[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":107},["ShallowReactive",2],{"guide-question-maryland-contractor-simulator-contract-without-completion-date":3},{"site":4,"simulation":15,"topic":23,"question":26,"siblings":49,"prev":105,"next":106},{"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},"contracts","Home Improvement Contracts",{"slug":27,"title":28,"description":29,"takeaway":30,"situation":31,"speaker":34,"speakerDescription":34,"speakerAvatar":34,"audioUrl":35,"choices":36,"citations":47},"contract-without-completion-date","What if a signed contract is missing the completion date?","The contract is deficient and can be cited as a violation, because Maryland Business Regulation §8-501 requires an estimated start and completion date.","The contract is deficient and can be cited as a violation, because Maryland Business Regulation §8-501 requires an estimated start and completion date. Add a real date before work begins; \"when you can\" does not count.",[32,33],"You're rushing to get a contract signed before a long weekend. You realize the contract is missing the estimated completion date. The homeowner has already signed and is handing you the deposit check.","\"Don't worry about the date — just get it done when you can.\"",null,"/media/voices/contract_without_completion_date.mp3",[37,42],{"text":38,"verdict":39,"label":40,"explanation":41},"Add the estimated completion date before accepting the deposit. It's a required contract element under Maryland law — the contract isn't complete without it","best","Correct","Maryland Business Regulation §8-501 requires contracts to include an estimated start and completion date. A contract missing required elements is deficient, which can be cited as a violation. Even if the homeowner doesn't care, the MHIC does. Take 30 seconds to add the date. 'When you can' is not an estimated completion date.",{"text":43,"verdict":44,"label":45,"explanation":46},"Take the check — you'll add the date later or figure it out as the project develops","wrong","Wrong","Operating on an incomplete contract is a violation. The completion date isn't just bureaucratic — it sets expectations and creates accountability. Without it, you have no deadline and the homeowner has no recourse for unreasonable delays. Adding it 'later' means the homeowner already signed without seeing it, which undermines the contract's validity.",[48],"Business Regulation §8-501",[50,53,56,59,60,63,66,69,72,75,78,81,84,87,90,93,96,99,102],{"slug":51,"title":52,"topic":24},"sarah-estimate-visit","Is a handshake deal legal for home improvement work in Maryland?",{"slug":54,"title":55,"topic":24},"sarah-contract-details","What must a Maryland home improvement contract include?",{"slug":57,"title":58,"topic":24},"required-contract-notice","Which MHIC notice must every home improvement contract include?",{"slug":27,"title":28,"topic":24},{"slug":61,"title":62,"topic":24},"arbitration-clause","Can a Maryland home improvement contract require arbitration?",{"slug":64,"title":65,"topic":24},"no-contract-consequences","What happens in a scope dispute when nothing is in writing?",{"slug":67,"title":68,"topic":24},"scope-creep-neighbor","Does a small cash side job need a written contract?",{"slug":70,"title":71,"topic":24},"realtor-pressure","Does a $2,000 job need a written home improvement contract?",{"slug":73,"title":74,"topic":24},"emergency-repair-shortcut","Can you start emergency repairs before signing a contract?",{"slug":76,"title":77,"topic":24},"estimating-challenge","Should you give a homeowner a ballpark or a written estimate?",{"slug":79,"title":80,"topic":24},"scope-of-work-unclear","How do you fix a vague scope of work before it becomes a dispute?",{"slug":82,"title":83,"topic":24},"attorney-contract-review","How should you respond when a client redlines your contract?",{"slug":85,"title":86,"topic":24},"newlyweds-contract-signing","How should a contract handle upgrades during the project?",{"slug":88,"title":89,"topic":24},"seasonal-contract-timing","How do you price a contract for work that starts months later?",{"slug":91,"title":92,"topic":24},"multi-year-project-planning","Should a multi-year renovation be one contract or several?",{"slug":94,"title":95,"topic":24},"contract-with-minor","Can you sign a home improvement contract with a 17-year-old?",{"slug":97,"title":98,"topic":24},"homeowner-fires-you","What happens when a homeowner fires you partway through a job?",{"slug":100,"title":101,"topic":24},"material-substitution","Can you substitute materials named in the contract?",{"slug":103,"title":104,"topic":24},"homeowner-provides-materials","How should you handle materials the homeowner supplies?",{"slug":57,"title":58,"topic":24},{"slug":61,"title":62,"topic":24},1792184484118]