{"slug":85,"title":86,"topic":24},"after-hours-emergency","What do you owe a client in an after-hours warranty emergency?",{"slug":88,"title":89,"topic":24},"final-walkthrough","How do you run a final walkthrough and punch list?",{"slug":91,"title":92,"topic":24},"completion-certificate","What should a project completion package include?",{"slug":94,"title":95,"topic":24},"newlyweds-disappointment","How do you handle a client disappointed with finished work?",{"slug":97,"title":98,"topic":24},"flipper-buyer-discovers","Who is liable when a flip buyer finds unpermitted work?",{"slug":69,"title":70,"topic":24},{"slug":73,"title":74,"topic":24},1792184485458]