How to Remove a Stripped or Stuck Screw (Without Drilling It Out)

A screw that spins in place without backing out, or one that's rusted solid, is one of the more frustrating small repairs — and most people reach for a screw extractor kit or a drill long before they need to.

Work through these fixes roughly in order. The earlier ones take seconds and risk nothing; the later ones are more reliable on genuinely stuck fasteners but carry more risk of damaging the surrounding material.

Figure out why it's actually stuck

A screw usually resists for one of three reasons: the head's slot or Phillips cross is worn down (cam-out) so a bit can't get a grip, the screw is rusted or corroded and seized in the material, or it's a stubborn fastener like a deck screw that was overdriven into dense wood.

Knowing which one you're dealing with changes the fix — a worn-out head needs better bit grip, while a rusted screw needs penetrating oil and time more than brute force.

Try the simple fixes before anything else

Clean the screw head first. Paint, drywall compound, or grime filling the slot is a common reason a bit slips, and a pick or small screwdriver can clear it out in seconds.

Press straight down hard while turning — most cam-out happens because the bit is riding up out of a worn head rather than biting in. A rubber band pressed between the bit and the screw head can add enough grip to get a badly worn Phillips or slotted screw moving.

For a rusted or corroded screw, a few drops of penetrating oil (or even a household option like vinegar) left to soak for 10-15 minutes loosens corrosion far more reliably than forcing it, and it costs nothing to try before moving on.

Reach for an impact driver before an extractor kit

If the simple fixes don't move it, a cordless impact driver run in reverse is the single most effective tool for a stuck screw, and it solves the problem more often than a screw extractor kit without the risk of snapping a hardened extractor bit off inside the hole.

The rapid rotational hammer blows jar a seized or rusted screw loose the way steady torque from a drill or hand screwdriver can't, since a drill just keeps adding twisting force to a head that's already struggling to grip. That hammering action is exactly what an impact driver is built for — see our best impact drivers roundup if you don't already own one.

Use an impact-rated bit, not a standard driver bit, for this — a worn screw head is already a bad grip, and a standard bit is more likely to slip or chip under impact force and strip the head further. Our best impact driver bit sets roundup covers sets built to hold up to this kind of use.

When you genuinely need an extractor or have to drill it out

A screw extractor kit earns its place when the head is sheared off flush or there's nothing left for a bit to grip. Center-punch the remaining stub, drill a small pilot hole with the kit's bit, then back the extractor (which has reverse-cut threads) in counterclockwise to grab and remove the broken piece.

Extractors work best in softer metals and wood — they can snap off inside hardened deck or construction screws if you force them, which turns an annoying repair into a much harder one. If an extractor isn't gripping within a turn or two, stop rather than forcing it.

Drilling the screw out entirely, using a bit slightly larger than the screw's shank, is the last resort when extraction fails or isn't practical. It's reliable but destroys the original hole, so it's best reserved for hardware you're replacing anyway rather than a hole you need to reuse.

Prevent the next stripped screw

Match the bit size and type to the screw exactly — a #2 Phillips bit in a #1 head (or vice versa) is one of the most common causes of cam-out. Replace driver bits once the tip rounds over; a worn bit strips screws far more often than a fresh one.

If you're driving with a drill, use a lower clutch setting so the tool stops applying torque once the screw seats instead of continuing to grind against an already-flush head.