[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":130},["ShallowReactive",2],{"guide-question-maryland-contractor-simulator-egress-window-requirement":3},{"site":4,"simulation":15,"topic":23,"question":26,"siblings":51,"prev":128,"next":129},{"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":35,"speakerAvatar":36,"audioUrl":37,"choices":38,"citations":49},"egress-window-requirement","When does a basement bedroom need an egress window?","Whenever the room will be used for sleeping. IRC R310 requires an egress window with at least 5.7 sq ft of net clear opening, 20 inches of width, 24 inches…","Whenever the room will be used for sleeping. IRC R310 requires an egress window with at least 5.7 sq ft of net clear opening, 20 inches of width, 24 inches of height, and a sill no more than 44 inches above the floor; calling it a bonus room does not change that.",[32,33],"Dave's basement finish includes a bedroom. You're planning the layout and realize there's no window large enough to meet egress requirements.","\"Can't we just put in a regular window and call it a 'bonus room' instead of a bedroom?\"","Dave Kowalski","A homeowner who wants a deck and basement finished fast. Impatient and wants to cut corners.","/media/characters/homeowner_dave.png","/media/voices/egress_window_requirement.mp3",[39,44],{"text":40,"verdict":41,"label":42,"explanation":43},"If it has a closet and will be used for sleeping, it needs egress regardless of what you call it. Explain the IRC egress requirements and budget for a proper egress window installation","best","Correct","IRC R310 requires egress windows in all habitable rooms used for sleeping. Minimum: 5.7 sq ft net clear opening, 20\" minimum width, 24\" minimum height, sill no more than 44\" above floor. Calling it a 'bonus room' doesn't change the requirement if it will functionally be used as a bedroom. Inspectors look at the room's characteristics (closet, door, size), not just what you label it on the plan.",{"text":45,"verdict":46,"label":47,"explanation":48},"Good idea — label it 'recreation room' on the plans and skip the egress window","wrong","Dangerous","Labeling a room as 'recreation' to avoid egress requirements while knowing it will be used as a bedroom is code evasion. If someone is sleeping in that room during a fire and can't escape because there's no egress window, you're potentially liable for their death. Inspectors know this trick. Building codes exist to save lives. Install the egress window.",[50],"IRC R310",[52,55,58,61,64,67,70,73,76,79,82,85,86,89,92,95,98,101,104,107,110,113,116,119,122,125],{"slug":53,"title":54,"topic":24},"sarah-permit-question","Who is responsible for permits on a Maryland home improvement job?",{"slug":56,"title":57,"topic":24},"dave-wants-no-permit","Can you skip permits if the homeowner asks you to?",{"slug":59,"title":60,"topic":24},"dave-comes-around","How do you build permit costs into a contract?",{"slug":62,"title":63,"topic":24},"permit-exemptions","Which home projects need a permit in Maryland?",{"slug":65,"title":66,"topic":24},"property-manager-volume","Do cosmetic bathroom refreshes in rentals need permits?",{"slug":68,"title":69,"topic":24},"unpermitted-work-discovered","What happens when an inspector finds work without a permit?",{"slug":71,"title":72,"topic":24},"dave-deck-problem","What is your liability when unpermitted work fails?",{"slug":74,"title":75,"topic":24},"inspection-day","How should you handle a problem the inspector finds?",{"slug":77,"title":78,"topic":24},"permit-inspection-sequence","Why do building inspections happen in stages?",{"slug":80,"title":81,"topic":24},"building-dept-permit-rush","How do you get a building permit approved faster?",{"slug":83,"title":84,"topic":24},"fire-blocking-code","Where is fire blocking required under IRC R302.11?",{"slug":27,"title":28,"topic":24},{"slug":87,"title":88,"topic":24},"smoke-detector-requirements","Where are smoke alarms required after a renovation?",{"slug":90,"title":91,"topic":24},"gfci-requirements","Can a homeowner refuse GFCI outlets in the kitchen?",{"slug":93,"title":94,"topic":24},"handrail-dispute","When does a deck stairway need a handrail?",{"slug":96,"title":97,"topic":24},"bathroom-ventilation","Does a bathroom need an exhaust fan under the IRC?",{"slug":99,"title":100,"topic":24},"deck-ledger-connection","How must a deck ledger be attached to the house?",{"slug":102,"title":103,"topic":24},"energy-code-compliance","How is energy code compliance checked on an addition?",{"slug":105,"title":106,"topic":24},"accessibility-code-requirements","Does the ADA apply to a single-family bathroom remodel?",{"slug":108,"title":109,"topic":24},"retaining-wall-height","When does a retaining wall need an engineered design?",{"slug":111,"title":112,"topic":24},"load-bearing-wall-question","What is required before removing a load-bearing wall?",{"slug":114,"title":115,"topic":24},"building-on-easement","Can you build a deck over a utility easement?",{"slug":117,"title":118,"topic":24},"stormwater-management","When does a patio trigger stormwater management in Maryland?",{"slug":120,"title":121,"topic":24},"hoa-interference","Does a building permit override HOA approval?",{"slug":123,"title":124,"topic":24},"abandoned-project","How do you take over a job another contractor abandoned?",{"slug":126,"title":127,"topic":24},"diy-disaster-assessment","How do you assess a homeowner's failed DIY renovation?",{"slug":83,"title":84,"topic":24},{"slug":87,"title":88,"topic":24},1792184484119]