[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":129},["ShallowReactive",2],{"guide-question-maryland-contractor-simulator-property-manager-volume":3},{"site":4,"simulation":15,"topic":23,"question":26,"siblings":50,"prev":127,"next":128},{"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},"property-manager-volume","Do cosmetic bathroom refreshes in rentals need permits?","It depends on the actual work. Replacing a vanity or toilet usually needs no permit, but moving plumbing does, and retiling a shower may need inspection.","It depends on the actual work. Replacing a vanity or toilet usually needs no permit, but moving plumbing does, and retiling a shower may need inspection. Walk every unit, define the scope, and check local permit rules before you quote.",[32,33],"Lisa Okafor offers you a deal: her investment group needs bathroom renovations in 8 rental units. She wants a volume price.","\"$4,500 per bathroom, no permits needed — they're just cosmetic refreshes. New vanity, toilet, tile, paint. We need them done in 6 weeks.\"","Lisa Okafor","Manages 40 rental properties for an investment group. Sends you steady work but constantly pushes for volume discounts and faster turnarounds. Treats contractors as interchangeable.","/media/characters/property_manager_lisa.png","/media/voices/property_manager_volume.mp3",[39,44],{"text":40,"verdict":41,"label":42,"explanation":43},"Walk the units first to assess actual scope. If the work truly is cosmetic (no plumbing moves, no structural changes), permits may not be required. But swapping toilets and fixtures may trigger permit requirements depending on jurisdiction. Get clarity before quoting","best","Correct","'Cosmetic refresh' means different things to different people. Replacing a vanity is cosmetic. Moving a vanity requires plumbing permits. Replacing a toilet is typically permit-exempt. Retiling a shower involves waterproofing that may need inspection. Walk every unit, define the actual scope, check local permit requirements, then quote. Eight units is good volume — but eight units of violations is eight times the liability.",{"text":45,"verdict":46,"label":47,"explanation":48},"Take the deal at $4,500 per unit, no permits — it's steady work and Lisa sends more","wrong","Risky","Agreeing to 'no permits' before assessing the actual work is gambling with your license across 8 units. If any of those 'cosmetic' refreshes actually require permits (plumbing connections, electrical in wet areas), you've committed to 8 unpermitted jobs. Each written contract also needs proper MHIC elements. Volume work from property managers is great — but volume violations will end your career.",[],[51,54,57,60,63,64,67,70,73,76,79,82,85,88,91,94,97,100,103,106,109,112,115,118,121,124],{"slug":52,"title":53,"topic":24},"sarah-permit-question","Who is responsible for permits on a Maryland home improvement job?",{"slug":55,"title":56,"topic":24},"dave-wants-no-permit","Can you skip permits if the homeowner asks you to?",{"slug":58,"title":59,"topic":24},"dave-comes-around","How do you build permit costs into a contract?",{"slug":61,"title":62,"topic":24},"permit-exemptions","Which home projects need a permit in Maryland?",{"slug":27,"title":28,"topic":24},{"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":74,"title":75,"topic":24},"permit-inspection-sequence","Why do building inspections happen in stages?",{"slug":77,"title":78,"topic":24},"building-dept-permit-rush","How do you get a building permit approved faster?",{"slug":80,"title":81,"topic":24},"fire-blocking-code","Where is fire blocking required under IRC R302.11?",{"slug":83,"title":84,"topic":24},"egress-window-requirement","When does a basement bedroom need an egress window?",{"slug":86,"title":87,"topic":24},"smoke-detector-requirements","Where are smoke alarms required after a renovation?",{"slug":89,"title":90,"topic":24},"gfci-requirements","Can a homeowner refuse GFCI outlets in the kitchen?",{"slug":92,"title":93,"topic":24},"handrail-dispute","When does a deck stairway need a handrail?",{"slug":95,"title":96,"topic":24},"bathroom-ventilation","Does a bathroom need an exhaust fan under the IRC?",{"slug":98,"title":99,"topic":24},"deck-ledger-connection","How must a deck ledger be attached to the house?",{"slug":101,"title":102,"topic":24},"energy-code-compliance","How is energy code compliance checked on an addition?",{"slug":104,"title":105,"topic":24},"accessibility-code-requirements","Does the ADA apply to a single-family bathroom remodel?",{"slug":107,"title":108,"topic":24},"retaining-wall-height","When does a retaining wall need an engineered design?",{"slug":110,"title":111,"topic":24},"load-bearing-wall-question","What is required before removing a load-bearing wall?",{"slug":113,"title":114,"topic":24},"building-on-easement","Can you build a deck over a utility easement?",{"slug":116,"title":117,"topic":24},"stormwater-management","When does a patio trigger stormwater management in Maryland?",{"slug":119,"title":120,"topic":24},"hoa-interference","Does a building permit override HOA approval?",{"slug":122,"title":123,"topic":24},"abandoned-project","How do you take over a job another contractor abandoned?",{"slug":125,"title":126,"topic":24},"diy-disaster-assessment","How do you assess a homeowner's failed DIY renovation?",{"slug":61,"title":62,"topic":24},{"slug":65,"title":66,"topic":24},1792184484119]