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About Warranties - Home Improvement Commission

Warranties are covered by the Maryland Service Contracts and Consumer Products Guaranty Act, which is found in Title 14 of the Commercial Law Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland. Typically, MHIC does not enforce warranties because the authority of MHIC is limited to investigating whether the initial work was performed in a workmanlike manner. Warranties are only as good as the company that issues them so if the business closes, most consumers are left without a way to enforce the warranty.

The Maryland Service Contracts and Consumer Products Guaranty Act requires that the following information be disclosed in the contract that provides the warranty: (1) the duration of the guaranty period measured by time; (2) any reasonable and necessary maintenance required as a condition for the performance of the guaranty; (3) a recital of the guarantor's obligations to the person guaranteed during the guaranty period; (4) the procedure which the person guaranteed should follow to obtain the repair or replacement of the malfunctioning or defective consumer product; and (5) any means established by the guarantor for quick informal settlement of any guaranty dispute. It is the duty of the guarantor to fulfill the guaranty according to its terms (a) within a reasonable time and (b) for the period stated in the guaranty or, if not period is stated, for a reasonable period of time.