Eh I have to disagree with those saying resurfacing isn't needed.
The basic premise here is to return the rotor's surface to a clean, relatively rough surface compared to those that have been worn in.
What many people these days do not realize is that rotors do not really "warp" but rather the uneven surface/pulsation is actually caused by the brake pads vitrifying on the rotor itself. Braking systems work by friction, over time with heat and pressure the rotors and pads develop a smooth "glass-like" surface. Depending on the severity of the surface it can be something as mild as an annoying squeak at low speeds (ever rubbed two pieces of glass together?) to something a serious as reduced braking performance and pulsation (again, every tried to rub two pieces of glass vs. two bricks?)
Replacing just the pads means your rotors still have that smooth, glassy, baked finish (from minute amounts of brake pad material vitrifying onto the rotor's surface and filling it in), it's not entirely horrible if you're in a pinch. But realistically speaking you're hamstringing your own braking system and vehicle by doing only half the job. You want to resurface the rotors so that the bare metal is clean, relatively smooth (in terms of run-out), and ready for that gritty pad to grip it. When it comes to brakes it's 100% about friction and nothing else. Rubbing sandpaper on a sheet of glass isn't going to be as "grippy" as rubbing sandpaper on soft metal like cast iron.
Resurfacing vs. Replacing rotors comes down to how much effort you want to spend and if the rotors can be resurfaced. Usually you have about 4~5mm of leeway from brand-new to "minimum turn-to specification", that may not sound like much, but a good resurfacing on a rotor with very little run-out is going to be in the .010" range, which is .25mm; as long as your rotors don't need to be turned too heavily due to run-out issues, you should easily see 150k-ish on factory rotors (I'm at 127k on my originals and have done brakes and resurfaced them.)
Additionally $350 per axle isn't that outrageous for dealer pricing. You're looking at about 1.5~2hrs of flat rate labor per axle (typical labor charged by many shops) and the cost of the brake pads. We'll say typically dealership labor is in the $120~150 area depending on where you are and the cost of the pads at dealer mark-up could be around $50~80. So that pricing sounds about right for dealership.
If you're talking about independent shops, the labor will most likely be about the same; the savings comes from their lower labor rated (though honestly with how the industry is right now, some areas are almost dealer price because they've had to come up and dealers have had to come down to be competitive and turn a profit, so pricing is more regional) and cheaper parts. Now I'm not knocking aftermarket parts, but there's a lot of cheap crap out there that squeaks, glazes up fast, and doesn't perform as good as factory (even if the box says it does). So do your research on aftermarket parts, don't just slap on the cheapest stuff you can find, I have always maintained that the two main things an owner is absolutely stupid and irresponsible for doing is skimping on tires and brakes; they are literally the two things that hold you to the road and stop you. Put cheap tires and brake pads on your vehicle to save a couple bucks and you may find that when you need to make that emergency stop to avoid that car you'll lose traction on your cheap tires and your cheap brakes will not be as good at stopping the vehicle in time. So be smart, do your research and find the best stuff for the best price even if that means spending a bit more than "Jimmy John's Cheapie Brake Pads, Stops'em gud!"
Additionally there was (and I believe still might be) a rash of Chinese brake pads and rotors that were fracturing and literally disintegrating one peoples vehicles in the last 5 years or so. I am not sure if that's been taken care of, but keep that possibility in mind when you look at those no-name brands; stick to established brands.
IF You don't want to pay a dealership/shop to resurface your rotors. You can probably find good pads and rotors to slap on yourself for about 1/2~2/3 the cost of what was quoted per axle and will be as good as new.
You can do the job half-assed and shrug your shoulders and say "it didn't hurt me none" until the one time it does; or you can do it right in my honest opinion. You'd be pissed at me if I as a technician half-assed a repair on your vehicle, why wouldn't you be pissed at yourself for doing the same?
