[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":127},["ShallowReactive",2],{"guide-question-maryland-contractor-simulator-permit-inspection-sequence":3},{"site":4,"simulation":15,"topic":23,"question":26,"siblings":48,"prev":125,"next":126},{"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":47},"permit-inspection-sequence","Why do building inspections happen in stages?","Because work gets covered up. Each stage, from footings through framing, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, and insulation to final, must pass before it is…","Because work gets covered up. Each stage, from footings through framing, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, and insulation to final, must pass before it is enclosed; skip one and you open the walls back up at your own expense.",[32,33],"You're managing a full kitchen renovation involving structural, plumbing, electrical, and finish work. The homeowner asks why you can't just get one inspection at the end when everything is done.","\"All these inspections slow things down. Can't the inspector just check everything at the final?\"",null,"/media/voices/permit_inspection_sequence.mp3",[37,42],{"text":38,"verdict":39,"label":40,"explanation":41},"Explain the inspection sequence: rough-in inspections for framing, electrical, plumbing, and mechanical must happen BEFORE you close up walls. The final inspection can't verify what's hidden behind drywall","best","Correct","Building inspections follow a sequence for good reason: (1) footings/foundation, (2) rough framing, (3) rough electrical, (4) rough plumbing, (5) rough mechanical, (6) insulation, (7) drywall, (8) final. Each inspection must pass before proceeding. The inspector needs to see wiring before it's behind drywall, plumbing before it's enclosed, and framing before it's covered. Skipping to final means opening walls back up. The sequence prevents that waste.",{"text":43,"verdict":44,"label":45,"explanation":46},"She's right — ask the inspector for a single comprehensive final inspection to save time","wrong","Wrong","You cannot skip rough-in inspections. If you drywall over uninspected framing, electrical, or plumbing, the inspector will require you to open the walls for inspection — at your expense. The inspection sequence exists because you literally cannot inspect hidden work after it's covered. Trying to skip inspections marks you as either inexperienced or deliberately non-compliant.",[],[49,52,55,58,61,64,67,70,73,74,77,80,83,86,89,92,95,98,101,104,107,110,113,116,119,122],{"slug":50,"title":51,"topic":24},"sarah-permit-question","Who is responsible for permits on a Maryland home improvement job?",{"slug":53,"title":54,"topic":24},"dave-wants-no-permit","Can you skip permits if the homeowner asks you to?",{"slug":56,"title":57,"topic":24},"dave-comes-around","How do you build permit costs into a contract?",{"slug":59,"title":60,"topic":24},"permit-exemptions","Which home projects need a permit in Maryland?",{"slug":62,"title":63,"topic":24},"property-manager-volume","Do cosmetic bathroom refreshes in rentals need permits?",{"slug":65,"title":66,"topic":24},"unpermitted-work-discovered","What happens when an inspector finds work without a permit?",{"slug":68,"title":69,"topic":24},"dave-deck-problem","What is your liability when unpermitted work fails?",{"slug":71,"title":72,"topic":24},"inspection-day","How should you handle a problem the inspector finds?",{"slug":27,"title":28,"topic":24},{"slug":75,"title":76,"topic":24},"building-dept-permit-rush","How do you get a building permit approved faster?",{"slug":78,"title":79,"topic":24},"fire-blocking-code","Where is fire blocking required under IRC R302.11?",{"slug":81,"title":82,"topic":24},"egress-window-requirement","When does a basement bedroom need an egress window?",{"slug":84,"title":85,"topic":24},"smoke-detector-requirements","Where are smoke alarms required after a renovation?",{"slug":87,"title":88,"topic":24},"gfci-requirements","Can a homeowner refuse GFCI outlets in the kitchen?",{"slug":90,"title":91,"topic":24},"handrail-dispute","When does a deck stairway need a handrail?",{"slug":93,"title":94,"topic":24},"bathroom-ventilation","Does a bathroom need an exhaust fan under the IRC?",{"slug":96,"title":97,"topic":24},"deck-ledger-connection","How must a deck ledger be attached to the house?",{"slug":99,"title":100,"topic":24},"energy-code-compliance","How is energy code compliance checked on an addition?",{"slug":102,"title":103,"topic":24},"accessibility-code-requirements","Does the ADA apply to a single-family bathroom remodel?",{"slug":105,"title":106,"topic":24},"retaining-wall-height","When does a retaining wall need an engineered design?",{"slug":108,"title":109,"topic":24},"load-bearing-wall-question","What is required before removing a load-bearing wall?",{"slug":111,"title":112,"topic":24},"building-on-easement","Can you build a deck over a utility easement?",{"slug":114,"title":115,"topic":24},"stormwater-management","When does a patio trigger stormwater management in Maryland?",{"slug":117,"title":118,"topic":24},"hoa-interference","Does a building permit override HOA approval?",{"slug":120,"title":121,"topic":24},"abandoned-project","How do you take over a job another contractor abandoned?",{"slug":123,"title":124,"topic":24},"diy-disaster-assessment","How do you assess a homeowner's failed DIY renovation?",{"slug":71,"title":72,"topic":24},{"slug":75,"title":76,"topic":24},1792184484119]