Powton Conglomerate v. Johnny Agcolicol

Summary

This Supreme Court case established that contractors cannot recover additional costs for construction work without strict compliance with Article 1724 of the Civil Code. Agcolicol completed electrical installation work but sought payment for structural design revisions without prior written authorization and agreement on price. While the Court affirmed payment of the unpaid contract balance due to petitioners' failure to prove defects, it denied recovery of additional costs totaling P722,730.38 for non-compliance with mandatory written requirements. The decision reinforced that these procedural safeguards prevent litigation and protect parties' rights to negotiate or withdraw from contracts. The Court also clarified corporate officer liability, absolving the corporate president from personal liability absent specific exceptions.