[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":131},["ShallowReactive",2],{"guide-question-maryland-contractor-simulator-abandoned-project":3},{"site":4,"simulation":15,"topic":23,"question":26,"siblings":52,"prev":129,"next":130},{"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},"permits-codes","Permits, Inspections & Building Codes",{"slug":27,"title":28,"description":29,"takeaway":30,"situation":31,"speaker":34,"speakerDescription":34,"speakerAvatar":34,"audioUrl":35,"choices":36,"citations":51},"abandoned-project","How do you take over a job another contractor abandoned?","Never inherit the previous contractor's liability: sign a new written contract for your scope, pull permits in your name, have existing work inspected, and…","Never inherit the previous contractor's liability: sign a new written contract for your scope, pull permits in your name, have existing work inspected, and document pre-existing conditions. The homeowner may recover through the Guaranty Fund.",[32,33],"A previous contractor abandoned a bathroom renovation halfway through. The homeowner hired you to finish it. When you arrive, you find: open walls with exposed wiring, disconnected plumbing, no permits on file, and substandard framing.","\"Just finish what he started. I already paid him $18,000.\"",null,"/media/voices/abandoned_project.mp3",[37,42,47],{"text":38,"verdict":39,"label":40,"explanation":41},"Start fresh with YOUR contract, YOUR permits, and YOUR inspection schedule. Document the existing conditions, advise the homeowner to file an MHIC complaint against the previous contractor, and don't build on top of substandard work","best","Correct","Never inherit another contractor's liability. You need: (1) a new written contract for YOUR scope of work; (2) permits in YOUR name; (3) inspection of all existing work before building on it; (4) documentation of pre-existing conditions. Advise the homeowner to file with the MHIC — they may recover through the Guaranty Fund. The previous contractor's unpermitted, abandoned work is their violation, not yours — unless you build on top of it.",{"text":43,"verdict":44,"label":45,"explanation":46},"Just finish the job from where he left off — the homeowner doesn't want to start over","wrong","Dangerous","Building on top of unpermitted, uninspected, substandard work makes YOU liable for the entire project. If that exposed wiring causes a fire, or the framing fails, the inspector isn't going to care that someone else started it. The moment you continue work without permits and inspections, you own every deficiency. Pull permits, get the existing work inspected, fix what's wrong, then proceed.",{"text":48,"verdict":44,"label":49,"explanation":50},"Agree to finish it but require her to sign a waiver releasing you from liability for the previous contractor's work","Wrong","A waiver doesn't protect you from building code violations, inspection failures, or personal injury. If you build on substandard framing and it fails, 'the homeowner signed a waiver' doesn't hold up. You cannot waive code compliance. Get permits, get the existing work inspected, fix what's wrong, and proceed properly. That's the only way to protect both of you.",[],[53,56,59,62,65,68,71,74,77,80,83,86,89,92,95,98,101,104,107,110,113,116,119,122,125,126],{"slug":54,"title":55,"topic":24},"sarah-permit-question","Who is responsible for permits on a Maryland home improvement job?",{"slug":57,"title":58,"topic":24},"dave-wants-no-permit","Can you skip permits if the homeowner asks you to?",{"slug":60,"title":61,"topic":24},"dave-comes-around","How do you build permit costs into a contract?",{"slug":63,"title":64,"topic":24},"permit-exemptions","Which home projects need a permit in Maryland?",{"slug":66,"title":67,"topic":24},"property-manager-volume","Do cosmetic bathroom refreshes in rentals need permits?",{"slug":69,"title":70,"topic":24},"unpermitted-work-discovered","What happens when an inspector finds work without a permit?",{"slug":72,"title":73,"topic":24},"dave-deck-problem","What is your liability when unpermitted work fails?",{"slug":75,"title":76,"topic":24},"inspection-day","How should you handle a problem the inspector finds?",{"slug":78,"title":79,"topic":24},"permit-inspection-sequence","Why do building inspections happen in stages?",{"slug":81,"title":82,"topic":24},"building-dept-permit-rush","How do you get a building permit approved faster?",{"slug":84,"title":85,"topic":24},"fire-blocking-code","Where is fire blocking required under IRC R302.11?",{"slug":87,"title":88,"topic":24},"egress-window-requirement","When does a basement bedroom need an egress window?",{"slug":90,"title":91,"topic":24},"smoke-detector-requirements","Where are smoke alarms required after a renovation?",{"slug":93,"title":94,"topic":24},"gfci-requirements","Can a homeowner refuse GFCI outlets in the kitchen?",{"slug":96,"title":97,"topic":24},"handrail-dispute","When does a deck stairway need a handrail?",{"slug":99,"title":100,"topic":24},"bathroom-ventilation","Does a bathroom need an exhaust fan under the IRC?",{"slug":102,"title":103,"topic":24},"deck-ledger-connection","How must a deck ledger be attached to the house?",{"slug":105,"title":106,"topic":24},"energy-code-compliance","How is energy code compliance checked on an addition?",{"slug":108,"title":109,"topic":24},"accessibility-code-requirements","Does the ADA apply to a single-family bathroom remodel?",{"slug":111,"title":112,"topic":24},"retaining-wall-height","When does a retaining wall need an engineered design?",{"slug":114,"title":115,"topic":24},"load-bearing-wall-question","What is required before removing a load-bearing wall?",{"slug":117,"title":118,"topic":24},"building-on-easement","Can you build a deck over a utility easement?",{"slug":120,"title":121,"topic":24},"stormwater-management","When does a patio trigger stormwater management in Maryland?",{"slug":123,"title":124,"topic":24},"hoa-interference","Does a building permit override HOA approval?",{"slug":27,"title":28,"topic":24},{"slug":127,"title":128,"topic":24},"diy-disaster-assessment","How do you assess a homeowner's failed DIY renovation?",{"slug":123,"title":124,"topic":24},{"slug":127,"title":128,"topic":24},1792184485305]