[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":106},["ShallowReactive",2],{"guide-question-maryland-contractor-simulator-multi-year-project-planning":3},{"site":4,"simulation":15,"topic":23,"question":26,"siblings":48,"prev":104,"next":105},{"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},"multi-year-project-planning","Should a multi-year renovation be one contract or several?","Several. A separate contract for each phase keeps pricing, scope, and code requirements current, while one multi-year contract locks in terms that will…","Several. A separate contract for each phase keeps pricing, scope, and code requirements current, while one multi-year contract locks in terms that will almost certainly change. A non-binding letter of intent can cover the overall plan.",[32,33],"A client wants a comprehensive home renovation: kitchen (Year 1), bathrooms (Year 2), and basement finish (Year 3). Total estimated value: $120,000.","\"Can we sign one big contract for everything now?\"",null,"/media/voices/multi_year_project_planning.mp3",[37,42],{"text":38,"verdict":39,"label":40,"explanation":41},"Separate contracts for each phase. Material prices, labor rates, and code requirements may change over 3 years. Each phase gets its own contract with current pricing, scope, and timeline when it's ready to start","best","Correct","A 3-year contract locks in pricing, scope, and code requirements that will almost certainly change. Lumber prices, labor rates, building codes, and even the client's preferences will evolve. Separate phase contracts protect both parties: the client gets current-market pricing and can adjust scope per phase, and you're not locked into 2024 prices for 2027 work. You can sign a non-binding letter of intent for the overall project while executing binding contracts per phase.",{"text":43,"verdict":44,"label":45,"explanation":46},"Sign one master contract with annual phases and escalation clauses","partial","Possible but complex","A master contract with phase execution is legally workable but creates complexity: escalation calculations, scope change management across years, insurance and bonding requirements that may change, and building code updates that affect later phases. If you go this route, each phase should still require a written activation notice with confirmed pricing and scope. Simple is better — separate contracts, one per phase.",[],[49,52,55,58,61,64,67,70,73,76,79,82,85,88,91,92,95,98,101],{"slug":50,"title":51,"topic":24},"sarah-estimate-visit","Is a handshake deal legal for home improvement work in Maryland?",{"slug":53,"title":54,"topic":24},"sarah-contract-details","What must a Maryland home improvement contract include?",{"slug":56,"title":57,"topic":24},"required-contract-notice","Which MHIC notice must every home improvement contract include?",{"slug":59,"title":60,"topic":24},"contract-without-completion-date","What if a signed contract is missing the completion date?",{"slug":62,"title":63,"topic":24},"arbitration-clause","Can a Maryland home improvement contract require arbitration?",{"slug":65,"title":66,"topic":24},"no-contract-consequences","What happens in a scope dispute when nothing is in writing?",{"slug":68,"title":69,"topic":24},"scope-creep-neighbor","Does a small cash side job need a written contract?",{"slug":71,"title":72,"topic":24},"realtor-pressure","Does a $2,000 job need a written home improvement contract?",{"slug":74,"title":75,"topic":24},"emergency-repair-shortcut","Can you start emergency repairs before signing a contract?",{"slug":77,"title":78,"topic":24},"estimating-challenge","Should you give a homeowner a ballpark or a written estimate?",{"slug":80,"title":81,"topic":24},"scope-of-work-unclear","How do you fix a vague scope of work before it becomes a dispute?",{"slug":83,"title":84,"topic":24},"attorney-contract-review","How should you respond when a client redlines your contract?",{"slug":86,"title":87,"topic":24},"newlyweds-contract-signing","How should a contract handle upgrades during the project?",{"slug":89,"title":90,"topic":24},"seasonal-contract-timing","How do you price a contract for work that starts months later?",{"slug":27,"title":28,"topic":24},{"slug":93,"title":94,"topic":24},"contract-with-minor","Can you sign a home improvement contract with a 17-year-old?",{"slug":96,"title":97,"topic":24},"homeowner-fires-you","What happens when a homeowner fires you partway through a job?",{"slug":99,"title":100,"topic":24},"material-substitution","Can you substitute materials named in the contract?",{"slug":102,"title":103,"topic":24},"homeowner-provides-materials","How should you handle materials the homeowner supplies?",{"slug":89,"title":90,"topic":24},{"slug":93,"title":94,"topic":24},1792184484118]