How to Remove Drywall Anchors

Standard plastic wall anchors might be the most common type of drywall anchors. As you drive the anchor screw it spreads the anchor, tightening it against the back of the wall. They don’t engage as fully as other types, so they’re one of the easier types of drywall anchors to remove.

Use a screwdriver or drill/driver to back the anchor screw out enough to allow you to grip it with a claw hammer. Don’t remove the screw completely. If you no longer have the original screw, find one that fits the anchor. Carefully pry the screw and anchor out of the wall. If necessary, put some padding behind the head of the hammer to avoid marring the wall.

Self-drilling screw anchors are some of the easiest anchors to remove since they don’t have much contact with the back of the wall. A screw anchor has a Phillips drive surface similar to that of a Phillips-head screw.

You can use a screwdriver to remove these wall anchors. Remove the anchor screw. Then simply insert the screwdriver into the drive point on the anchor and carefully twist the anchor counterclockwise to back it out of the drywall.

The spring-loaded metal wings on a toggle bolt spread outward once you insert the assembly into the wall. As you drive the anchor screw, it pulls the wings tightly against the back of the drywall. Use these steps to remove the screw and the wings assembly so you can reuse the anchor.

Loosen the screw slowly and carefully so the wings don’t fall behind the wall. As you unscrew the screw, insert a thin hex key into the hole in the wall and push against the wings assembly. Try to flip it so that it’s parallel to the screw.

If the wings assembly doesn’t move, back out the screw a bit more and try the hex key again. Once you can push the wings assembly sideways, hold it in place with the hex key and pull the screw and assembly out from the wall.

This toggle anchor is similar to a spring-loaded toggle bolt, but rather than using a spring mechanism, the anchor screw flips an anchor bar out and pulls it against the back of the wall as you install it. Removing a toggle bar anchor is similar to removing the spring-loaded anchor.

Remove the anchor screw from the anchor. The toggle bar is integrated with the anchor so it won’t fall behind the wall. Insert a thin hex key into the anchor to flip the bar parallel to the anchor body.

Once the bar aligns with the anchor body, insert a screwdriver into the anchor. This type of anchor typically has drive surfaces that fit a Phillips screwdriver. Use the screwdriver to unscrew the anchor body from the wall.

Pop-toggle anchors have plastic wings or flanges. These wings pop out behind the wall and lock in place to secure the anchor against the back of the wall. You’ll need a drill/driver to remove these anchors and you’ll need a screw in the anchor. If you no longer have the original screw, find one that fits the anchor.

Set the drill/driver to Forward and install a screwdriver bit to fit the anchor screw. Start the drill and drive the screw clockwise. The threads on the screw should engage the flanges and pull them together.

Once the flanges fold back in and are no longer engaged against the wall, you should notice you’re able to move the anchor back and forth a bit. Reverse the drill driver and begin unscrewing the anchor screw but don’t remove it completely. Use a claw hammer to carefully pull the screw and anchor from the wall. If necessary, add padding behind the hammer head to avoid marring the wall.

A molly bolt has four or five metal flanges that hold it in place. The anchor screw engages the flanges and pulls them against the wall. This design distributes the weight on the anchor across several points, adding strength, but it also makes them difficult to remove cleanly. Use a drill/driver and screwdriver bit to remove the anchor screw.

Install a drill bit about two sizes larger than the diameter of the hole and insert the bit into the metal collar of the anchor. The cutting edges of the bit should touch only the collar edges around the screw hole without slipping inside the hole. Begin drilling. The collar should break free of the anchor body and the bit should push the anchor body into the wall cavity.