How many projects can you take on before quality suffers?
Short answer. Only as many as you can run well. Overcommitting is a leading cause of MHIC complaints, through missed deadlines, slipping quality, poor communication, and cut corners, so give new clients an honest start date.
Work it through
You're the contractor. Pick what you'd do, then see how each choice plays out.
Business is booming. You currently have 7 active projects with signed contracts. An 8th client is ready to sign — a $45,000 kitchen renovation.
You're already struggling to give each project adequate attention. Your crew is stretched thin.
- Correct
Overcommitting is the #1 operational cause of MHIC complaints. Contractors who take on too much work end up: missing deadlines (contract violations), reducing quality (workmanship complaints), neglecting communication (abandonment accusations), and cutting corners to catch up (code violations). Seven active projects is already a heavy load for a small operation. An honest timeline builds trust. A $45K client who waits 6 weeks is better than 8 clients who all get 70% of your attention.
- The trap
$45K in revenue sounds great until it causes $20K in delays, complaints, and rework across your other 7 projects. Overcommitting is how contractors spiral: one delay causes schedule shifts on three other projects, clients complain, you rush to catch up, mistakes happen, more complaints follow. The MHIC doesn't care how busy you are — each complaint is evaluated independently. Eight complaints from eight stretched-thin projects can end a career.
All 13 running a compliant business questions
- What records should a Maryland contractor keep?
- How many projects can you take on before quality suffers?
- How do you estimate honestly for a flipper on a tight budget?
- Should you match a lowball bid to win a job?
- Who is liable when a client tells your crew to cut corners?
- How do you handle a client's sticker shock?
- How should you structure a payment plan for a returning client?
- Are weekly progress reports worth the effort?
- What grants help disabled veterans pay for home modifications?
- How does contractor burnout lead to MHIC complaints?
- What is the most important thing to know for the MHIC exam?
- What one habit keeps contractors out of trouble with the MHIC?
- What advice would you give a newly licensed Maryland contractor?