The producers of this film asked the producers of Scary Movie 4 (2006) if they could use their bathroom set for this film as it was an exact replica of the sets used in Saw (2004) and Saw II (2005). They were given permission to use it.
As with the previous two films, only the actors who appeared in the final scene were given the complete script.
The film's most graphic scene - Jigsaw's brain surgery - remained completely uncut by the MPAA. The filmmakers argued that it was no different from what people would see in any medical documentary on TV.
During the brain surgery scene prop master James R. Murray had to hold Bahar Soomekh's arms still for the close-up shots because she was unable to steady herself and keep the tool under control.
Costas Mandylor's character - Detective Hoffman - is named as a tribute to the first two films' late producer Gregg Hoffman.