[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":110},["ShallowReactive",2],{"guide-question-maryland-contractor-simulator-homeowner-fires-you":3},{"site":4,"simulation":15,"topic":23,"question":26,"siblings":52,"prev":108,"next":109},{"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":51},"homeowner-fires-you","What happens when a homeowner fires you partway through a job?","Your contract's termination clause governs: notice, payment for completed work, return of unused materials or prepayments, and a final accounting.","Your contract's termination clause governs: notice, payment for completed work, return of unused materials or prepayments, and a final accounting. Document the work with dated photos, leave the site safe, and invoice for what you finished.",[32,33],"You're 40% through a $25,000 bathroom renovation. The homeowner's brother-in-law (who is NOT a contractor) has been second-guessing your work. Today the homeowner says:","\"My brother-in-law says you're overcharging and doing sloppy work. I want you off the job.\"",null,"/media/voices/homeowner_fires_you.mp3",[37,42,47],{"text":38,"verdict":39,"label":40,"explanation":41},"Stay professional. Review your contract's termination clause. Calculate work completed vs. payments received. Provide a final accounting, return any overpayment, and document the job's current state with photos before leaving","best","Correct","Getting fired happens. How you handle it defines your professionalism. Your contract should have a termination clause specifying: notice requirements, payment for work completed, return of unused materials or prepayments, and the process for final accounting. Document the current state of work with dated photos. Provide a detailed breakdown of costs incurred. If they owe you for completed work, invoice for it. If you owe them a refund, pay it promptly. A clean exit protects your license.",{"text":43,"verdict":44,"label":45,"explanation":46},"Refuse to leave until you're paid for all work completed plus a cancellation penalty","wrong","Aggressive","Refusing to leave a client's property is not a debt collection strategy. You may be owed for completed work — that's a legitimate claim you can pursue through proper channels. But physically refusing to leave someone's home escalates to trespassing territory. Invoice for completed work, document everything, leave professionally, and pursue payment through contract terms or small claims court if needed.",{"text":48,"verdict":44,"label":49,"explanation":50},"Walk off the job immediately and tell them to figure it out themselves","Unprofessional","Walking off without proper documentation, final accounting, or securing the work site creates problems. Open plumbing, exposed wiring, or incomplete waterproofing in a bathroom can cause water damage. You have a duty to leave the site in a safe condition. An angry exit with no documentation also means no record of what was completed vs. paid — which becomes a he-said/she-said if the MHIC gets involved.",[],[53,56,59,62,65,68,71,74,77,80,83,86,89,92,95,98,101,102,105],{"slug":54,"title":55,"topic":24},"sarah-estimate-visit","Is a handshake deal legal for home improvement work in Maryland?",{"slug":57,"title":58,"topic":24},"sarah-contract-details","What must a Maryland home improvement contract include?",{"slug":60,"title":61,"topic":24},"required-contract-notice","Which MHIC notice must every home improvement contract include?",{"slug":63,"title":64,"topic":24},"contract-without-completion-date","What if a signed contract is missing the completion date?",{"slug":66,"title":67,"topic":24},"arbitration-clause","Can a Maryland home improvement contract require arbitration?",{"slug":69,"title":70,"topic":24},"no-contract-consequences","What happens in a scope dispute when nothing is in writing?",{"slug":72,"title":73,"topic":24},"scope-creep-neighbor","Does a small cash side job need a written contract?",{"slug":75,"title":76,"topic":24},"realtor-pressure","Does a $2,000 job need a written home improvement contract?",{"slug":78,"title":79,"topic":24},"emergency-repair-shortcut","Can you start emergency repairs before signing a contract?",{"slug":81,"title":82,"topic":24},"estimating-challenge","Should you give a homeowner a ballpark or a written estimate?",{"slug":84,"title":85,"topic":24},"scope-of-work-unclear","How do you fix a vague scope of work before it becomes a dispute?",{"slug":87,"title":88,"topic":24},"attorney-contract-review","How should you respond when a client redlines your contract?",{"slug":90,"title":91,"topic":24},"newlyweds-contract-signing","How should a contract handle upgrades during the project?",{"slug":93,"title":94,"topic":24},"seasonal-contract-timing","How do you price a contract for work that starts months later?",{"slug":96,"title":97,"topic":24},"multi-year-project-planning","Should a multi-year renovation be one contract or several?",{"slug":99,"title":100,"topic":24},"contract-with-minor","Can you sign a home improvement contract with a 17-year-old?",{"slug":27,"title":28,"topic":24},{"slug":103,"title":104,"topic":24},"material-substitution","Can you substitute materials named in the contract?",{"slug":106,"title":107,"topic":24},"homeowner-provides-materials","How should you handle materials the homeowner supplies?",{"slug":99,"title":100,"topic":24},{"slug":103,"title":104,"topic":24},1792184484118]