[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":93},["ShallowReactive",2],{"guide-question-maryland-contractor-simulator-cousin-ray-no-show":3},{"site":4,"simulation":15,"topic":23,"question":26,"siblings":50,"prev":91,"next":92},{"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},"subcontractors-employees","Subcontractors, Liens & Workers",{"slug":27,"title":28,"description":29,"takeaway":30,"situation":31,"speaker":34,"speakerDescription":35,"speakerAvatar":36,"audioUrl":37,"choices":38,"citations":49},"cousin-ray-no-show","How do you handle a subcontractor who stops showing up?","Replace them. Days of silence on an open job is abandonment, and you still owe the homeowner the contracted completion date.","Replace them. Days of silence on an open job is abandonment, and you still owe the homeowner the contracted completion date. Managing your subcontractors is your responsibility, family or not.",[32,33],"Cousin Ray was supposed to start drywall on Monday. It's now Wednesday. No call, no show, no text. The project is stalling and the homeowner is asking why the walls are still open framing.","Your aunt calls: \"Ray's having a rough week. Be patient with him.\"","Cousin Ray","Your cousin who does drywall and painting. Decent work but chronically late, sometimes no-shows, and gets offended when you treat him like a regular subcontractor.","/media/characters/sub_family.png","/media/voices/cousin_ray_no_show.mp3",[39,44],{"text":40,"verdict":41,"label":42,"explanation":43},"Call another drywall contractor to fill the gap. Tell Ray you need reliability and he's welcome back when he can commit to a schedule. Family is family, but your MHIC license depends on completing projects on time","best","Correct","Mixing family and business is a minefield. Your homeowner doesn't care about Ray's rough week — they have open framing in their living room. Three days without communication is abandonment of the job. You have a contractual obligation to the homeowner with a completion date. Bringing in a replacement isn't personal — it's professional. If Ray can't be treated like a regular subcontractor, he can't be your subcontractor.",{"text":45,"verdict":46,"label":47,"explanation":48},"Wait for Ray — he'll come through. You don't want family drama","wrong","Wrong","Your homeowner has a contract with completion dates. Every day of delay damages your reputation and potentially violates your contract terms. If the homeowner files an MHIC complaint for delays, 'my cousin no-showed' is not a defense. You chose Ray as your subcontractor — managing him is YOUR responsibility. Family relationships don't exempt you from professional obligations.",[],[51,54,57,60,63,66,69,72,75,78,79,82,85,88],{"slug":52,"title":53,"topic":24},"subcontractor-payment","Must you pay subcontractors when the homeowner pays late?",{"slug":55,"title":56,"topic":24},"tony-files-lien","What happens when an unpaid subcontractor files a mechanics lien?",{"slug":58,"title":59,"topic":24},"lien-rights-education","Can a subcontractor put a lien on a house the owner paid in full?",{"slug":61,"title":62,"topic":24},"client-wants-to-pay-sub-directly","Should a homeowner pay your subcontractor directly?",{"slug":64,"title":65,"topic":24},"mike-unlicensed-electrical","What if your electrician's license expired mid-job?",{"slug":67,"title":68,"topic":24},"subcontractor-not-licensed","Can you hire a plumber who is still getting licensed?",{"slug":70,"title":71,"topic":24},"homeowner-does-own-electrical","Can a homeowner do their own electrical work on your job?",{"slug":73,"title":74,"topic":24},"multiple-subs-coordination","Who coordinates subcontractors working in the same space?",{"slug":76,"title":77,"topic":24},"subcontractor-damages-property","Who is liable when a subcontractor damages the home?",{"slug":27,"title":28,"topic":24},{"slug":80,"title":81,"topic":24},"worker-classification","Are your regular workers employees or 1099 contractors?",{"slug":83,"title":84,"topic":24},"workers-comp-claim","What must you do when an employee is hurt on the job?",{"slug":86,"title":87,"topic":24},"worker-injury-no-comp","What happens when an off-the-books worker is injured?",{"slug":89,"title":90,"topic":24},"hiring-day-laborers","What are the risks of hiring day laborers for cash?",{"slug":76,"title":77,"topic":24},{"slug":80,"title":81,"topic":24},1792184485357]