[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":85},["ShallowReactive",2],{"guide-question-maryland-contractor-simulator-first-day-as-contractor":3},{"site":4,"simulation":15,"topic":23,"question":26,"siblings":55,"prev":34,"next":84},{"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},"licensing","MHIC Licensing & Renewal",{"slug":27,"title":28,"description":29,"takeaway":30,"situation":31,"speaker":34,"speakerDescription":34,"speakerAvatar":34,"audioUrl":35,"choices":36,"citations":52},"first-day-as-contractor","What should a new MHIC contractor do before the first job?","Set up before you take a call: (1) $50,000 general liability insurance; (2) a separate business bank account; (3) a contract template with every required…","Set up before you take a call: (1) $50,000 general liability insurance; (2) a separate business bank account; (3) a contract template with every required element; (4) your MHIC number on your vehicles, 3 inches or taller; (5) your MHIC number on all advertising; (6) a filing system for contracts, permits, invoices, and photos.",[32,33],"Congratulations — you just received your MHIC license in the mail. Your license number is freshly printed and your business is registered with SDAT. You're officially a Maryland licensed home improvement contractor.","Before you take your first job, what should you have in place?",null,"/media/voices/first_day_as_contractor.mp3",[37,42,47],{"text":38,"verdict":39,"label":40,"explanation":41},"General liability insurance ($50,000 minimum), a business bank account, a standard contract template with all MHIC-required elements, your license number on your vehicle (3\"+ high), business cards and website with your MHIC number, and a system for organizing project documentation","best","Excellent start","Before taking Job #1: (1) $50,000 general liability insurance (MHIC requirement); (2) separate business bank account (don't mix personal and business funds); (3) contract template with ALL required elements — MHIC number, scope, price, dates, cancellation notice, Guaranty Fund notice; (4) MHIC number displayed on all vehicles at 3\"+ height (COMAR 09.08.01.06); (5) MHIC number on all advertising (COMAR 09.08.01.09); (6) organized file system for contracts, permits, invoices, and photos. Start right, stay right.",{"text":43,"verdict":44,"label":45,"explanation":46},"Just your license and a truck — you'll figure out the rest as jobs come in","wrong","Wrong from day one","Taking your first job without insurance is illegal. Taking it without a proper contract template means your first contract violates Maryland law. Without your MHIC number on your truck, you're in violation the moment you drive to a job site. 'Figure it out as you go' is how contractors accumulate violations before they complete their first project. Set up properly before you take a single call.",{"text":48,"verdict":49,"label":50,"explanation":51},"Insurance, a truck, and business cards. The rest can wait until you get a few jobs under your belt","partial","Incomplete","Insurance is correct (mandatory). But without a contract template, your first signed contract will be legally deficient. Without your MHIC number on the truck (COMAR 09.08.01.06), you're in violation the moment you show up at a client's home. Without a documentation system, you're building a compliance debt from day one. Get everything set up BEFORE the first job. It takes one day of preparation.",[53,54],"COMAR 09.08.01.06","COMAR 09.08.01.09",[56,57,60,63,66,69,72,75,78,81],{"slug":27,"title":28,"topic":24},{"slug":58,"title":59,"topic":24},"insurance-lapse","What happens if your contractor liability insurance lapses in Maryland?",{"slug":61,"title":62,"topic":24},"financial-solvency-check","How do you meet the MHIC financial solvency requirement at renewal?",{"slug":64,"title":65,"topic":24},"license-renewal-process","What does the MHIC require to renew a contractor license?",{"slug":67,"title":68,"topic":24},"corporate-license-question","Do you need to update your MHIC license when you form an LLC?",{"slug":70,"title":71,"topic":24},"address-change","Do you have to tell the MHIC when your business address changes?",{"slug":73,"title":74,"topic":24},"mhic-website-verification","What if the MHIC lookup shows your old business name?",{"slug":76,"title":77,"topic":24},"credit-report-surprise","Why does the MHIC review your credit report?",{"slug":79,"title":80,"topic":24},"outstanding-obligations","Can unpaid supplier bills put your MHIC license at risk?",{"slug":82,"title":83,"topic":24},"annual-license-audit","How should a contractor respond to an MHIC compliance audit?",{"slug":58,"title":59,"topic":24},1792184484118]