The County Book, Anne Arundel County
Dates change; confirm with the official source before you act on one.
Every entry below names its official source and the date it was checked against that source.
Under the Maryland Door-to-Door Sales Act, a buyer may cancel a home improvement contract sold door-to-door until midnight of the 5th business day after the transaction, or the 7th business day if the buyer is 65 or older. For non-home-improvement door-to-door sales the window is 3 business days. A Notice of Cancellation form must be attached.
The Maryland Home Improvement Commission (MHIC) license period is 2 years from issuance. A renewal notice goes out about 60 days before expiry, and each licensee has a personal renewal date. A lapsed MHIC license means the holder cannot legally contract.
A home improvement contractor may take no more than 1/3 of the contract price as a deposit, and no payment of any kind before the contract is signed. Beyond the initial deposit the law does not control the payment schedule.
Every home improvement contract must carry the MHIC-required notice (Guaranty Fund protections and Commission contact) and the contractor's MHIC license number. The Guaranty Fund may compensate homeowners for actual losses from licensed contractors.
Work done by a holder of another state license (for example a licensed plumber or electrician) within that license's scope is outside MHIC. New home construction is also excluded from MHIC and falls under Home Builder Registration instead.