Cast vs. Aluminum heads and bang for buck..

It bugs me that to do it right, you should send the new aluminums off to the machine shop to get checked. Now, not all brands are like that but a pair of aluminum heads that I could afford would need to be checked.
Quickly, the "twice a year sale for Chinese heads at 800+" turns into 1000+. I couldn't just bolt and go either. I have a friend that put pro comps on a 455 Olds without checking, and had issues.