How to Remove Drywall Anchors Without Damaging Your Walls

A little bit of elbow grease and some common household tools will get the job done in no time

Photo: Serhii / Adobe Stock
Photo: Serhii / Adobe Stock
Audrey Bruno
Written by Audrey Bruno
Contributing Writer
Updated Aug 3, 2023
SKILL LEVEL
Simple
COMPLETION TIME
15 minutes
COST
$25 to $50
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What you'll need:
TOOLS
  • Drywall putty
  • Medium grit sandpaper
SUPPLIES
  • Screwdriver
  • Drill with screwdriver fitting
  • Utility knife, box cutter, or cutting wheel fitting for drill
  • Needle-nose pliers
  • Hammer

Drywall anchors are handy for all sorts of projects, like safely mounting shelves, TVs, art, and the like. But they can also be a nuisance when it comes time to repaint your walls for a move or simply redecorate. Luckily, learning how to remove drywall anchors is easy to do and doesn’t require any out-of-the-ordinary tools. With a bit of time and some drywall putty for patching up any small holes left behind, your walls will be ready for whatever comes next. 

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Prepping to Remove Drywall Anchors

Start by gathering all your tools and protecting your surroundings from any debris. Remove any objects that could get in your way while working, and cover the floor below with a drop cloth for quick and easy cleanup. 

Next, clear the wall of any obstacles like art or shelves. Find out how to remove wallpaper if you know that’s another task you’ll need to do beforehand. You’ll need to remove any screws that are still in place before worrying about the anchors. You can use either a handheld screwdriver or a drill with a screwdriver fitting to do this. Dust them off and set them aside for a later project if they’re still in good shape. 

Once you’ve taken care of all that, you’re ready to conquer the drywall anchors. Use one of the following methods to get them out ASAP.

  1. Remove With a Screwdriver

    person using screwdriver for wall anchor
    Photo: zlikovec / Adobe Stock

    Place either a handheld screwdriver or a drill with a screwdriver bit into the drywall anchor. If you’ve chosen the first option, rotate the screwdriver to the left while gently tugging backward to loosen and pull out the anchor. Once it’s far enough removed from the wall, you can unscrew the rest by hand. 

    If you’re opting for the drill, be sure to set it to reverse to avoid accidentally drilling further into your wall. Place the bit into the anchor and activate the drill to pull outward. If the anchor is still firmly in place despite these efforts, consider one of the more intensive methods below.

  2. Pull Out With Needle-Nose Pliers

    Sandwich the accessible anchor edge between the two tips of a set of needle-nose pliers. Gently push and pull the edge back and forth until it becomes noticeably looser. You may need to repeat this motion for a few minutes to free the anchor enough to pull it out. Move on to a different technique if it still doesn’t budge from this trick.

  3. Cut and Hammer to Remove

    Use a utility knife, box cutter, or cutting wheel bit for your drill to cut away at the head of the anchor. Once it’s fully removed and flat with the wall, place a screwdriver or nail into the opening. Next, tap the screwdriver or nail with a hammer to push the anchor into the gap behind the wall. If it turns out that there’s not enough space behind the wall and the anchor is still sticking out, try the last trick for guaranteed success.

  4. Recess It Into the Wall

    Save this method for last because it will create a larger hole in your drywall than the others. Use a utility knife or box cutter to score a small square around the drywall anchor. Next, place a screwdriver in the anchor opening and tap with a hammer until it’s fully sunk into the drywall. From there, you’ll need to patch up the remaining hole before moving on to other projects.

  5. Patch Holes With Drywall Putty

    man putting putty on drywall hole
    Photo: Kativ / iStock / Getty Images

    Even the smallest holes in drywall are worth patching up because they can become worse over time if neglected—and incur hefty drywall repair costs as a result. Wipe the area with a microfiber cloth to remove any leftover dust or debris. Apply drywall putty and use a drywall spatula to smooth and even out the rest of the wall. Let dry until fully cured (up to 24 hours), then smooth out further with medium-grit sandpaper. If you’ve made a hole bigger than you feel comfortable dealing with, a local drywall repair service can help you out. 

DIY vs. Hiring a Pro

For a job this small, you’re better off doing it yourself than hiring a pro. In most cases, a drywall professional near you won’t perform such a task unless it’s one part of a larger project or an add-on to something else entirely—like a freebie on top of the cost of popcorn ceiling removal. 

Good thing the cost to go the DIY route is so low! If you don’t already have a drill or tools like a hammer or screwdriver, you’ll end up paying a max one-time fee ranging from $100 to $300. It’s worth investing in such tools because they’ll help you save a lot on future DIY projects and repairs in the long run.

Frequently Asked Questions

Whether or not you’re able to reuse old drywall anchors depends on the type of material it’s made of and the removal method. Plastic drywall anchors are typically not suitable for more than one use as they’re more likely to break when taken out, but metal drywall anchors are more durable and may not become damaged during extraction. However, if you have to use a cutting method to remove the head from the drywall anchor, it won’t be usable in any case. 

Drywall anchors aren’t necessary if there’s a stud behind the wall where you’ll be working. Studs are strong enough to support screws on their own, but they don’t run throughout the wall. If you’re doing a project that involves the entire wall and not just one part (like hanging a small painting or photo), odds are you’ll need drywall anchors at some point in the process. 

There are a handful of reasons why your drywall anchors are breaking. Using the wrong type of anchor is the most common problem, so always make sure you’re using the best option for a particular project. That there are electrical wires or plumbing where you’ve placed an anchor or that your drywall is weak are two other possible causes. 

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Learn more about our contributor
Audrey Bruno
Written by Audrey Bruno
Contributing Writer
Having lived in California, New York, Germany, and now France, Audrey Bruno is no stranger to making a home in strange places. Whether she’s in a studio apartment in a bustling city or a house in the quiet countryside, her years of exploring the world of home improvement inform the way she approaches every space. Her writing covers a vast array of home and lifestyle subjects and has appeared in publications like Domino and SELF.

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