[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":87},["ShallowReactive",2],{"guide-question-maryland-contractor-simulator-deposit-refund-demand":3},{"site":4,"simulation":15,"topic":23,"question":26,"siblings":53,"prev":85,"next":86},{"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":34,"speakerAvatar":34,"audioUrl":35,"choices":36,"citations":52},"deposit-refund-demand","Must you refund a deposit if the homeowner cancels before work starts?","Generally yes, beyond your actual costs. If no materials were ordered and no work was done, keeping the deposit is legally questionable, because the MHIC…","Generally yes, beyond your actual costs. If no materials were ordered and no work was done, keeping the deposit is legally questionable, because the MHIC and courts expect any amount you keep to reflect actual damages.",[32,33],"A homeowner signed a contract and paid a $3,000 deposit for a deck build. Two weeks later — before you've purchased materials or started work — they want a full refund. This was NOT a door-to-door sale.","\"We changed our minds. We want our money back. All of it.\"",null,"/media/voices/deposit_refund_demand.mp3",[37,42,47],{"text":38,"verdict":39,"label":40,"explanation":41},"Review your contract's cancellation terms. If you haven't incurred costs, refunding the full deposit is the right thing to do even if the contract doesn't require it. Forcing someone into a project they don't want guarantees problems","best","Correct","If no materials were ordered and no work was performed, your actual damages from cancellation are minimal (perhaps some estimating time). Retaining a $3,000 deposit when you've incurred zero costs is legally questionable and ethically wrong — and it's an easy MHIC complaint. A full refund with a professional response ('We understand, feel free to call us when you're ready') protects your reputation and license.",{"text":43,"verdict":44,"label":45,"explanation":46},"Keep 20% as a restocking/administrative fee per the contract terms","partial","Legally defensible but questionable","If your contract specifies a cancellation fee, you may be within your rights. But $600 for zero work performed feels punitive to the homeowner. If they complain to the MHIC, you'll need to justify what that $600 covered. 'Administrative fee' for two weeks of holding a deposit isn't compelling. The goodwill of a full refund is worth more than $600.",{"text":48,"verdict":49,"label":50,"explanation":51},"Refuse the refund — a signed contract is a signed contract","wrong","Wrong","Holding $3,000 with zero work performed is the kind of practice that generates MHIC complaints, Guaranty Fund claims, and negative reviews. Even if the contract technically supports your position, the optics are terrible: contractor takes money, does nothing, refuses refund. The MHIC and courts generally expect retention to reflect actual damages, not punitive holding.",[],[54,57,60,61,64,67,70,73,76,79,82],{"slug":55,"title":56,"topic":24},"deposit-too-large","How large a deposit can a Maryland contractor take?",{"slug":58,"title":59,"topic":24},"payment-schedule-dispute","Can you accept full payment up front for a home improvement job?",{"slug":27,"title":28,"topic":24},{"slug":62,"title":63,"topic":24},"chase-sarah-payment","How do you collect an overdue progress payment?",{"slug":65,"title":66,"topic":24},"final-payment-holdback","Can a homeowner hold back part of the final payment?",{"slug":68,"title":69,"topic":24},"payment-by-credit-card","Who pays the fee when a homeowner pays by credit card?",{"slug":71,"title":72,"topic":24},"change-order-dispute","Does added work need a written change order?",{"slug":74,"title":75,"topic":24},"change-order-blowup","Can you collect for extra work that was never put in writing?",{"slug":77,"title":78,"topic":24},"rain-delay-dispute","How do you handle a weather delay past the contract completion date?",{"slug":80,"title":81,"topic":24},"insurance-adjuster-dispute","What if the insurance payout is lower than your estimate?",{"slug":83,"title":84,"topic":24},"newlyweds-budget-panic","How do you handle a client whose vision is bigger than the budget?",{"slug":58,"title":59,"topic":24},{"slug":62,"title":63,"topic":24},1792184484118]