Rights-of-way and easements suitable to the utility shall be furnished at no cost to the utility by the applicant in a reasonable time to meet service requirements, shall be cleared of trees, tree stumps, and other obstructions at no charge to the utility, and shall be graded to within 6 inches of final grade by the applicant before the utility will commence construction. The clearance and grading shall be maintained by the applicant during construction by the utility. If, subsequent to construction, the clearance or grade is changed in such a way as to require relocation of the underground facilities, the cost of the relocation shall be borne by the applicant or his successor.