[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":101},["ShallowReactive",2],{"guide-question-maryland-contractor-simulator-final-walkthrough":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},"final-walkthrough","How do you run a final walkthrough and punch list?","Walk it with the homeowner, fix the real defects, explain items that are within normal tolerances, and record what you will fix and what is within spec on a…","Walk it with the homeowner, fix the real defects, explain items that are within normal tolerances, and record what you will fix and what is within spec on a punch list both of you sign.",[32,33],"Sarah's kitchen renovation is complete. You've scheduled a final walkthrough. She's brought her husband, who has a list of 23 items he thinks are wrong.","Some are legitimate (a scratched cabinet face, uneven grout in two spots). Most are cosmetic nitpicks that are within normal construction tolerances.","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/final_walkthrough.mp3",[39,44,49],{"text":40,"verdict":41,"label":42,"explanation":43},"Go through every item on the list patiently. Fix the legitimate defects, explain construction tolerances for the others, and document everything in a punch list signed by both parties","best","Correct","A professional punch list process is how you close a job cleanly. Acknowledge legitimate items and commit to fixing them. For items within normal tolerances, educate politely — most homeowners don't know what 'within tolerance' means. Document everything: what you'll fix, what's within spec, and get both signatures. A signed punch list is your best protection against post-completion complaints.",{"text":45,"verdict":46,"label":47,"explanation":48},"Tell the husband the job meets code and you're not a perfectionist — construction has tolerances","wrong","Terrible approach","Even if you're technically right about tolerances, dismissing a client's concerns at the final walkthrough guarantees an unsatisfied customer. The scratched cabinet and uneven grout ARE your responsibility. Dismissing the husband as a nitpicker when some items are legitimate undermines your credibility on the tolerance arguments too. Fix what's broken, explain what's normal, move on professionally.",{"text":50,"verdict":51,"label":52,"explanation":53},"Fix everything on the list — all 23 items — to avoid any conflict","partial","Over-accommodating","Fixing items that are within normal construction tolerances sets an unsustainable precedent and teaches clients that complaining equals free work. The professional approach is to distinguish between defects (fix them) and tolerances (explain them). A $200 cosmetic 'fix' that isn't actually defective costs time, money, and doesn't serve the homeowner's long-term understanding of their home.",[],[56,59,62,65,68,71,74,77,80,83,86,89,90,93,96],{"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":72,"title":73,"topic":24},"contractor-abandonment","What counts as project abandonment?",{"slug":75,"title":76,"topic":24},"abandonment-complaint","How do you respond to an MHIC abandonment complaint?",{"slug":78,"title":79,"topic":24},"documentation-saves-you","What documentation defends you against an MHIC complaint?",{"slug":81,"title":82,"topic":24},"warranty-callback","How should you handle a warranty callback?",{"slug":84,"title":85,"topic":24},"warranty-vs-normal-wear","Does your warranty cover damage the homeowner caused?",{"slug":87,"title":88,"topic":24},"after-hours-emergency","What do you owe a client in an after-hours warranty emergency?",{"slug":27,"title":28,"topic":24},{"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":87,"title":88,"topic":24},{"slug":91,"title":92,"topic":24},1792184485490]