DominicSantini wrote:
Planning on putting up a fence (for privacy barrier
purposes - along with some new trees, etc).

Spoke to some local fence companies. They appear to
have different methods of installing the posts.

No surprise there.

One outfit made a big deal they install their posts
approx 10' into the ground.

I'd make a big deal that they're full of ****. There could be no
possible reason to dig so deep. In fact, I don't know how you'd even
dig a small hole that deep without core-drilling equipment used for
taking soil samples, and believe me, they're not doing that.

Another outfit, only goes a few feet (6 ? I forget).

Okay, now it's clear that it's _your_ recollection that is faulty.
You didn't say what type of fence it is, but _nobody_ sinks a fence
post deeper than 3' or 4'. Most fence posts are sunk 2' - 3'
depending on conditions.

Both claimed that cement was not needed around the
posts.

Very possibly not. What type of fence, how high, what type of posts,
what are your soil conditions?

What is "best practice" for fence post installation?
Even researching it on the web revealed conflicting
methods (irrespective of local soil conditions). I'm
interested in doing it right the first time.

Haven't decided if vinyl fencing or cedar fencing is
the way to proceed either.

Also, if I ordered the fence parts off, say an internet
business, would a local contractor supply the labor ?
(I presume, they'd have no incentive to do this, but
i'm curious if anyone has done it). And no, i don't have
the time (or probably skill/patience) to do a DIY fence
installation.

You'd have to ask the local contractors. I do know that around here a
lot of people wouldn't be interested. They'd look at it as you would
be complicating their lives (it's possible you could order all of the
parts you need with no omissions, but very possible you couldn't and
they'd still have to make runs for material). You might not be able
to get the materials for that much cheaper as you'd be dealing with
shipping on a small load and the fence company deals wholesale on
large loads. No way to be sure without asking.

Let your fingers do the walking.

R