[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":131},["ShallowReactive",2],{"guide-question-maryland-contractor-simulator-deck-ledger-connection":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":35,"speakerDescription":36,"speakerAvatar":37,"audioUrl":38,"choices":39,"citations":50},"deck-ledger-connection","How must a deck ledger be attached to the house?","With 1/2-inch lag screws or through-bolts at the specified spacing, under IRC R507.9.1.3.","With 1/2-inch lag screws or through-bolts at the specified spacing, under IRC R507.9.1.3. Nails are never acceptable, and improperly attached ledgers are a leading cause of deck collapses.",[32,33,34],"During your deck build, Inspector Williams questions your ledger board connection to the house.","\"I don't see lag bolts or through-bolts. Are you using nails to attach the ledger to the band joist?\"","He's looking very serious.","Inspector Williams","County building inspector. Fair but thorough. Knows every code section by heart.","/media/characters/inspector_williams.png","/media/voices/deck_ledger_connection.mp3",[40,45],{"text":41,"verdict":42,"label":43,"explanation":44},"If you used nails, own the mistake immediately. IRC R507.9.1.3 requires lag screws or through-bolts for ledger attachment — never nails. Commit to removing the ledger and reinstalling with proper fasteners","best","Correct","Deck ledger attachment is one of the most safety-critical connections in residential construction. The IRC specifically requires 1/2\" lag screws or through-bolts at specified spacing for ledger-to-band joist connections. Nails are NEVER acceptable for ledger attachment. Improperly attached ledgers are the #1 cause of deck collapses, which cause an estimated 30+ injuries and several deaths annually. Fix it. This is life-safety.",{"text":46,"verdict":47,"label":48,"explanation":49},"Argue that the nails you used are structural rated and sufficient for the load","wrong","Wrong and dangerous","No nail, regardless of rating, meets the IRC requirement for ledger attachment. IRC R507.9.1.3 specifies lag screws or bolts. Arguing with the inspector about a life-safety connection marks you as either ignorant of a fundamental code requirement or willfully non-compliant. Deck collapses from improper ledger connections kill people. This is not a matter of opinion or construction practice — it's a specific, unambiguous code requirement.",[51],"IRC R507.9.1.3",[53,56,59,62,65,68,71,74,77,80,83,86,89,92,95,98,101,102,105,108,111,114,117,120,123,126],{"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":27,"title":28,"topic":24},{"slug":103,"title":104,"topic":24},"energy-code-compliance","How is energy code compliance checked on an addition?",{"slug":106,"title":107,"topic":24},"accessibility-code-requirements","Does the ADA apply to a single-family bathroom remodel?",{"slug":109,"title":110,"topic":24},"retaining-wall-height","When does a retaining wall need an engineered design?",{"slug":112,"title":113,"topic":24},"load-bearing-wall-question","What is required before removing a load-bearing wall?",{"slug":115,"title":116,"topic":24},"building-on-easement","Can you build a deck over a utility easement?",{"slug":118,"title":119,"topic":24},"stormwater-management","When does a patio trigger stormwater management in Maryland?",{"slug":121,"title":122,"topic":24},"hoa-interference","Does a building permit override HOA approval?",{"slug":124,"title":125,"topic":24},"abandoned-project","How do you take over a job another contractor abandoned?",{"slug":127,"title":128,"topic":24},"diy-disaster-assessment","How do you assess a homeowner's failed DIY renovation?",{"slug":99,"title":100,"topic":24},{"slug":103,"title":104,"topic":24},1792184485268]