[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":89},["ShallowReactive",2],{"guide-question-maryland-contractor-simulator-change-order-dispute":3},{"site":4,"simulation":15,"topic":23,"question":26,"siblings":55,"prev":87,"next":88},{"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},"payments-change-orders","Deposits, Payments & Change Orders",{"slug":27,"title":28,"description":29,"takeaway":30,"situation":31,"speaker":34,"speakerDescription":35,"speakerAvatar":36,"audioUrl":37,"choices":38,"citations":53},"change-order-dispute","Does added work need a written change order?","Yes. Any change to scope, price, or timeline should be a written change order signed by both parties.","Yes. Any change to scope, price, or timeline should be a written change order signed by both parties. It protects you from price disputes and the homeowner from unauthorized charges.",[32,33],"Midway through Sarah's kitchen renovation, she wants to upgrade from laminate to granite countertops and add undercabinet lighting. That's an additional $4,200 in materials and labor.","\"Just add it to the total. We don't need to redo the whole contract, do we?\"","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/change_order_dispute.mp3",[39,44,49],{"text":40,"verdict":41,"label":42,"explanation":43},"Write a formal change order documenting the additional work, cost, revised timeline, and get her signature before proceeding","best","Correct","Any change to the original contract scope, price, or timeline should be documented in a written change order signed by both parties. This protects you from 'I never agreed to that price' disputes and protects the homeowner from unauthorized charges. While Maryland law doesn't specify the exact format, the contract requirements in §8-501 apply to modifications as well.",{"text":45,"verdict":46,"label":47,"explanation":48},"Sure, just verbally agree on the price and add it to the final invoice","wrong","Risky","Verbal change orders are the #1 source of contractor-homeowner disputes. When the final invoice is $4,200 higher than the contract price, Sarah may dispute it. Without written documentation, you have no proof she authorized the upgrade. This is how Guaranty Fund claims happen.",{"text":50,"verdict":46,"label":51,"explanation":52},"Tell her changes aren't possible mid-project — she should have decided before you started","Bad business","Change orders are a normal part of construction. Refusing to accommodate them is rigid and unprofessional. The correct approach is to document the change, adjust the price and timeline, and get written approval. Many contractors make significant profit on change orders — properly managed, they're an opportunity, not a problem.",[54],"Business Regulation §8-501",[56,59,62,65,68,71,74,75,78,81,84],{"slug":57,"title":58,"topic":24},"deposit-too-large","How large a deposit can a Maryland contractor take?",{"slug":60,"title":61,"topic":24},"payment-schedule-dispute","Can you accept full payment up front for a home improvement job?",{"slug":63,"title":64,"topic":24},"deposit-refund-demand","Must you refund a deposit if the homeowner cancels before work starts?",{"slug":66,"title":67,"topic":24},"chase-sarah-payment","How do you collect an overdue progress payment?",{"slug":69,"title":70,"topic":24},"final-payment-holdback","Can a homeowner hold back part of the final payment?",{"slug":72,"title":73,"topic":24},"payment-by-credit-card","Who pays the fee when a homeowner pays by credit card?",{"slug":27,"title":28,"topic":24},{"slug":76,"title":77,"topic":24},"change-order-blowup","Can you collect for extra work that was never put in writing?",{"slug":79,"title":80,"topic":24},"rain-delay-dispute","How do you handle a weather delay past the contract completion date?",{"slug":82,"title":83,"topic":24},"insurance-adjuster-dispute","What if the insurance payout is lower than your estimate?",{"slug":85,"title":86,"topic":24},"newlyweds-budget-panic","How do you handle a client whose vision is bigger than the budget?",{"slug":72,"title":73,"topic":24},{"slug":76,"title":77,"topic":24},1792184484118]