Controlling Z axis placement
are there adapter components designed to lift other components away
from the plane of the board?

There are plenty of them. Here's one type for instance that uses plug-in headers: -

But, they needn't be plug-in headers. They can be soldered at both ends such as this: -

Or taller ones like this: -

You can get many varieties such as this range from Samtec (amongst others): -