What Sets Us Apart
The Brandywine Difference
Focused by Design. Driven by Standards.
Brandywine wasn’t built to scale fast or check boxes.
It was built to raise the standard.
We’re not a volume shop. We’re a design-first, build-once, finish-strong kind of company that thrives on doing complex, custom work others can’t (or won’t) touch. Our reputation wasn’t bought. It was earned in the field, one project at a time, with tight joints, clean grades, and zero cut corners.
We don’t sell a style. We sell standards.
More Than a Crew. A Company That Stands Behind the Work.
✦ No prefab kits. No copy-paste layouts. No bait-and-switch pricing.
✦ One point of contact from first call to final walk-through.
✦ A real process that respects your time, your budget, and your site.
We’re not flashy or loud. We’re clear, grounded, and direct because the clients we serve don’t want a pitch. They want follow-through.
How We Work (And Why It Works)
We scope with intent and price with clarity. Build with the kind of care that doesn’t flinch when the design gets technical. Our Design & Development Agreement is simple: you pay a fee (3% of project budget) to get a real plan, with elevations, materials, and costs fully laid out. That fee gets credited if you move forward. And the number we quote is the number we build for. Period.
There are no gimmicks here. No square-foot pricing.
No vague allowances buried in a line item.
Meet the Team
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Upfront pricing and fixed-cost construction agreements
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Custom layouts based on your site, architecture, and lifestyle
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Wet-laid masonry and old-world stonework done in-house
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Projects built to feel permanent, not trendy
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Real deadlines, clean work sites, and tight crew continuity
The Story Behind the Standard
From the Field Up
Founder Mark Wagner didn’t start Brandywine to chase volume. He built it after decades in the field, first as a mason tender, then a foreman, then a construction manager, because he saw too many jobs done halfway, priced fast, and executed sloppily.
Day-One Principles
When the company he worked for folded, former clients came straight to him. That first job became the foundation for everything we do now: price it right, do what you say, and don’t walk off until it’s done.
Quality Over Quantity
Today, Brandywine remains a selective firm focused on high-end residential projects. We work with homeowners who care about quality, permanence, and process. We’re not for everyone. And that’s the point.
“We don’t just install landscapes. We build permanent, meaningful outdoor spaces that reflect our clients’ values, and our craft.”
— mark wagner
A Team That’s Bought-In
This isn’t a revolving door crew. Most of us are related: husbands and wives, fathers and sons. Everyone here is bought-in. We don’t subcontract the core of the work, and we don’t vanish when a job gets tricky. We show up, stay on, and own the outcome.
That means when we build your patio, install your garden, or lay out your grading plan, we’re staking our name on it. And we take that seriously.
John Nolan, General Manager
With over 30 years in the field and a background that includes service in the Marine Corps, John brings discipline and depth to every project. He’s worked at top firms like Wallace Landscape Associates, W.D. Wells, and Davis & Young Masonry before joining Brandywine, where his leadership ensures projects stay on track, no matter the complexity.
Mike Gentile, Project Manager
Mike has worked with Mark since 2017 and brings more than a decade of experience to the team. Currently pursuing a certification to become a Pennsylvania Certified Horticulturalist through the PLNA, Mike’s blend of hands-on build knowledge and growing horticultural expertise adds dimension to every jobsite.
Who We’re For
Our clients are discerning. They value the work. They care how it’s done, not just what it looks like. They’ve often been burned by other contractors, or know someone who has. They want one point of contact, one firm responsible, and one number that doesn’t move halfway through the job.
If you’re looking for three bids, or want to know what we charge per square foot, we’re not the right fit. But if you want something permanent, considered, and executed cleanly, start the conversation.
Serving the Main Line & Brandywine Valley Region
We create enduring outdoor landscape environments and custom backyard designs that reflect your identity and our craft.