[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":127},["ShallowReactive",2],{"guide-question-maryland-contractor-simulator-retaining-wall-height":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},"retaining-wall-height","When does a retaining wall need an engineered design?","In most jurisdictions, once its exposed height exceeds 4 feet. A taller wall needs a geotechnical assessment, an engineered design with drainage, a building…","In most jurisdictions, once its exposed height exceeds 4 feet. A taller wall needs a geotechnical assessment, an engineered design with drainage, a building permit, and inspections.",[32,33],"A homeowner wants a 6-foot retaining wall to level their sloped backyard. You've built plenty of shorter walls, but this one is taller than usual.","Your crew is ready to start digging.",null,"/media/voices/retaining_wall_height.mp3",[37,42],{"text":38,"verdict":39,"label":40,"explanation":41},"Stop. Retaining walls over 4 feet typically require engineering design and a building permit. A 6-foot wall needs a stamped structural design from a licensed engineer before you start","best","Correct","Most jurisdictions require engineered designs for retaining walls over 4 feet in exposed height. A 6-foot wall holds back thousands of pounds of soil — failure can cause property damage, injury, or death. You need: a geotechnical assessment, engineered wall design with drainage, building permit, and inspections. Building a 6-foot retaining wall without engineering is like building a bridge without math. Don't.",{"text":43,"verdict":44,"label":45,"explanation":46},"You've built walls before — just make it thicker and use bigger blocks","wrong","Dangerous","'Make it thicker' is not engineering. Retaining walls must resist lateral soil pressure, hydrostatic pressure (water behind the wall), surcharge loads, and frost heave. A 6-foot wall that fails doesn't lean — it collapses, potentially burying whatever is at the base. Without proper drainage, geogrid reinforcement, and engineered footer design, failure is not a question of 'if' but 'when.' Get the engineering.",[],[49,52,55,58,61,64,67,70,73,76,79,82,85,88,91,94,97,100,103,106,107,110,113,116,119,122],{"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":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":27,"title":28,"topic":24},{"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":104,"title":105,"topic":24},{"slug":108,"title":109,"topic":24},1792184485283]